Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor named starter for Week 17 game – NFL News
After a wait of nearly two seasons, Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor will finally get a chance to start a National Football League (NFL) game when Raiders take on San Diego Chargers in Week 17 game on Sunday, December 30, 2012.
Raiders head coach Dennis Allen made the announcement on Friday, December 28. Pryor will become the 15th Raiders’ player to be named the starting quarterback since the 2003 season.
Pryor has surpassed veteran quarterback Matt Leinart who is named the backup quarterback for the game.
The quarterback looked excited about starting a league game and also showed some nervousness. According to the Associated Press, Pryor said:
"I'm nervous. Until the first play I'm going to be nervous. I'm human like you guys. I'm human like everybody. I just happen to play one of the best sports in the world. I'll be nervous until the first snap... I'm confident. I'm sure my teammates have confidence
in me as well.”
Leinart got a good number of snaps last week in the game against Carolina Panthers, but failed to put up a decent performance. He finished the game with 16 of 32 for 115 yards and also threw an interception.
Pryor will play in place of quarterback Carson Palmer who got out with an injury during Week 16 game.
The decision to start Pryor seems to be the wise one as Leinart is in his seventh season in the league and does not have much to offer.
So, analysing Pryor is necessary for the future of the offence. Pryor has got limited playing time this season. Giving his views about the decision, Raiders head coach Dennis Allen said:
"We know what his strengths are, we know what his weaknesses are, but really, to give him an opportunity to go out in a game, against a division opponent, at their place, and give him a chance to play, it gives us a view into the future."
Pryor was drafted in the 2011 supplemental draft by Raiders and has been called a work in progress by Allen during this season. However, Pryor must fully utilise the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cement his progress with Raiders in future.
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