In an attempt to jump start their offense, the Las Vegas Raiders will change quarterbacks this weekend to someone new.
As for their disgruntled star wideout? Same old, same old.
Davante Adams is likely to remain out and second-year signal-caller Aidan O’Connell will step in for veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew II when the Raiders (2-3) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas.
This will be the third game in a row that Adams is expected to miss because of a hamstring injury. While he has been sidelined, trade rumors have swirled around the 11th-year veteran who has five 1,000-yard campaigns in his previous six seasons.
“We talked so everything’s good,” Las Vegas coach Antonio Pierce said. “He is still a Raider. He has never not been a Raider. When he’s healthy and can play, we’ll play him.”
Meanwhile, the Steelers are playing a similar game of wait-and-see when it comes to injury recovery with their own high-profile veteran.
Quarterback Russell Wilson, who has not played this season because of a calf injury, returned to practice this week. He took repetitions with the second team in practice and is expected to serve as a backup to Justin Fields this week against Las Vegas.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin sidestepped a specific answer when asked about Wilson’s status for this weekend and the weeks ahead.
“Until [Wilson] gets to a point where we’re comfortable with what we’re looking at, we’re going to continue to push forward with Justin until those things are legitimate, and then we’ll make those decisions,” Tomlin said.
Fields has posted a career-best 97.1 passer rating in his first season in Pittsburgh. He has passed for 961 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, and he has rushed for 172 yards and three scores.
Najee Harris is the Steelers’ top running back with 270 yards but only 3.3 yards per carry. George Pickens leads the team’s receivers with 23 catches for 310 yards.
As for the Raiders, O’Connell is set to make his first start of 2024 after starting 10 games as a rookie in 2023. The Purdue product has played in two games in backup duty this season, completing 19 of 32 passes for 176 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Pierce pulled Minshew after he threw two costly interceptions in last week’s 34-18 loss against the Denver Broncos. He said O’Connell earned an opportunity to start but he left open the possibility that he could turn back to Minshew later in the season.
“I don’t plan on making switches at any (specific) time,” Pierce said. “When it’s time to make a switch, we’ll make a switch.”
Pierce said he was impressed by O’Connell’s maturity as a second-year player.
“(He’s) out of that shell, not looking like a rookie no more,” Pierce said. “Not acting like a rookie no more. He has a certain presence about himself. I love how he walks around the building.
“Really, what I respect the most, is when we named Gardner the starter, he said, ‘All right, I’m going to be the best scout team quarterback possible.’ And he was lighting our (defense) up. And every day he gives us the best look and he walks around with a smile on his face.”
Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers will look to stay hot after scoring his first career touchdown last week against Denver. Bowers leads the team with 313 receiving yards.
Las Vegas also hopes to ignite its running game, which has sputtered this season. Zamir White leads the team with 152 rushing yards and Alexander Mattison is next with 125.
Both teams feature elite pass rushers.
The Steelers’ T.J. Watt has 4.5 sacks in five games this season after tallying 19 sacks in 17 games last year. Watt surpassed 100 career sacks last week against the Cowboys.
Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby can also change the game on defense. Crosby has five sacks in four games after notching 14.5 in 2023.
