Antonio Pierce on QBs: We need to meet with the players and evaluate everything from yesterday

Could the Raiders be the next team to make a quarterback change?

Head coach Antonio Pierce dodged a question on the subject and did not rule it out during his press conference on Monday following the 36-22 loss to the Panthers on Sunday.

Pierce inserted quarterback Aidan O'Connell late in the Week 3 contest after the game was already decided, and Pierce noted that he was looking for an offensive spark.

While starter Gardner Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes for 214 yards with a touchdown and an interception, O'Connell was 9 of 12 passes for 82 yards with a TD.

“I mean, there are some plays that I know – as we always say – you want to make and take advantage of. But I thought we do something good” Pierce said when asked about Minshew. “The problem is when you don't win on those first attempts, those longer third attempts — that's not in the best interest of our offense and Gardner. So we have to get better on those first attempts and make it easier for him on the third attempt.”

On O'Connell's performance, Pierce said, “Well, I think if you look at the way the game went, we're down by two points or something. Let's get Aidan in, see what he can do on offense, get some movement in the game. We were just trying to find a spark.”

Does this mean something for O'Connell, Minshew and the offense in the future?

“I think we need to sit down with the players first and evaluate everything from yesterday,” Pierce said.

That non-response is remarkable in and of itself. Through three weeks, Minshew has completed 74 percent of his passes for 747 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also lost a fumble.

But the Raiders had no semblance of a running game, averaging just 2.8 yards per run on 55 attempts. The runs resulted in just five first downs.

O'Connell went 5-5 as Las Vegas' starting quarterback last year, completing 62.1 percent of his throws for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 appearances.

The Raiders host the Browns in Week 4.