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Sunday has been another disastrous outing for the Las Vegas Raiders, as the Cincinnati Bengals are blowing them out in the second half. After keeping pace with the explosive Bengals offense for a while, Cincinnati pulled away and is now leading by three scores as the clock winds down.
During the second half, head coach Antonio Pierce decided that he had had enough of an offense that just couldn't move the ball consistently against a Bengals defense that has been terrible for most of the year. During the third quarter, the Raiders benched quarterback Gardner Minshew in favor of former Atlanta Falcons signal caller Desmond Ridder.
The Ridder experience in Las Vegas didn't get off to a great start, as the Raiders went three-and-out during his first series.
This is the second time that Minshew has been benched this season after Aidan O'Connell replaced him during a loss to the Denver Broncos last month. O'Connell is currently on injured reserve due to a thumb injury.
Minshew's stat line isn't completely ugly, but he was ineffective for most of the game. When he was benched, the longtime veteran was 10-for-17 with 124 yards and a lost fumble. However, the Raiders weren't able to move the ball almost at all after an opening drive touchdown against one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
Ridder is getting his second chance with the Raiders after a failed stint in Atlanta to start his career. He started most of the season in 2023 for the Falcons, throwing 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing just over 64% of his passes. The Raiders are hoping that he can find his footing in the league in Las Vegas.
With O'Connell out for at least a few more weeks, there's a chance that Ridder is the guy for the Raiders moving forward, at least until O'Connell returns. It's hard to see Pierce and the Raiders going back to Minshew after two separate beachings in the span of one month.
