At least one person (looking at you, Josh McDaniels) in the Las Vegas Raiders locker room had Aidan O’Connell in mind following the Raiders’ loss—Davante Adams, of course.
Plenty of fingers could’ve been pointed following another loss on Sunday. All the same, one person who certainly didn’t need that was O’Connell. The rookie signal-caller, who had been inactive all season thus far, was thrown into an impossible situation. Let’s acknowledge that first. Coaching against O’Connell was one of the better defensive minds in the NFL in Brandon Staley. Then, you add in Khalil Mack, the former Raider, who unsurprisingly plays his best ball against his former squad. It really was a tough spot for a rookie.
Still, AOC4 held his own, truly. Despite some devastating turnovers and a porous offensive line display, the Purdue product hung in there. For McDaniels’ “genius” in this one, O’Connell’s costly interception to seal the game should’ve been a play to Josh Jacobs. Where’s the accountability from McDaniels? Well, if nothing else, Davante Adams knows that O’Connell’s performance was far from perfect. That being said, that didn’t stop him from acknowledging what most Raiders fans agree on—that he played the best game given the circumstances.
Davante Adams gave his seal of approval for Aidan O’Connell, all things considered…
Adams, who had an injury scare early in the second quarter, acknowledged that O’Connell’s preseason performance might’ve created unrealistic expectations (h/t Jesse Merrick). At the same time, No. 17 gave the rookie his due.
“You know for his first outing it was obviously not the way he would have drawn it up, but he did good in my eyes.”
If that wasn’t enough, when asked about shouldering the offensive load, Adams was blunt in his response.
“That’s my job. My job is to be the one that—that’s why I get paid the way that I do to go and score touchdowns. It’s about everybody doing their part.”
McDaniels should take notes; that’s what a leader of men sounds like.
*Top Photo: Ashley Landis/Associated Press