The Oakland Raiders got an unexpectedly strong performance from rookie quarterback Matt McGloin yet in typical fashion needed a late stand from the defense to pull out a 28-23 win over the Houston Texans.
Coach Dennis Allen’s team ended an eight-game losing streak on the road despite being without starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor and running back Darren McFadden.
It didn’t matter.
McGloin threw three touchdown passes in his first NFL start, and Rashad Jennings put together another stellar effort to balance the offense while helping Oakland end its two-game losing streak.
Here are the top takeaways from the Raiders’ win over the Texans.
*All information and ...
The Oakland Raiders haven't been married to a single quarterback since the beginning of training camp.
Matt Flynn, who was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks, was expected to be the starter, but Terrelle Pryor took his job before Week 1. Even before then, the Raiders had drafted Tyler Wilson in the fourth round before cutting him in camp.
With Pryor injured this past week, the Raiders were then forced to move onto undrafted free agent Matt McGloin. In Sunday's 28-23 win over the Houston Texans, McGloin came in and threw three touchdown passes in his first NFL start.
His very first pass attempt went ...
The Oakland Raiders traveled to the Lone Star State and defeated the Houston Texans 28-23 in a Week 11 clash.
Game Analysis for the Oakland Raiders
Pass Offense: Matt McGloin went 18-for-32 for 197 yards and three touchdowns. McGloin was sacked twice, but he looked comfortable in the pocket and had time to go through his progressions. He did, however, stare down his receivers at times. Rod Streater led the Raiders with six catches for 84 yards and a score. Rookie tight end Mychal Rivera also looked good, hauling in five balls for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Rush Offense: Running back Rashad Jennings was a workhorse ...
Matt McGloin will be under center for the Oakland Raiders for their Week 11 clash with the Houston Texans. Terrelle Pryor, who provided the team's offense with an early-season spark, was unable to recover from a knee injury in time to start.
Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times reported the news of Pryor missing the game, which gives the reins of the offense over to the undrafted rookie out of Penn State:
Quite simply, McGloin should be viewed as a player to avoid in fantasy circles. The only exception would be the deepest of leagues, where any starting quarterback carries value. ...
Oakland Raiders starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor has a sprained MCL and was very limited in practice Friday. The team isn’t going to come out and say it, but backup quarterback Matt McGloin is going to start Sunday against the Houston Texans even though Pryor hasn’t been ruled out.
It’s easy to look at this situation and expect the worst. An undrafted rookie free agent making his first career start on the road against a good defense is a recipe for disaster—at least it is for a team desperate to win games.
For the 3-6 Raiders, evaluating the young players on their roster ...
The Oakland Raiders have had a surprisingly decent season so far, but their chances of winning against the Houston Texans will go down considerably if Matt McGloin has to start at quarterback.
According to a report from ESPN.com, starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor was able to return to practice on Thursday, but his status for the game against the Texans is uncertain. The report goes on to say that McGloin is continuing to take the majority of reps with the starters on offense.
Vic Tafur from the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted this quote from head coach Dennis Allen:
Sorry, Allen, I'm not buying it. If Pryor ...
The Oakland Raiders might not yet be sure who their starting quarterback will be for Sunday’s road game against the Houston Texans. The offense should get a lift, however, from the return of right tackle Tony Pashos.
Pashos has missed four of the last five games with a hip flexor injury, forcing undrafted rookie Matt McCants and second-round draft pick Menelik Watson to pick up the slack. While McCants and Watson played fairly well in spurts, neither has the experience or knowledge of NFL defenses that Pashos has.
That’s why even though Pashos has been limited in his return to practice this ...
For nearly a month, the Oakland Raiders have struggled to get their offense back on track. Now they face the Houston Texans and the NFL’s top-ranked defense, and coach Dennis Allen isn’t even certain who his starting quarterback will be.
With Terrelle Pryor resting his sprained right knee, rookie Matt McGloin took the majority of reps with Oakland’s starting offense during Wednesday’s practice. Pryor is hopeful of getting back on the field this week, possibly as soon as Thursday, though Allen was non-committal.
If Pryor sits out the game, or if he plays and isn’t at full strength, it could have a ...
Through nine games of ups and downs that have defined the Oakland Raiders so far in 2013, it is the team's offense that has the most uncertainty, and thus questions that must be answered moving forward.
The defensive side of the ball, although experiencing some periods of inconsistency, seems to be on the right track. Adding a few pieces to both the defensive front and back end this offseason could easily vault this unit into a top-10 defense.
The offense on the other hand, aside from a few big plays that have helped keep the team competitive, has been incredibly inconsistent.
All too ...
There’s been a lot of attention and criticism surrounding the recent struggles of Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor, and for good reason.
Yet as much as Pryor is responsible for the team’s current slide, his supporting cast of wide receivers hasn’t helped, either.
Since completing nearly 79 percent of his passes and garnering a career-high 135.7 passer rating in the Raiders’ win over San Diego in Week 5, Pryor has gone into the tank. Over the last four games, his completion percentage has tumbled, his rating has dropped to anemic levels and he’s thrown just one touchdown against eight interceptions.
As bad as ...