A season to forget: Las Vegas Raiders 2024
The Raiders’ season already feels like a lost cause
Meh. Heavy sigh. For any follower of the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s hard not to feel a sense of déjà vu as the silver and black head into another season with more questions than answers. The recent announcement that Gardner Minshew will be the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback over Aidan O’Connell is just the latest in a series of decisions that leave many a follower of Dah Raihduhs scratching their heads.
This is the best Mark Davis can do? While the rest of the AFC West invests high-round draft picks at quarterback (Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix), Las Vegas has clearly settled for bargain-bin buys at the game’s most vital position. This is not a commitment to excellence, but a commitment to coasting.
A lackluster preseason
Minshew’s preseason performance has been anything but inspiring. Completing just 16 of 33 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown over two games, he struggled mightily against the Cowboys, connecting on only 10 of 21 passes for 95 yards. Granted, he wasn’t throwing to Davante Adams, and Kolton Miller’s absence due to shoulder surgery is a factor, but these are the kinds of challenges every team faces. Great quarterbacks find a way to rise above. Great quarterbacks are nowhere near the Raiders’ training facility in Henderson, Nevada.
The decision-making process
Head coach Antonio Pierce cited Minshew’s command of the offense and leadership as reasons for his selection. While these are important qualities, they don’t necessarily translate to wins on the field. Minshew’s career record of 15–22 as a starter doesn’t exactly scream “game-changer.” His stats — 891 completions on 1,423 attempts for 9,937 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions — are solid but not spectacular.
Does going for solid (questionable) vs. the higher variance upside/downside of O’Connell mean more wins? Hard to make that bet.
Playing in the Palace of Fourth Place
Given the current state of the team, it’s hard to see the Raiders finishing anywhere but fourth in the AFC West. The Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos all look stronger on paper and have more stable quarterback situations. Mahomes and Herbert are proven stars, and even Bo Nix, authoring a solid preseason so far, looks to have a higher ceiling than Minshew.
The road ahead
Unless Minshew can drastically improve his performance and the team can stay healthy, this season could be another frustrating chapter in the Raiders’ recent history. The front office needs to make some serious moves to build a more competitive roster, or Raiders fans can expect to be stuck in this cycle of mediocrity for years to come.
For the fans, it’s going to be tough to remain optimistic when the same issues seem to plague the Raiders year after year. The one perilous question needs to be asked: What happens if Davante Adams goes down? Do the Raiders have anything close to a counterpunch that can produce winning offense? If they do, the answer may lie in a twin tight end attack. The Raiders have invested heavily in their two young tight ends Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers. Both have admirable and complementary skill sets. You will be forgiven if you cannot recall the last time a pair of tight ends launched an NFL offensive attack into the stratosphere.* But that may be the Raiders’ key calling card this season.
After last season’s dismal result, the Raiders running game leaves no opponent quivering. Leading rusher Josh Jacobs is gone and the replacement plan can merely expect improvement if the offense faces fewer loaded boxes.
Which means it’s all on the arm of Gardner Minshew. Good luck. Playoffs for the Raiders? Tough to do when you are in fourth place in your own division.
- * That would be the Rob Gronkowski / Aaron Hernandez / Tom Brady era Patriots of yore. Is there anyone that wants to favorably compare Gardner Minshew to Tom Brady?
