LAS VEGAS — Out with the old, in with the new.
Las Vegas Raiders fans may have a new No. 4 to cheer about.
Donning the same number former quarterback Derek Carr, rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell started Saturday’s preseason opener against San Francisco, played the first three quarters, and finished 15 of 18 for 141 yards and one TD with a 117.8 passer rating in the Raiders’ 34-7 victory over the 49ers.
Per the team, his 117.8 passer rating is the fourth-best by a Raiders quarterback in a preseason game since 2017.
He also led Las Vegas on four scoring drives, including three touchdowns.
“You just kind of hope to go out there and do your best and see what happens,” said O’Connell, who finished with back-to-back 3,000-yard seasons playing in the Big Ten and threw a combined 50 touchdowns for Purdue. “Not worried about the stats, there’s more things than just the stats, especially responsibility in the run game and stuff like that, that I need to improve on. So I know I have a lot of work to go still.”
Maybe so, but the debut was certainly an eye-opener
Second-year quarterback Chase Garbers cleaned things up in the fourth quarter, while neither starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo nor penciled-in QB2 Brian Hoyer saw any action.
“Brian and Jimmy really got a lot of work this week,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said. “This was really kind of the vision that I had, to try to get those guys a lot of work in practice against some guys that probably weren’t going to play on their side of the ball … and then let Aidan have an opportunity to experience this for the first time.
“I thought he generally handled himself well for the first opportunity. He’s gonna learn a lot from some of the things that we might have been able to do a little bit better that would have helped us maybe sustain a few drives, but that’s why he was in there.”
It’s only one game, but if his impressive play continues, there is certainly a case to be made that O’Connell could be the inked-in QB2.
O’Connell, just the second quarterback drafted by the Raiders since Carr was taken in 2014, started his pro career with an efficient 10-play drive, covering 68 yards and ending with a touchdown. He completed both of his pass attempts for 36 yards.
O’Connell may have enjoyed his most impressive drive late in the second quarter when he led the Raiders on an eight-play, 59-yard scoring drive that culminated with his 9-yard strike to Keelan Cole Sr. Earlier in the drive O’Connell hit Cole Fotheringham with a 17-yard completion over the middle.
He wasn’t done, either.
He finished the day by completing 5 of 5 attempts for 34 yards and led the Raiders to another touchdown drive.
“I knew what to expect for sure because since day one Aiden has been ready to go,” Cole said. “So I’m not surprised at all about the performance.”
His pocket presence was reflective of the type of quarterback McDaniels likes under center, standing sturdy when the 49ers brought pressure, and firing a tight spiral with a quick release when finding his target downfield.
“I thought he generally handled himself well for the first (playing) opportunity,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said. “He’s going to learn a lot from some of the things we might have been able to do a little bit better that would’ve helped us maybe sustain a few drives. He soaks it all in, and he’ll take every opportunity to improve.”
