Sure sounds like Antonio Pierce doesn't believe in either of Raiders quarterbacks

If you have two quarterbacks, you don't have any. Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce knows that slogan all too well, especially given both of his signal-callers are mediocre at best.

Aidan O'Connell was a fun 2023 storyline, as the former late-round draft pick showed flashes in Jimmy Garoppolo's absence, so much so that he ended up taking the job from Jimmy G. Vegas signed Gardner Minshew as competition this offseason. After a decent-enough preseason debut from both, Pierce put all his eggs in one basket -- he would make his decision shortly after the second preseason contest against the Dallas Cowboys.

“The goal will be to hopefully make a decision after this game this Saturday,” Pierce said last week. “We got to get ready to play football and I think we got enough film. We’ll have two games to evaluate both quarterbacks to see how they’ll play.”

While O'Connell played well against the Vikings, he did not lead a scoring drive. Minshew did, which gave him a slight edge heading into Saturday. However, the best quarterback on the field for the Raiders Saturday night was neither O'Connell nor Minshew -- it was Carter Bradley.

Antonio Pierce refuses to name a starting quarterback for Raiders

So, Vegas has a problem. O'Connell turned the ball over by throwing an interception to Kemon Hall, which he returned for a 69-yard touchdown. Minshew looked inefficient as ever, which is typically the case against top-flight defenses. Minshew is a journeyman who travels by van for a reason. As entertaining as he may be at times, he's quite limited. Pierce wasn't thrilled postgame, and refused to make a decision between the two.

While Pierce would have preferred one of his quarterbacks stolen the job on Saturday, training camp doesn't always work that way. Pierce is a young head coach and he's learning the hard lesson of his first camp as a head coach -- don't set definitive dates! The only reason there was so much pressure on this game in particular is because he declared it so.

Pierce should take his time declaring a starter. As much as they impressed late in the 2023-24 season, which included a win over the eventual Super Bowl-champion Chiefs, they are in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. Neither of these quarterbacks will take them where they want to go, which is deep into the AFC postseason.

In games, at least, Minshew has looked more capable and less turnover-prone. Punting on O'Connell is easier said than done. These are the tough calls that go into being an NFL head coach, and I'm glad it's not my job.