Pierce not ready to name Raiders' starting QB as questions swirl

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — If Raiders coach Antonio Pierce changes quarterbacks, he likely will have to stick with Aidan O'Connell for the rest of the season.

Otherwise, what's the point?

Pierce made clear when he took over as Las Vegas' interim coach midway through last season that O'Connell was the starter the rest of the way.

He wasn't ready to be so concrete on Monday on whether sitting Gardner Minshew — the Raiders' starter the first five games — would mean a permanent change to O'Connell. Pierce didn't want to box himself in just yet, at least publicly, so he batted down any questions along those lines.

But it has to be a factor in his thinking as the Raiders (2-3) try to respond to Sunday's 34-18 loss to the Broncos. Minshew was benched at Denver after throwing two interceptions, though O'Connell didn't elevate the team's play, either, in passing for 94 yards with a pick of his own.

The last thing Pierce wants is to do is flip-flop the quarterbacks the rest of the season, so if he and the staff believe Minshew still gives the Raiders their best chance to win, they probably will remain with him.

But there's also the idea of finding out whether O'Connell has much of a future. If Pierce decides to go back to O'Connell, it largely will be with an eye on the big picture rather than trying to win week to week.

Pierce might not be there yet, hoping to salvage the season with 12 games left on the schedule.

“I’ve seen enough Aidan last year and a lot this year,” Pierce said. “I know what to expect when Aidan gets in the game.”

The real problem for the Raiders is the quarterback they need isn't on the roster. That player could still be in college or might be on another NFL roster because neither O'Connell nor Minshew has shown he is capable of making the Raiders a contender.

If Las Vegas can trade wide receiver Davante Adams for assets that will benefit the club and maybe even help land one of those quarterbacks, that's probably the Raiders' best way out of this mess.

How soon the Raiders make a deal, if they are able to pull one off, remains uncertain. Pierce called it “status quo.”

When asked where it all went wrong with Adams, Pierce said, “You’ve got to ask Davante that.”

Maxx Crosby almost any time he's on the field. After a high ankle sprain caused him to miss a game for the first time in his career, Crosby came back looking like the same pass-rush menace. He had two sacks to reach five for the season, putting him on pace to surpass his career high of 14 1/2 set last year.

Special teams usually isn't an issue, but the coverage teams didn't have their best day against the Broncos. They allowed 54 yards on two punt returns and 61 yards on two kickoff returns. One 38-yard punt return put the Broncos at the 50-yard line and helped set up a touchdown.

Tight end Brock Bowers is the Raiders’ best first-round draft pick since they selected running back Josh Jacobs in 2019. He was targeted 12 times at Denver, catching eight passes for 97 yards. That included a 57-yard touchdown on the game’s opening drive in which Bowers caught the pass over one defender and showed his athletic ability by outrunning by another.

The Raiders under Pierce have been a disciplined team that doesn't beat itself with penalties. Well, at least not until the trip to Denver, where Las Vegas committed 11 penalties for 79 yards. That was the most penalties for the Raiders since they committed 13 on Dec. 18, 2022 against New England.

DT Christian Wilkins (foot) was injured against the Broncos. Pierce had no update on Monday.

7 — Rookie quarterbacks have seven consecutive victories against the Raiders with Denver's Bo Nix adding his name to that list. Those QBs have a combined 100 rating, 10 touchdown passes and two interceptions.

The Raiders are back at home Sunday against Pittsburgh.

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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell, right, avoids Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen in the second half of an NFL football gam,e Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell looks at the scoreboard after throwing an incomplete pass in the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew, front, walks off the field with guard Jackson Powers-Johnson after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew looks on from the sidelines as time runs out in the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Emmanuel Clase's nearly perfect season is now flawed.

Cleveland's All-Star closer, who spent the past six months dominating like no other pitcher in the majors, gave up a three-run homer to Detroit's Kerry Carpenter with two outs in the ninth inning Monday as the Tigers shocked the Guardians 3-0 in Game 2 of the ALDS.

Pitching a second inning for just the second time in 2024, Clase showed that even he can be beaten.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt didn't second guess his decision to bring Clase into a tight game. In fact, he'd do it again and again.

“Felt like we wanted to get our best pitcher in there in that moment,” Vogt said. "He’s been the best pitcher in baseball all year, and with the game on the line, we wanted to go get ’em. And he’s gone multiples (innings) a couple different times for us this year.

“So wanted to come in there and stop the game with Clase.”

This time, he didn't.

The right-hander got two strikes on Carpenter and catcher Bo Naylor wanted his next pitch to be in the dirt. He missed.

Clase left it up. Carpenter got it out.

“Emmanuel has been so good for us, and everything went right until Carpenter squared up that slider,” Vogt said. "You got the best pitcher in the world on the mound. You’re going to let him face any hitter. Carpenter is a phenomenal hitter.

“He got a mistake slider, and he didn’t miss it. Gotta tip your cap.”

Clase recorded 47 saves this season, a new franchise single-season high and he also surpassed Cody Allen for the career club lead. He hasn't blown a save since May, and he finished the regular with a 0.61 ERA — the lowest in team history.

Nothing seemed to faze him and there was never a time when he wasn't available for Vogt, who has leaned on the three-time All-Star and baseball's best bullpen since opening day.

Clase didn't offer any excuses, and the 26-year-old said he simply made a bad pitch.

“The plan was to execute it down the dirt where the catcher was calling for,” he said through an interpreter. “I just didn’t execute it. And that cost us the game.”

Clase had thrown eight scoreless innings in the postseason before Carpenter's homer. He also only allowed two homers and just five earned runs all season.

Vogt typically ends the game shaking hands with Clase. For one of the first times in memory, he had to take the ball from him.

“Emmanuel has been locked down all year,” Vogt said. "He’s been nearly perfect. He's human, too. These things are going to happen, and it’s unfortunate the timing of when it did, but at the same time he’s going to have the ball in the ninth again.

“This is the best closer in the game for a reason, and they just happened to get him tonight.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase walks off the field after being taken out of the game in the ninth inning during Game 2 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase watches as Detroit Tigers' Kerry Carpenter runs the bases with a three-run home run in the ninth inning during Game 2 of baseball's AL Division Series, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

From left, Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, home plate umpire Ramon DeJesus and pitching coach Carl Willis talk with pitcher Emmanuel Clase, right, during a mound meeting in the ninth inning during Game 2 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase walks off the field after being taken out of the game in the ninth inning during Game 2 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)