The media knew it was coming, and all 12 Bleacher Report NFL experts picked the Broncos. The bookies in Vegas knew it, too. Per VegasInsider.com, the Raiders were 16.5-point underdogs at kickoff. Surely, the players and coaches for both teams knew it...
...except Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
Pryor went 19-of-28 for 281 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. His 67.9 percent completion rate and 10.0 average yards per attempt would have been efficient and effective enough to top almost any quarterback on almost any day...
...except Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.
Manning went a ludicrous 32-of-37 for 374 yards and three scores, and running backs Ronnie Hillman, Montee Ball and Knowshon Moreno added 166 yards on the ground. They delivered the expected 16-point beatdown; the Broncos won 37-21.
The Raiders have now fallen to 1-2 and have major concerns in every phase of the game. It's hard to see them winning many more games, but this season is already a smashing success, as it seems they've found their quarterback.
Desperately Seeking a Signal-Caller
The Raiders haven't had consistent quarterback play since Rich Gannon hung 'em up in 2004. They haven't developed a rookie quarterback into a consistent, quality starter since Ken Stabler in the 1970s.
During the eight seasons between Gannon and Pryor, the list of quarterbacks who started for the Raiders is long and cringe-worthy.
Per Pro-Football-Reference.com, Kerry Collins, Marques Tuiasosopo, Andrew Walter, Aaron Brooks, Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper, JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye, Kyle Boller, Jason Campbell and Carson Palmer all started at least...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
