Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew was benched in the third quarter in favor of Aidan O’Connell after throwing his second interception of the game with Las Vegas trailing the Broncos by 10 in an eventual 34-18 loss.
The move by head coach Antonio Pierce came after Minshew had been intercepted on a pass intended for receiver Tre Tucker along the sideline.
Instead, Riley Moss recorded his first career interception on the play as he came away on the winning end of the jump ball play.
Minshew’s first interception of the day had come in the second quarter inside the red zone on first-and-goal when his throw to the end zone was picked off and returned for a touchdown by Broncos corner Pat Surtain II.
It was a tough day aside from the interceptions for the Raiders starter as he completed 12 of 17 passes for 137 yards and was sacked twice.
He did have a touchdown pass – a 57-yard TD reception for Brock Bowers – but it wasn’t enough to help the Raiders on Sunday.
O’Connell didn’t do much better once he came into the game, going 10-for-20 with 94 yards and an interception.
Pierce was non-committal after the game on who would be the starting quarterback next week.
The Raiders were 2-2 heading into Week 5 and have been embroiled in trade rumors since it became public that star wide receiver Davante Adams requested a trade, with the Jets and Saints high on his list of preferred destinations.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported over the weekend that trade talks were expected to intensify next week.
Adams had posted a cryptic post on social media involving an image off poet Edgar Allen Poe, which led some to speculate that some sort of deal with the Ravens was forthcoming.
He made a second post using a quote from Poe.
“Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see,” Adams posted to social media.
