The Las Vegas Raiders fell to 5-8, and the offense appeared to regress after the bye week, as the team was shut out by the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Sports columnist Sam Gordon joins Vegas Nation host Le’Andre Fox to analyze the game on a short week as the Raiders prepare for Thursday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers.
During their Week 14 showdown against the Minnesota Vikings, the Las Vegas Raiders will be faced with a fairly unusual play-caller. Brian Flores, the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, has earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s most blitz-happy coaches in recent years.
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Flores’ defenses had the second-highest blitz rate in the league during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, at 40.8 and 39.6 percent, respectively, when he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Even though he’s on a different team, he’s been turning up the heat even more as the Vikings rank top in blitz rate at 47.6 percent. With the Raiders starting a rookie quarterback, that tendency is likely to continue.
When questioned about the best aspects of Minnesota’s defense, Aidan O’Connell instantly mentioned Flores’ play-calling.
According to Pro Football Focus, the fourth-round pick has been blitzed 49 times this season, accounting for little more than 25% of dropbacks. So far, he’s done well, with a 78.0 adjusted completion percentage (after drops and throwaways) that stands tied for sixth among quarterbacks.
That’s roughly five percentage points higher than his statistic when not facing a blitz, although O’Connell does have a 4.0 percent ‘turnover-worthy’ throw rate when defensive coordinators turn up the heat, which is tied for 11th-highest. Those incidents undoubtedly provided a few learning chances for the novice.
We’ll see how O’Connell manages the pressure from Flores on Sunday, but interim head coach Antonio Pierce was clearly encouraged by the rookie’s previous performance and is confident in him going into the game.
With only five games remaining and several offseason changes likely for the Silver and Black, O’Connell’s performance on Sunday will be essential as he strives to establish himself as a starting quarterback in the National Football League.
