<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-huge-desmond-ridder-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raiders make huge Desmond Ridder decision');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Las-Vegas-makes-huge-Desmond-Ridder-decision.jpg"></figure><h1>Raiders make huge Desmond Ridder decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-28T13:47:40-08:00">February 28th, 1:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-28T13:48:27-08:00">February 28th, 1:48pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Las Vegas Raiders</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/nfl-rumors-matthew-stafford-turned-down-money-raiders-giants-return-rams">missing out on acquiring Matthew Stafford</a>, the Las Vegas Raiders are officially bidding farewell to another quarterback. The team told Desmond Ridder that it will <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1895569415158321423" rel="noopener">not tender him as a restricted free agent</a>, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, making him available to sign with any team on the open market.</p><p>The Raiders are searching for solid answers at QB, and they clearly do not consider the 2022 third-round draft pick to be one of them. Ridder, who spent the first two years of his professional career with the Atlanta Falcons, completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 458 yards while throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions in six games for Vegas last season.</p><p>The two-time AAC Offensive Player of the Year helped lead the Cincinnati Bearcats to their most prosperous stretch in program history, culminating with an appearance in the 2021 College Football Playoff. That success has not translated to the NFL, however. Ridder has struggled with accuracy and in the red zone, throwing just 16 TDs to 14 picks in 25 NFL games. But he still might have some value to offer.</p><p>The 25-year-old can catch on with another team as a backup or third-string quarterback. He has plenty of experience playing the position and can potentially serve as a useful presence in a QB room. Ridder should find another place of employment in the near future. What will the Raiders do, though?</p><h2><b>Raiders have much to figure out this offseason</b></h2><p>With NFL icon Tom Brady in the owner’s box and Super Bowl-winning head coach Pete Carroll manning the sidelines, fans expect the team to at least carry an air of competence. That is definitely a reasonable bar to set, but without a viable signal-caller, dysfunction can creep up really quick. While Aidan O’Connell has flashed glimpses of being a capable transition QB, he probably does not fit the franchise’s long-term vision.</p><p>Matthew Stafford was potentially a temporary bandage the Raiders could have slapped on the depth chart, but he agreed to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/rams-news-matthew-stafford-end-trade-speculation-agree-restructured-contract">restructured contract with the Los Angeles Rams</a> on Friday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/russell-wilson-among-raiders-potential-targets-after-missing-on-matthew-stafford">Russell Wilson is a possible contingency plan</a>. At the very least, the front office will pursue someone who can compete for the starting job in training camp.</p><p>The No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which could be used to acquire Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, looks more intriguing to fans by the day. There are variables that are beyond the team’s control, however.</p><p>The quarterback situation might be in a fragile state going into the 2025-26 campaign. All Las Vegas can do right now is make decisions based on its current roster. Allowing Desmond Ridder to test free agency fits that criteria.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raiders make huge Desmond Ridder decision

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raiders-antonio-pierce-desmond-ridder-stay-defiant-after-ugly-loss-to-falcons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raiders’ Antonio Pierce, Desmond Ridder stay defiant after ugly loss to Falcons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Antonio-Pierce-Desmond-Ridder-stay-defiant-after-ugly-loss-to-Falcons.jpg"></figure><h1>Raiders’ Antonio Pierce, Desmond Ridder stay defiant after ugly loss to Falcons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T07:29:30-08:00">December 17th, 7:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-17T07:29:30-08:00">December 17th, 7:29am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Las Vegas Raiders</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Las Vegas Raiders dropped to 2-12 on the season with a 15-9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football, and despite the losses piling up, head coach Antonio Pierce and quarterback Desmond Ridder said the team is <a href="https://x.com/VicTafur/status/1868892966989053996" rel="noopener">still working hard</a> to get that third win on the season.