HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce admitted he was still “evaluating” a day after he moved Gardner Minshew to the quarterback position late in the third quarter of his team’s 34-18 loss at Denver “. Broncos.

He also said that Davante Adams’ situation remains “status quo.” When asked when he thought things went wrong with the three-time All-Pro receiver, who requested a trade, Pierce was grumpy.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I think you have to ask Davante.”

Adams has been away from the Raiders for more than a week, reportedly recovering from a hamstring injury while trade talks swirled.

And the guys who have thrown passes to Adams this season – Minshew and O’Connell – remained on hold as to who will start Sunday at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Minshew, who signed a two-year free agent contract with the Raiders with $15 million guaranteed, won a tight battle in training camp but was inconsistent in five starts, completing 70.7% of his passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns , but with five interceptions.

His 100-yard pick-six in the second quarter against Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II broke the momentum for the Raiders, who were on the verge of taking a 17-3 lead. Instead, Las Vegas trailed 13-10 at halftime and eventually fell behind by two points.

“That was very disappointing,” Pierce said of the pick-six. “I think everyone understood and saw that. But he went back out there and I thought there were some opportunities for us to make plays, but at that point we just didn’t. We kind of faltered offensively.”

“It’s all about football. You have to protect football. The easiest way to lose a game is to lose the ball.”

Minshew, who completed his first nine passes with a 57-yard touchdown to rookie tight end Brock Bowers in Denver but completed 12 of 17, later threw another interception and O’Connell was also picked off.

“I thought we got off to a good start and then I lost our momentum with the pick-six,” Minshew said after the game. “I didn’t do well enough to give us a chance to be competitive in the game. That’s up to me.”

O’Connell, meanwhile, was 10 of 20 for 94 yards.

“We have a group of people who want to look in the mirror, who want to hold each other accountable, hold themselves accountable and try to get better,” O’Connell said. “And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

The move from Pierce to O’Connell wouldn’t be a first, as he used the then-rookie last season when he was named interim coach on Nov. 1. O’Connell finished the season on a high note: eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the team’s final four games.

“We know what we’re getting with Aidan, right?” Pierce said. “The back foot hits the ground, the ball comes out, he is a smart player who knows where the ball needs to go.”

“I saw enough of Aidan last year, in the spring, to know what to expect from Aidan.”