Las Vegas Raiders backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell suffered a fracture in his right wrist during the 20-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the final preseason game on Saturday night. Raiders coach Pete Carroll confirmed that O’Connell will need surgery and is expected to be out of action for six to eight weeks. After an offensive series of 10 plays and 32 yards that culminated in a 52-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson at the start of the second quarter, O’Connell was attended to by the trainers on the sideline before heading to the locker room. O’Connell returned to the field later in the fourth with a splint on his right hand, while rookie Cam Miller took over at quarterback. Miller, selected in the sixth round of the draft, completed 12 of 24 passes for 124 yards, with a passer rating of 61.5. O’Connell will be out for a while. We have to see what we can do and keep developing Cam. In his two previous seasons, O’Connell has accumulated 3,830 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 20 games, including 17 starts. Last season, O’Connell missed several weeks due to a thumb fracture. O’Connell showed inconsistencies in his first training camp under Carroll’s direction. In the three preseason games, the quarterback committed four turnovers, including three interceptions. In the first quarter against Arizona, O’Connell suffered a fumble that resulted in a touchdown by Cardinals wide receiver Simi Fehoko. Carroll also noted that, in addition to the turnovers, the offense was not as fast with O’Connell on the field.
With O’Connell’s likely inclusion on the injury reserve list, the Raiders’ quarterback depth is reduced to Geno Smith and Miller, suggesting they might bring in another passer. When Carroll was asked if Miller was ready to be the Raiders’ second quarterback, he replied: “We’ll see.” Miller, who has mainly played with the third offensive unit, completed 32 of 61 passes for 305 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the preseason.We didn’t play that fast from the huddle to the snap. We’re still trying to figure that out.
Pete Carroll
Let’s see what happens here. I’ll have to review the video.
Pete Carroll
