Week 8 NFL power rankings roundup: Raiders’ QB carousel leads to tank talk

With Aidan O’Connell on the shelf, Gardner Minshew returning as the starter and Desmond Ridder joining the team, it’s time to start thinking about the future

After suffering another loss on Sunday, it’s hard to be optimistic about the rest of the season for the Las Vegas Raiders especially since the team’s quarterback situation is about as bad as can be.

Aidan O’Connell is on injured reserve after breaking his thumb against the Los Angeles Rams, making Gardner Minshew the team’s presumptive starter with Desmond Ridder, who was on the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad, as Minshew’s primary competition for the job.

So, this week’s NFL power rankings roundup features a good amount of tank talk as the Raiders firmly rank at the bottom of the league and will likely turn to the NFL Draft to find a long-term solution at quarterback.

The Ringer

31. Las Vegas Raiders

Last week: 32

With quarterback Aidan O’Connell going on injured reserve with a broken thumb, the Raiders needed someone to back up Gardner Minshew in case he gets hurt or stinks up the joint. Apparently that someone is Desmond Ridder. Given what we saw from Ridder as the Falcons’ starter last year, there’s a good chance that he’ll just be the latest in this line of Raiders quarterbacks who turn the ball over relentlessly and take too many sacks. There’s nothing redeeming about this offense, and that was true before the Davante Adams trade. That Las Vegas couldn’t find anything other than some success on the ground for Alexander Mattison against the Rams on Sunday is more proof that it’s time to trade anyone with real value and begin pushing all chips toward 2025.

The Ringer also placed Las Vegas on tank watch which is fair considering the team just lost to a decimated Rams team that was 1-4 heading into the contest. But the notion that “there’s nothing redeeming” about the Raiders’ offense simply isn’t true. Brock Bowers is a stud, Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze have shown plenty of promise, and Dylan Parham is having his best season as a pro. The unit has plenty of work to do, but it does have some young talent which is a good foundation for a rebuild.

NFL.com

28. Las Vegas Raiders

Last week: 27

The Raiders are now backed into a corner by Aidan O’Connell’s fractured thumb, which sent him to injured reserve. Gardner Minshew was back under center against the Rams on Sunday, and he struggled badly with turnovers, coughing up three picks and a fumble that was run back for a score. That was pretty much the game right there. Minshew made a few plays and is capable of magic here and there, but he’ll need to reignite some confidence after that tough showing. Davante Adams is gone, and there’s only one Brock Bowers on the roster. He’s absolutely terrific, and Alexander Mattison and Tre Tucker are nice pieces. There are just way too many holes on this offense to have Minshew operating fast and loose with ball security. Antonio Pierce also played the game extremely conservatively, settling for three second-half field goals inside the red zone; after the two-minute warning, he allowed too much clock to bleed before using his timeouts. With the Chiefs and the suddenly cooking Bengals up next before a Week 10 bye, the Raiders are in need of some kind of spark.

This feels like a much more fair analysis of the Silver and Black’s offense. Again, there are plenty of issues, but it’s not as if the cupboard is completely bare of talent. Also, the criticism of Pierce is spot on. His game management has been awful and needs to improve down the stretch of the season.

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

Bleacher Report

27. Las Vegas Raiders

Last week: 26

The Raiders are still battling for head coach Antonio Pierce.

Pierce hasn’t lost the locker room despite an early-season team meeting and Adams’ departure. However, he’s likely coaching to keep his job as owner Mark Davis welcomes Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady into the fold as a minority owner and someone he will consult on football decisions. If the Raiders show quit on the field, Pierce could be one-and-done in Las Vegas, but they’re not at that point yet. — Moe Moton

To Moton’s point, the Raiders did fight until the end of the game this past week. They—especially the defense—were just held back by inept quarterback play. However, Brady’s presence could pose a threat to Pierce’s job security as the former New England Patriots quarterback will likely be a loud voice in Davis’ ear and may push the owner to hire someone from his network.

The Athletic

Last week: 25

Who have they beaten? Ravens, Browns

Maybe the most perplexing outcome of the 2024 season is the Raiders’ Week 2 win in Baltimore. Since then, the Raiders are 1-4 and have beaten only the Browns. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell is headed to injured reserve with a broken thumb, and they signed Desmond Ridder off the Cardinals’ practice squad on Monday, but does it really matter? At least there’s tight end Brock Bowers. The rookie is second among all tight ends in yards per route run (2.26), which is especially impressive considering he has run more routes than all but three other tight ends. His 447 receiving yards lead all tight ends.

Fun Bowers stat of the week; he also leads all tight ends in yards after the catch (258) and first downs (23) by wide margins, 57 yards and four first downs. For the latter, the difference between second and third place is one, and only five tight ends have 15 or more first downs, per Pro Football Focus.

ESPN

28. Las Vegas Raiders

Last week: 27

Young riser: LG Jackson Powers-Johnson

The second-round draft pick saw his career get off to a slow start because of injury. But Powers-Johnson, 21, has already shown flashes of being a foundational offensive line piece as a rookie, both for his technique and attitude, since becoming a starter in Week 4. Coach Antonio Pierce said he has already been told by referees to keep an eye on Powers-Johnson’s aggression on the field. — Paul Gutierrez

As mentioned above, the second-round pick is another silver lining for the Silver and Black. He’s had his ups and downs on the field but there have been enough quality reps to provide some optimism for his development. For example, Powers-Johnson earned a season-high 81.1 PFF run-blocking grade last week.