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When the 2013 NFL Preseason began this month, it seemed pretty much etched in stone that the Oakland Raiders would head into the regular season having Matt Flynn start at quarterback.
The Raiders were able to snag Flynn away from the Seattle Seahawks, and hoped he would be their future at QB after failing with Carson Palmer for the past two seasons.
Last season, Flynn was in a similar situation after he showed he was capable of being a starting NFL quarterback, thanks to his fabulous showing as a Green Bay Packers backup against the Detroit Lions a few years ago in which he threw a franchise-record six touchdowns.
Flynn eventually signed with the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason, only to struggle in the preseason in a three-way quarterback battle with Russell Wilson and Tarvaris Jackson. Wilson, the underdog, ended up taking home the starting job, and the rest was history.
After the Raiders' 34-26 loss to the Chicago Bears last night, Flynn might have found himself in the same exact situation as what it was in Seattle.
Last night, Flynn was horrendous, going 3-of-6 for 19 yards and two interceptions. He finished with a 17.4 rating, and was benched with the Raiders down 27-0 late in the second quarter. The crowd began chanting for Terrelle Pryor to come in, as they booed Flynn off the field.
The fans got what they wanted when Pryor came in, who took over the game and brought Oakland back in the game. It all started out with a 25-yard touchdown run to put the Raiders first points up on the scoreboard. Pryor then threw a passing touchdown to close out the third quarter, and had the Raiders down by just a single touchdown.
Pryor had dazzling plays throughout the game, and was very confident and looked much better than Flynn did. Pryor finished off going 7-of-9 for 93 yards, one touchdown and a 146.8 rating. On the ground, he had 37 yards and a touchdown.
"We gotta look at it. Don't think Matt Flynn played well," Raiders head coach Dennis Allen said after the game. "Terrelle gave us a spark. We're not going to make any decision tonight."
Looking at all so far in the preseason, Pryor should deserve the starting nod on the Raiders over Flynn. So far, Pryor has proven to be a better fit for the offense and a person that can win more games for this team.
Pryor was brought in through the Supplemental Draft a few years ago with a lot of potential on him. He hadn't done much in his first two seasons in the league, but he was able to prove a bit of himself towards the end of last season. But there was still a lot of room for improvement with him.
Now in his third season and working with QB coaches all summer long, the hard work has paid off for Terrelle Pryor. After constantly being asked to switch his position to tight end or wide receiver, Pryor stuck through on being a quarterback in the NFL, and plans to be like the human highlight reel he was back in college with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Now, we can't blame Flynn for everything. The Raiders do have a terrible offensive line, and it's hard for Flynn to make smart decisions when he doesn't have the time at all to. However, Pryor was able to beat that out thanks to his athleticism.
With that, it's the main reason why he should start, just purely off his skill set. Oakland doesn't have anything to lose this season starting Pryor. They are going to struggle anyways, and it would take a miracle for them to make the playoffs this year. So why not start Pryor then?
He can get out of the pocket and make plays with the bad offensive line thanks to his speed. In fact, Pryor may just be one of the fastest QB's in the league right now. Flynn can't do that. Pryor is still improving on throwing the ball, and it can only get better. Having snaps with the first team will help. Plus, Pryor can go beyond throwing and can use his legs to put points up on the board as well.
The kid has loads of potential, and the way he plays is perfectly suitable for the Raiders current offense right now. It won't work with Flynn, and it's best for the Raiders to move on from him based off recent performances.
The preseason is almost over, and Flynn really only has one more chance to prove himself. So far, he hasn't shown much, just like last year in Seattle. There's only one game left to prove who is the better quarterback for Oakland.
If I were the Oakland Raiders right now, I'd say Terrelle Pryor should be the starting quarterback.
