Raiders turn to Desmond Ridder in loss, but QB job not his yet

CINCINNATI -- Raiders coach Antonio Pierce did not commit to Desmond Ridder as the team's starting quarterback after Ridder replaced Gardner Minshew late in the third quarter of Las Vegas' eventual 41-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengalson Sunday.

But Pierce acknowledged he was impressed with Ridder's play, which included a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Brock Bowers with 41 seconds to play.

"We didn't get to see the athleticism until late, but you did get to see that, see him move around in the pocket, see the strong arm," Pierce said. "Again, he's 10 days in the building, but I thought, obviously, he's competing."

Ridder was signed off the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad Oct. 22, two days after Aidan O'Connell suffered a broken thumb on his right (passing) hand in a loss at the Los Angeles Rams. O'Connell, making just his second start in relief of a benched Minshew, is expected to miss four to six weeks and was placed on injured reserve the same day Las Vegas signed Ridder.

Sunday marked the third time Minshew was replaced in a game this season. Minshew, who signed a two-year, $25 million free agent contract with $15 million guaranteed, was credited with a fumble on a botched handoff toDJ Turneragainst the Bengals, his league-leading 12th turnover of the season.

"It's frustrating," said Minshew, who was 10 of 17 for 124 yards. "I always want to be out there with my guys."

Ridder, a third-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons out of Cincinnati in 2022, completed 11 of 16 passes for 74 yards and was sacked four times behind a makeshift offensive line that lost three players to ankle injuries in the course of the game -- left tackle Kolton Miller, backup left tackle Andrus Peat and left guard Cody Whitehair.

"I felt good, other than the hits," Ridder said. "I came over to the sidelines and someone said, 'It's like your first car crash in a few years.' It felt good to be out there.

"We called it just as any other game. We were down so we were in more passing mode there, but I felt great with it. ... I've just been putting in work with all the other quarterbacks, the quarterback coach and [offensive coordinator] Luke Getsy. We've been putting in the work to not only better me, but better everyone else in the room as well."

Ridder's touchdown pass to Bowers came on 2nd and 8.

"It was a scramble drill, just off-schedule plays," Ridder said. "We worked scramble drill a lot in practice and just to see it show up on film, see it come to life, it was about finishing. We were able to go down there and get more points on the board. Obviously, it wasn't enough, but it was a finish."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, is trying not to be finished on the season. Riding their first five-game losing streak since 2018, the Raiders (2-7) are tied with the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and New England Patriots for the worst record in the NFL. Pierce did say he was going to use the Raiders' bye week to "reset" and "look at everything.

"And when I say everything, I mean everything."

Including, perhaps, making the switch at quarterback a more permanent one.

And with the trade deadline Tuesday, Pierce deferred to general manager Tom Telesco.

"I'm sure there's options there," Pierce said. "We'll see what we can do."