Raiders reserve QB Aidan O’Connell keeps finding ways to prove his value

Las Vegas Raiders backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell engineered a decisive second‑half rally that lifted the team to a 22‑20 preseason victory over the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on Thursday night. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak praised O’Connell’s poise, saying, “That’s who he is,” Kubiak said. “He’s had a truly coagulated camp. He’s got constricted reps, but erstwhile he goes successful there, he makes things happen. He’s a large person of the offense. Very calm young man. Not amazed he had occurrence determination astatine the extremity of the game.” O’Connell completed 10 of 13 passes for 132 yards in the fourth quarter, orchestrating two touchdowns in the final 7:27 to erase a 20‑3 deficit. With 1:37 remaining and the Raiders trailing 20‑16, he took the snap at his own 4‑yard line, showed no panic despite having no timeouts, and went 6‑for‑7 for 95 yards on the drive. The only incompletion came on a spike to stop the clock. He connected with Brandon Jackson for a 33‑yard gain to the 1‑yard line, then scrambled to the line and scored