In a surprising turn of events, the Las Vegas Raiders find themselves unsure about their starting quarterback for their upcoming Thursday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The uncertainty arose after the team's disappointing 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14, leaving interim coach Antonio Pierce grappling with a tough decision.

Interim coach Pierce, speaking to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on December 13, admitted that the Raiders were still in the evaluation process and had yet to determine their starting quarterback. With less than 24 hours remaining before kickoff, the quarterback situation remains up in the air, heightening the pressure for the team and their coaching staff.

"We're still going through that process," Pierce stated. "Got a couple more hours. See how it's going."

The coach did not rule out the possibility of sticking with rookie Aidan O'Connell, who has been fulfilling media duties typically reserved for the starting quarterback. Pierce clarified that he had never explicitly stated that O'Connell would not start. Instead, the team is assessing all the factors and striving to make the best decision that will give them a chance to win.

However, after an impressive start to his tenure as the starting quarterback, O'Connell's recent performances have been less than stellar. Following two consecutive wins when he initially replaced veteran Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 9, O'Connell and the Raiders have suffered three straight losses, scoring a mere 30 points during that stretch. Against the Vikings, O'Connell completed 21-of-32 passes for just 171 yards, throwing an interception and enduring four sacks.

Notably, O'Connell's lack of mobility has become a significant drawback as he was sacked seven times in his first start of the season against the Chargers, including six by former Raider Khalil Mack.

Expressing self-confidence in his abilities, O'Connell acknowledged his shortcomings but remained determined to improve and prove himself as a capable starter in the NFL.

"I have confidence in myself to execute and to do my job properly," O'Connell stated in the postgame press conference. "I haven't done it good enough so I gotta be better about doing that. I still have full confidence in myself to do this. I'm learning every week what it takes. I'm working extremely hard to put a good product on the field. I'm not doing it right now, so I gotta do better."

As the Raiders continue to mull over their quarterback options, Pierce suggested that reverting to Garoppolo might not necessarily be the best course of action. While O'Connell is likely to retain the starting role for now, Pierce could quickly make a change if the offense fails to perform.

The interim coach emphasized that he would not be swayed by external factors when making his quarterback decision, refusing to make knee-jerk reactions based on media scrutiny or individual game results. His sole priority is putting the team in the best position to win.

"Just making decisions based off media, a loss, a bad, ugly performance, that's not how you do things in the National Football League," Pierce affirmed. "That's not how you run a business. Maybe other people do. A.P. doesn't, and the Raiders are not going to do that. We're going to do whatever it takes to put ourselves in a position to win. And after today, we'll have a better answer."

With uncertainty still looming over the Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback position, fans and analysts eagerly await the official announcement ahead of their critical Thursday Night Football clash against the Los Angeles Chargers.