Raiders still undecided on which QB will start Thursday

Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce didn’t say Wednesday whether rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell would start Thursday against the Chargers. That leaves open the possibility the team will turn to veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.

“We’re still going through that process,” Pierce said. “Got a couple more hours. See how it’s going.”

Pierce said his lack of clarity didn’t mean O’Connell was being benched.

“I never said Aidan wasn’t the starter, let’s say that first and foremost,” Pierce said. “We’re still evaluating it. If there’s a chance to get better, a chance to improve, a chance to put us in position to win, we gotta get all the factors that go into it.”

The Raiders are coming off three straight defeats, including an embarrassing 3-0 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. But Pierce said his final decision would be less about what has happened and more about which quarterback he believes gives his team the best chance to win Thursday.

“Just making decisions based off media, a loss, a bad, ugly performance, that’s not how you do things in the National Football League,” Pierce said. “That’s not how you run a business. Maybe other people do, A.P. doesn’t, and the Raiders are not going to do that. We’re going to do whatever it takes to put ourselves in position to win. And after today, we’ll have a better answer.”

The Raiders’ mediocre quarterback play has sabotaged their season. Garoppolo is 27th in Pro Football Focus’ QB rankings, while O’Connell is 33rd.

The Raiders’ passers have dragged the team’s record down to 5-8 even while other position groups have stepped up. The defense is allowing the ninth-fewest points in the NFL. The offensive line is ranked 12th by PFF. It’s almost inexplicable the Raiders aren’t in the playoff hunt with those areas surging and the offense still boasting skill-position talent like running back Josh Jacobs and wide receiver Davante Adams.

It hasn’t mattered because neither O’Connell nor Garoppolo has shown they can consistently drive the ball downfield. O’Connell has thrown four touchdowns and seven interceptions. Garoppolo has thrown seven touchdowns and been picked off nine times.

Their play has left the Raiders offense operating with one hand tied behind its back.

As a result, the team has scored the fifth-fewest points in the NFL. The Raiders are averaging 15.5 points per game and have scored 20 touchdowns in 13 games. That’s 33 fewer touchdowns than the Dolphins and 27 fewer than the 49ers and Cowboys.

The Raiders’ incompetence culminated with their scoreless effort Sunday and left Adams in disbelief.

“I mean, it’s embarrassing, too, not that that’s the main thing that drives it, but you walk off that field and you got a lot of fans that (paid) their money to come see you play, and you go up and put up a goose egg,” Adams said. “I mean, it almost looks worse that they only score three, too. Sometimes you’ve seen plenty teams win 20-0, whatever. But when (the) other team wins by three, and they only scored three, it just looks horrible.”

Adams isn’t wrong. And that might lead the Raiders to a quarterback change.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.