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Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS — Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said the team’s decision-makers will “sleep on it and make a decision in the next couple of days” on whom Las Vegas’ starting quarterback will be for the season opener — Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell.
Both quarterbacks played five series apiece in a 27-12 preseason loss to the Dallas Cowboys, who played only two starters Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium.
Minshew started for the Raiders and was scattershot in completing just 10 of 21 passes for 95 yards, though he did have a pretty 48-yard deep ball to receiver Tre Tucker.
And while O’Connell was more efficient, going 14-of-20 for 96 yards with a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Harrison Bryant, he also threw an ugly 69-yard pick-six to Cowboys cornerback Kemon Hall on his final snap of the game, the first play of the fourth quarter.
“It sucks,” O’Connell said. “It sucks to throw interceptions in general, but to be the last play is definitely tough. That one will linger, but it’s football. You’re going to learn from it, move on, and I’m not going to make that mistake again.”
O’Connell had been cruising until the interception. And Pierce, who will consult with general manager Tom Telesco and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, said “everything” will be evaluated, adding that you “can’t take the good without the bad” in rendering a decision.
“I’m going to go all the way back to OTAs, minicamp, training camp, two preseason games,” Pierce said. “And there’s going to be a lot of factors, obviously, right? Command of the offense, the operational part, efficiency. The turnovers is huge — that shows up — taking care of the football’s going to be important for our team.
“And then … sitting there with Telesco and Luke over the next couple of days and just really pinpointing who’s going to get us off to a fast start to get to where we want to be in that first quarter of the season.”
Minshew said he felt both he and O’Connell had enough positives to make it a “hard decision” for Pierce.
“It was a super competitive camp,” Minshew said. “Kind of neck and neck the whole way.”
Raiders Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby said he was keeping a close eye on the competition.
“The best man’s going to win, and I know that decision’s coming here soon,” Crosby said. “I just want the best guy leading us and that’s going to work itself out.”
Said Pierce: “Obviously, you saw what our plan was tonight — throw the ball around, let these guys showcase what they can do and, boom, we’ll talk about it.”
There was not much to talk about, though, since Pierce lamented neither quarterback running away with the job, a stated hope since the start of training camp.
“I think everybody wants to see a player just take it and say, ‘Hey, I’m your guy,'” Pierce said. “Obviously, probably not the case, so we’re going to have to make a decision and we’re going to live with it and we’re going to support whoever that quarterback is for the Raiders going forward.”
Every Raiders starter on both sides of the ball played against the Cowboys except for receiver Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers.
And while Pierce said Bowers was dealing with a sore foot, Adams, Pierce said, “had an awkward movement where he just got sore. He missed practice on Thursday. And, like I said, if a guy’s not 100% healthy, I wasn’t going to risk it. It’s not worth it. He’ll be back to practice come Tuesday.”
Adams, who missed time in camp to be present for the birth of his son, said earlier in the week, “If I’m choosing, I’m not playing” in the preseason.
Pierce added that no Las Vegas starters will play in the Raiders’ preseason finale Friday against the San Francisco 49ers.