</p><p>“These guys are not budging. I am not budging,” Pierce said, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “We’ll keep chopping wood and at some point the damn thing will break and go our way.”</p><p>Pierce is possibly coaching to keep his job in 2025, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-mark-davis-reveals-tom-brady-have-huge-voice-las-vegas-qb-search">as the Raiders could decide</a> to clean house if this season keeps going this way in the final three games. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-desmond-ridder-start-vs-falcons-aidan-oconnell-injury">The Raiders are in play</a> for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and it could be argued that they should reset in the front office and at head coach. Ridder, who took over the starting role this week due to Aidan O’Connell’s injury, <a href="https://x.com/VicTafur/status/1868890034000236744" rel="noopener">echoed the sentiment</a> of Pierce.</p><p>“It’s tough being in the position we are in,” Ridder said, via Tafur. “We’re just searching… searching for a win, searching for positive energy. We fight every single week. But we just keep saying that we fight and nothing is happening where we can go push over the edge and get a win.”</p><p>Ridder was looking for a win against his former team, but was unable to do so after a final drive came up short. It is unknown whether or not he will play this coming week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, depending on O’Connell’s status.</p><h2><b>How will Raiders finish 2024 season?</b></h2><p>As mentioned before, the Raiders will play the Jaguars this upcoming week. That is likely their best chance for a win before the end of the season. It will be interesting to see the type of effort they come out with. Both teams are banged up in multiple areas.</p><p>Following the game against the Jaguars, the Raiders have games against the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers to close the season. The Saints game could be winnable for Los Angeles, given that Derek Carr is likely to miss that game due to injury. The Chargers game on paper is the toughest, but they could be resting starters at that point, depending on what the playoff scenarios are.</p><p>It will be interesting to see how the Raiders close the season, if there are any changes made to the front office and coaching staff, and where they end up picking in the 2025 NFL Draft.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raiders’ Antonio Pierce, Desmond Ridder stay defiant after ugly loss to Falcons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raiders-news-desmond-ridder-start-vs-falcons-aidan-oconnell-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raiders ‘expected’ to start Desmond Ridder vs Falcons amid Aidan O’Connell injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Raiders-news-Desmond-Ridder-expected-to-start-vs-Falcons-amid-Aidan-OConnell-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Raiders ‘expected’ to start Desmond Ridder vs Falcons amid Aidan O’Connell injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-16T09:36:47-08:00">December 16th, 9:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-16T09:59:51-08:00">December 16th, 9:59am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Las Vegas Raiders</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Las Vegas Raiders are <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1868707118377058595" rel="noopener">making a change at quarterback</a>, as they’re expecting to start Desmond Ridder against the Atlanta Falcons as the No. 1 quarterback after Aidan O’Connell’s injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The news comes after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-aidan-oconnell-a-long-shot-to-play-for-raiders-in-week-15">O’Connell was deemed a longshot to play for the Raiders</a> in Week 15. Now, the news is official, and it will give Ridder his first start since the 2023 season.</p><p>In that season, Ridder threw for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He was benched midway through the year and replaced by Taylor Heinecke. Since then, he’s bounced around from practice squad to practice squad. However, Monday’s game against the Falcons marks his first start, and it comes against his former team.</p><p>Las Vegas is on its third quarterback after injuries limited Gardner Minshew II and O’Connell. Luckily, the Raiders are gearing up for a quarterback in the NFL Draft. Two of the top names, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, highlight an exceptional class. Regardless, Ridder has proven he can win games. For instance, he had four game-winning drives in the 2023 season.