Silver Minings: Aidan O’Connell is not ‘worried about the stats’

The Las Vegas Raiders have their first feeling of victory after a 34-7 beatdown over the San Francisco 49ers. The team shined on both sides of the ball with a dominant performance that carried over from joint practices.

The outstanding debut led the offense from Aiden O'Connell. The fourth-round pick out of Purdue got to play three quarters and had fans craving for more. He finished the game, completing 15 of 18 passes with two drops. O'Connell threw his first career touchdown and finished with a passing rating of 117.

After the game, Josh McDaniels praised the young QB for his performance.

“I thought he generally handled himself well for the first opportunity. He’s gonna learn a lot from some of the things that we might have been able to do a little bit better that would have helped us maybe sustain a few drives, but that’s why he was in there. So, he just a sponge, he soaks it all in, and he’ll take every opportunity to improve.”

O'Connell himself didn't let the debut get to his head. He remained humble during his press conference and won't let the stats stop him from finding ways to improve.

“I’m not worried about the stats. There’s more things than just the stats, and especially responsibility in the run game and stuff like that that I know I need to improve on. So, I know I have a lot of work to go still.”

While he doesn't have to worry about the stats, the fans will enjoy promising quarterback play. O'Connell can battle Brian Hoyer for the backup quarterback behind Garoppolo if he continues to play good football.

In other Raiders links:

• Marcus Allen believes Jacobs's situation is almost collusion: Raiders Hall of Fame running back gives his thoughts on the Josh Jacobs contract dispute.
• Raiders release Kyle Peko: Defensive tackle Kyle Peko didn't make it to halftime and was released by the Raiders.
• Highlights of the matchup vs. the 49ers: Check out the highlights of the 34-7 win in the preseason opener.