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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell is taking full responsibility for the botched snap that ended the Raiders comeback hopes on Friday.
Las Vegas was charging down the field down 19-17 to the Kansas City Chiefs and looking to take a lead in the final seconds to secure a victory. With 15 seconds remaining, Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball before O’Connell was ready and it resulted in a fumble recovery for Kansas City that sealed the victory.
Following the game, O’Connell said that the error was on his end.
“It’s completely my fault,” O’Connell said. “I was looking out to the right and trying to make sure guys were set and I started clapping. In my head I was thinking signal the ball to get the ball but when I start clapping that tells Jackson that he should snap the ball.”
O’Connell continued by saying that Powers-Johnson performed his duty correctly and that the miscommunication was strictly due to him clapping his hands.
“Jackson did exactly what he should have done,” O’Connell said. “I clapped too early and that’s how the football bounces some time….there’s nobody to blame but myself.”
O’Connell’s words show some maturity for the second-year quarterback, though it doesn’t change the fact that the Raiders fell to 2-10 on the season and have lost eight of their last nine games against Kansas City.
He finished the game 23-of-35 for 340 yards and two touchdowns. This was at least a positive sign for a Raiders team that has struggled at the position this season, but a victory would have been a statement for the struggling team.
O’Connell and the Raiders will look to move on from the mistake in Week 14 when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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