Post by TheShadow on Dec 30, 2012 21:56:52 GMT -5
www.insidebayarea.com/
By Monte Poole
SAN DIEGO -- Most passes missed their target, and a few simply were dropped. Some wobbled, others sailed. One was worthy of appearing in an instructional video.
Terrelle Pryor is, to be sure, considerably less mysterious than he was before making his NFL debut as a starting quarterback Sunday.
Much more important than the game itself, a 24-21 season-ending loss to the San Diego Chargers, was Pryor's three-hour audition to determine if he might someday progress from tantalizing project to reliable NFL quarterback.
He just might.
Pryor's performance, even in defeat, despite scattered showers than created damp conditions, confirmed there is enough promise for the Raiders to rededicate themselves to developing him as a passer.
"He did some good things,'' coach Dennis Allen said of Pryor, who spent most of the season as an inactive third-stringer. "Obviously, there's still some work to be done.''
There is plenty of work still to be done. Pryor is nowhere near ready to start and win in the NFL. He's not a quality passer. He still faces a steep learning curve. He still is adjusting to the speed of the world's greatest football league.
But he was not at all the disaster some feared he might be, based on his erratic training camp and uneven practices.
"On a wet, soggy field, I was most pleased with the way he protected the football,'' general manager Reggie McKenzie said. "You can point to the things that didn't look so good, the passes he missed, but under those conditions he protected the ball and gave himself a chance to finish plays.''
Pryor's passing numbers were pedestrian: 13 of 28 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His best throw undoubtedly was a beautiful 38-yard pass to wideout Rod Streater that led to Oakland's second touchdown, a 3-yard scamper by Pryor.
The 23-year-old showed himself to be a sturdy and elusive runner, as expected (49 yards on nine carries). He flashed leadership ability, which could not have been presumed. And his competitive desire, a key component for the growth of any quarterback, was unmistakable.
He might, with the proper care and cultivation, become a starter.
The Raiders, based on this game, have reason to believe he could work himself into a No. 2 role as early as next season.
By Monte Poole
SAN DIEGO -- Most passes missed their target, and a few simply were dropped. Some wobbled, others sailed. One was worthy of appearing in an instructional video.
Terrelle Pryor is, to be sure, considerably less mysterious than he was before making his NFL debut as a starting quarterback Sunday.
Much more important than the game itself, a 24-21 season-ending loss to the San Diego Chargers, was Pryor's three-hour audition to determine if he might someday progress from tantalizing project to reliable NFL quarterback.
He just might.
Pryor's performance, even in defeat, despite scattered showers than created damp conditions, confirmed there is enough promise for the Raiders to rededicate themselves to developing him as a passer.
"He did some good things,'' coach Dennis Allen said of Pryor, who spent most of the season as an inactive third-stringer. "Obviously, there's still some work to be done.''
There is plenty of work still to be done. Pryor is nowhere near ready to start and win in the NFL. He's not a quality passer. He still faces a steep learning curve. He still is adjusting to the speed of the world's greatest football league.
But he was not at all the disaster some feared he might be, based on his erratic training camp and uneven practices.
"On a wet, soggy field, I was most pleased with the way he protected the football,'' general manager Reggie McKenzie said. "You can point to the things that didn't look so good, the passes he missed, but under those conditions he protected the ball and gave himself a chance to finish plays.''
Pryor's passing numbers were pedestrian: 13 of 28 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His best throw undoubtedly was a beautiful 38-yard pass to wideout Rod Streater that led to Oakland's second touchdown, a 3-yard scamper by Pryor.
The 23-year-old showed himself to be a sturdy and elusive runner, as expected (49 yards on nine carries). He flashed leadership ability, which could not have been presumed. And his competitive desire, a key component for the growth of any quarterback, was unmistakable.
He might, with the proper care and cultivation, become a starter.
The Raiders, based on this game, have reason to believe he could work himself into a No. 2 role as early as next season.