</p><h2><b>Desmond Ridder has a bright opportunity for the Raiders</b></h2><p>After a sour ending to his time in Atlanta, the former Cincinnati football quarterback has bounced everywhere. For instance, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-news-desmond-ridder-returns-arizona-practice-squad-shocking-release">Ridder was suddenly released by the Arizona Cardinals</a>, after being on the main roster. He has the talent and composure to win big games. Even if he’s a bit mistake-prone, Ridder is more than capable of putting together a solid performance.</p><p>The offense is a bit thin, but he has rookie Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers as his top pass-catching options. Not to mention, Ridder knows the Falcons defensive scheme about as well as anybody. While they have Jesse Bates III and AJ Terrell, the former quarterback could exploit any defensive lapses.</p><p>However, Monday’s game could pose a dilemma for the Raiders. The Giants have the worst record currently at 2-12. Although Las Vegas hasn’t played, they <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/news/report-do-raiders-have-best-chance-to-earn-top-draft-pick-01jesq9ycfkp#:~:text=The%20Giants%20have%20a%2038.9,round%20out%20the%20top%20nine." rel="noopener">might be interested in playing for a draft pick</a>. On the flip side, the Falcons are sitting at 6-7 and have been underwhelming. If they want to make the playoffs, they’ll need to keep winning, and that comes with a win against the Raiders.</p><p>No matter what, Ridder could prove to many once again that he’s capable of being an NFL starter. As long as O’Connell’s injury persists, Ridder may start for the rest of the season. Depending on how Monday’s game goes, Ridder could have eyes on him as a premier backup or even a No. 1 option.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raiders ‘expected’ to start Desmond Ridder vs Falcons amid Aidan O’Connell injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raiders-news-desmond-ridder-start-for-las-vegas-if-aidan-oconnell-cant-play');   ga('set', 'title', 'Desmond Ridder set to start for Raiders if Aidan O’Connell can’t play');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Desmond-Ridder-set-to-start-for-Las-Vegas-if-Aidan-OConnell-cant-play.jpg"></figure><h1>Desmond Ridder set to start for Raiders if Aidan O’Connell can’t play</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-09T12:24:36-08:00">December 9th, 12:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-09T12:24:36-08:00">December 9th, 12:24pm</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Las Vegas Raiders</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Las Vegas <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-antonio-pierce-rips-team-chiefs-showdown">Raiders are having an awful 2024 season</a>. Las Vegas is 2-11 heading into Week 15 and is in contention for the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. To make matters worse, the Raiders may be onto their third starting QB of the season.</p><p>Raiders QB <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-aidan-oconnell-carted-off-big-hit-buccaneers">Aidan O’Connell suffered what looked like a serious knee injury</a> on Sunday. Head coach Antonio Pierce confirmed on Monday that if O’Connell is unable to play, backup Desmond Ridder <a href="https://x.com/PGutierrezESPN/status/1866198612021223482" rel="noopener">would take over as the starter</a>, per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-aidan-oconnell-injury-confirmed-season-ending">O’Connell was feared to have suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday</a>. However, it was confirmed on Monday that O’Connell <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1866208252431659210" rel="noopener">actually suffered a bone bruise in his knee</a>, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport.</p><p>Rapaport also confirmed that O’Connell has not yet been ruled out for the team’s Week 15 game.</p><p>Desmond Ridder finished the game for the Raiders on Sunday. He had a decent outing, going 12-of-18 for 101 passing yards. His stats were almost identical to O’Connell’s 11-of-19 for 104 passing yards and an interception.</p><p>Las Vegas will be in trouble regardless of which quarterback is under center for the rest of the season.</p><p>Next up for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/schedule/upcoming">Raiders is a Week 15 matchup against the Falcons</a>.</p><h2><b>Raiders’ Brock Bowers breaks Sam LaPorta’s rookie record on Sunday</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Las-Vegas-Raiders-TE-Brock-Bowers.jpg"><figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Rookie tight end Brock Bowers is one of the few signs of hope for the future in Las Vegas.</p><p>Bowers hauled in his 87th reception of the season on Sunday, which made NFL history. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-brock-bowers-roy-case-breaking-sam-laportas-record">Bowers passed Lions tight end Sam LaPorta for the most receptions by a rookie tight end</a> in league history. