Aidan O’Connell is a limited quarterback. No, it’s not the Las Vegas Raiders rookie’s arm we’re talking about. He has plenty of accuracy and zip when asked to deliver the football.
It’s O’Connell’s legs where the limitation lies. In today’s NFL, the statuesque pocket passer of a quarterback is nearly as extinct as the pure-blocking fullback. And just like the sledgehammer lead blocker in the back field, that too evolved.
O’Connell is never going to be mistaken for a dual-threat signal caller. An elusive scrambler he is not. He’s a quarterback who wants to beat you with this arm and is a throwback to the days when Drew Bledsoe and Carson Palmer were household names.
The Raiders are knee-deep in the growing pains…
That looms large in the growing pains the Raiders are experiencing with going to the rook as the starting quarterback. Now, don’t get me wrong. Making O’Connell the starter and letting him go through the growing pains—for better or for worse—was absolutely the right decision. Las Vegas key decision-makers need to know exactly what O’Connell has to offer to make an informed future decision at the all-important quarterback position. Come hell or high water, knowing the pros and cons of the Purdue product will help shape the team this offseason.
But there’s no denying that the lack of scrambling is a concern. Unlike the Raiders’ previous signal caller, Derek Carr, who had the legs and speed but didn’t choose to use that trait nearly enough, O’Connell’s speed is quite limited. Thus, perhaps that’s why there’s rarely any thought of using his legs to extend plays or gain positive yardage on the ground. Fair enough.
The speed and movement aren’t there for No. 4
But how many times have we seen quarterbacks who aren’t heralded for their scrambling ability hurt opposing defenses by moving the chains with their legs? The Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, who clocked in a 4.80 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine, makes a habit of it. Aidan O’Connell did run a 4.70 40-yard dash at Purdue’s pro day—that number tends to be off when done at the school, however—but he doesn’t have the same wiggle Mahomes brings to the table.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound O’Connell has seven yards and one touchdown on his 11 rushing attempts (five of those, though, were first downs). That’s quite the contrast to his passing stats: 163 of 265 (61.5% completion percentage) for 1,675 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. However, his lack of functional mobility results in him absorbing 20 sacks.
O’Connell’s most recent outing under center was a 9-of-21, 62-yard display against the vaunted Chiefs. And the Raiders won 20-14.
“Yeah, obviously I didn’t have my best game, and we didn’t do much offensively in the past game,” O’Connell said during his mid-week press conference. “Like I said, after the game, I think I missed some opportunities that were there. Again, it’s week to week; you got to try to improve as much as possible and try to execute on Sunday or whenever the game comes around.”
The Raiders’ run game bailed them out…
O’Connell didn’t complete a pass outside the first quarter in Arrowhead, but the run game closed it out, and the defense swatted away the Chiefs attempts to fight back, but the team still won. That’s most important. But to act like O’Connell’s limitations aren’t a concern—even after an impressive division win on the road—is facetious, as are the Raiders former head coach and general manager, Josh McDaniels, and Dave Ziegler. Let’s be real here.
A quarterback that can move around the pocket, extend plays, and threaten the defense with his ability to run with the football is an entirely different task than defending a stationary howitzer type.
“Again, we try to execute as best as possible. We don’t go into a game thinking our defense is going to bail us out here or there, and obviously they have. They’ve done an awesome job of that, and we’re confident they’re going to do that because they’ve shown it,” O’Connell said when asked if the defense playing so well lessens the burden on him. “But we want to perform as best we can individually and collectively as different units on the offense. And then, as a whole group, I think we want to challenge ourselves to score as many points as possible while also being as efficient as possible and making good decisions with everything we do.”
“And so, like I keep saying, it’s a team sport. You’ve got to rely on each other sometimes, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Is O’Connell the type of quarterback that can empty the chamber in a shootout?
If it’s a pure pocket passing dual, the answer is likely yes.
But an opposing defense has an easier time rushing a stationary target than one that’s mobile. This isn’t to say that Aidan O’Connell can’t succeed in the NFL due to his mobility limitations. We’ve seen him drop a season-high four touchdown passes in the demolition of the Los Angeles Chargers.
If schemed properly and the players around him execute, O’Connell is a viable option. But the NFL is the antithesis of consistent perfection. Things will go awry, and the opposing defense will make their own plays and take away options for O’Connell to throw to. And what happens then?
Aidan O’Connell has time, he’s a rookie after all…
Fortunately for Aidan O’Connell, it’s his first year, and there’s plenty of time to work on improvements. Perhaps the offensive staff this offseason—whoever it may consist of when a decision is made on head coach—can emphasize running out of harm’s way and/or moving the chains. His teammates understand the difficulty of playing the quarterback position and the immense pressure on O’Connell’s shoulder. And that definitely helps the rookie.
“This was a weird game in itself, and what is it going to do?” Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams began when asked about O’Connell’s demeanor and being frustrated about not one pass being completed after the first quarter. “The best quarterback, the most experienced quarterback, or the most inexperienced quarterback, it’s not going to help getting out there and putting extra pressure on, showing frustration, or coming down on somebody. So, regardless of what his temperament is like or his personality, that has nothing to do with it.”
“We’re just doing what’s best for any quarterback and trying to be the best teammates that we can to help a young, inexperienced guy who’s trying to play against one of the best quarterbacks the game has seen. It’s not going to be an easy matchup, so we try to do the best job we can of keeping his mind right and making sure he stays confident, even when it’s tough times like that. He didn’t draw it up the way that it ended up, but we got the W, so it’s something we can learn from and move on.”
Las Vegas has done plenty of learning this season. And the team has two more games to learn more about Aidan O’Connell and everyone else.
*Top Photo: Getty Images