HENDERSON, Nev. — Aidan O’Connell, recovered from a damaged thumb on his proper (passing) hand, will begin at quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders on the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Friday, coach Antonio Pierce mentioned Wednesday.
“Aidan’s wanting good,” Pierce mentioned. “We’ll throw the ball a bit of bit immediately in observe, however he is executed good over the past two days with some walk-throughs and, clearly, [practicing] indoors, however we’ll see the way it seems to be immediately.
“However we be ok with Aidan. He is been dialed in, clearly, all through this time that he is been on IR. He is executed all of the conferences. He is been very encouraging on the sideline. He is obtained that laser-eye focus proper now. Nice alternative for him.”
O’Connell, on injured reserve since Oct. 22, had his observe window opened Monday.
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“It is not 100%, nevertheless it’s fairly shut,” O’Connell mentioned Tuesday. “It is felt fairly good the previous few days throwing. I obtained to throw beginning a bit of bit within the final couple of weeks and that is been good. It has been type of horrible not with the ability to try this.
“To have the ability to go on the market and grip the soccer and throw a bit of bit has been superior. So, yeah, we’re progressing how we wish to … it is not simply throwing the ball 5 yards to a man, it is throwing routes deeper and issues like that.”
O’Connell misplaced a coaching camp battle to free agent signee Gardner Minshew however took over for an ineffective Minshew in Week 6. It was in O’Connell’s second begin, on the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 22, when he suffered the damaged thumb on a follow-through of a go try.
“It was a bone break, so there’s not lots you are able to do besides sit there and wait, which is not ultimate,” O’Connell mentioned. “However there’s some modalities you are able to do within the coaching room after which simply attempting to get comfortable tissue on it and vary of movement, all these issues. However yeah, a number of it was sitting round and ready, which isn’t my favourite factor.”
Minshew reassumed beginning after O’Connell’s harm, however then he suffered a season-ending damaged collarbone late within the Raiders’ 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
O’Connell, having sat out 4 video games, then turned eligible to come back off IR.
Desmond Ridder, signed off the Arizona Cardinals’ observe squad on Oct. 22, has performed sparingly in three video games, finishing 16 of 26 passes for 138 yards and a landing with a misplaced fumble. He has been sacked six occasions.
O’Connell, in the meantime, has appeared in 4 video games, two begins, and has handed for 455 yards in finishing 52 of 82 makes an attempt with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has been sacked 3 times.
He’s the final quarterback to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, serving to lead the Raiders to a 20-14 win there final Christmas Day, at the same time as he didn’t full a go after the primary quarter.
In the meantime, the Chiefs are tied with the Lions for the most effective report within the NFL at 10-1, whereas the Raiders are tied with the Giants for the worst at 2-9.
“Let’s name a spade a spade … the most effective staff in soccer in opposition to the worst staff in soccer,” Pierce mentioned. “Let’s change the narrative, proper? Let’s simply go on the market, make it a canine combat, make it ugly, make it scrappy. It is Black Friday, let’s create a bit of chaos. Get again to Raider soccer and have some enjoyable and [show] some persona and let it unfastened.”