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lions-news-sam-laporta-reaches-uncharted-te-feat-no-rookie-has-ever-done-before">LaPorta logged 86 receptions for 889 and 10 touchdowns in 2023</a>.</p><p>Bowers has 87 receptions for 933 yards and four touchdowns with four games left to play in his rookie season.</p><p>It is important to note that Las Vegas has little offensive talent on the roster. As a result, Bowers does not have much competition for targets and he has a ton of receptions as a result.</p><p>That’s doesn’t mean that Bowers is a fraud. Far from it. It is simply important context when considering rookie tight end records.</p><p>It will be interesting to see how the Raiders build their offense around Bowers moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Desmond Ridder set to start for Raiders if Aidan O’Connell can’t play

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raiders-news-desmond-ridder-aidan-oconnell-chiefs-gardner-minshew');   ga('set', 'title', 'Will Raiders’ Desmond Ridder or Aidan O’Connell start vs. Chiefs in place of Gardner Minshew?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Raiders-news-Will-Desmond-Ridder-or-Aidan-O-Connell-start-vs-Chiefs-in-place-of-Gardner-Minshew.jpg"></figure><h1>Will Raiders’ Desmond Ridder or Aidan O’Connell start vs. Chiefs in place of Gardner Minshew?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-25T06:49:40-08:00">November 25th, 6:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-25T06:49:40-08:00">November 25th, 6:49am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Las Vegas Raiders</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Las Vegas Raiders had to make a change at quarterback in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-gardner-minshew-suffers-season-ending-injury-broncos">Gardner Minshew broke his collarbone</a>. Desmond Ridder came in and finished the game, but the Raiders still lost. Now with Minshew out for the season, the big question is between Ridder and Aidan O’Connell, <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/raiders-qb-gardner-minshew-out-for-season-after-suffering-broken-collarbone-in-loss-to-broncos" rel="noopener">who will be the starting quarterback</a> for the rest of the season?</p><p>“Ridder seems to be in line to start in Week 13, but O’Connell, who’s fractured thumb was expected to keep him out for four to six weeks, is eligible to come off injured reserve this week,” NFL Network’s Michael Baca wrote. “That potential return has two days fewer than any normal week, however, as the Raiders face the Kansas City Chiefs on Black Friday.”</p><p>The Raiders have been shuffling quarterbacks all season, so this isn’t anything new when it comes to position. There could also be a change that O’Connell and Ridder both play in the second half of the season.</p><h2>What will the Raiders do at quarterback?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Gardner-Minshew.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Raiders have played all three of their quarterbacks this season. Gardner Minshew won the starting job at the beginning of the season and then lost it to Aidan O’Connell when they were 2-3. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-vegas-painful-aidan-oconnell-ir-move">O’Connell then suffered a fractured thumb</a> against the Los Angeles Rams, and Minshew took his job back.</p><p>After Minshew broke his collarbone, Desmond Ridder came into the game and fumbled the ball on his second snap. On the Raiders’ next offensive drive, Ridder led the team to the red zone, but they didn’t come away with any points as he was sacked as time expired.</p><p>With the Raiders losing their seventh game in a row, it’s possible at this point during the season that they’re just trying to see what they have in some of their young players. Ridder and O’Connell could be playing for who is the starting quarterback next season for the Raiders, or they could be auditioning for another job.</p><p>The Raiders will most likely look for another quarterback in the draft, depending on where they finish in the standings. It’s been a rollercoaster season for the team, and it feels like they need a fresh start. It’s not certain if there will be any change-ups with the coaching staff, but there will definitely be a different set of players coming in. As of now, the Raiders just need to focus on finishing this season and see if they can continue to stay competitive in their games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
PASSING YDS	PASSING TDS	INTERCEPTIONS	POSITION RANK
458	2	2	-

2024 SEASON STATS
PASSING YDS	PASSING TDS	INTERCEPTIONS	POSITION RANK
458	2	2	-

Desmond
Ridder

2022 Projected vs Actual Pts

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Will Raiders’ Desmond Ridder or Aidan O’Connell start vs. Chiefs in place of Gardner Minshew?