Will Terrelle Pryor Repeat (Very Recent) History?

Let me introduce you to a new verb I’ve created:

Russ [ruhs] verb, russed, russing

1.      To win the starting quarterback job over the high-priced free agent

2.      To accomplish an impressive feat despite being considered too small, etc.

Okay, let’s focus on that first definition. If you haven’t connected it by now, Russ comes from the name Russel Wilson, the Seahawk’s magical quarterback. Last year he beat out Matt Flynn for the starting job in Seattle, even though it was already considered Flynn’s job and the team had spent a lot of money to bring him in. So far, Flynn is the only quarterback to be Russed. A unique situation, yes, but something that deserved merit and preparation in case it happened again.

And that, my friends, brings me to the reason for this article. It looks like someone may be about to get Russed. That’s right, a young quarterback is poised to come from behind and snatch the first spot right out of that expensive free agent’s hands. This time, the young gun is Terelle Pryor. Now a couple of years removed from his days of glory at Ohio State, Pryor is a fan-favorite in Oakland even though he spent his first year sitting behind Carson Palmer, who the Raiders acquired from the Bengals in the worst trade ever. Literally in all areas of life, there has never been a worse trade. The Raiders have made some poor decisions, but, c’mon seriously? They…sorry. Back to Pryor.

At 6’’6’ and 240 pounds, Pryor is a hulk of a quarterback who was born to run the read option. Imagine if Colin Kaepernick wasn’t skinny and didn’t look like a muppet. Scary, right? Well, awesome if you threw the muppet part in there, but you get the point. However, Pryor still has much to improve and if he wants to Russ the man above him, he’ll have to show out in the preseason just like Wilson did. Who is that man above him, by the way? Oh, none other than Matt Flynn, the only man to ever be Russed and now possibly the only man to do it twice. Flynn isn’t lying down though, and the battle will likely rage through all four preseason games.

In Oakland’s 19-17 win over Dallas on Thursday, both quarterbacks had their moments, but Pryor shone a little brighter. He showed off his speed, big arm, and ability to escape a collapsing pocket, while Flynn took a 15-yard sack during his time on the field. Pryor showed mostly sound decision-making when it came to run-or-pass situations. However, there were a few times when he had an open running lane and tried to throw the ball into tight space instead, which led to the interception he threw in the end zone after leading Oakland on a good-looking drive. All very correctable mistakes, though. Overall, Pryor had 88 yards through the air and added 33 more on the ground.

One preseason is of course not the end-all, and Flynn could easily come back next week and have a flawless performance. The third act twist here is that rookie Matt McGloin was the only Raiders quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in that Dallas game, but I doubt he’s seriously in the starting job consideration. Unless he’s going to Russ both Flynn and Pryor. Russ-ception. Whoa. On a serious side, I have full confidence that Pryor can come out of this competition as QB1.

All of you Raiders fans out there be sure to support your boy Pryor these next three weeks, because they could very well make or break his career. Will Flynn get Russed a second time? Will the new Raiders regime make a good decision? Will my (Raiders fan) friend Sergio ever eat anything besides salad? All of this and more will become a little clearer on Friday, August 16^th when the Raiders take on the Saints. As always, the comments section welcomes you with open arms.