Sure, the Oakland Raiders posted another opening week loss in their 21-17 contest against the Indianapolis Colts. However, the Raiders are terrible, have been for years, and nothing other than a loss in the inaugural game was expected.
What was unexpected, however, was the strong performance of young quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who made plays with his feet and with his arm on Sunday.
The former Buckeye standout was given his first real opportunity to take the reigns of the downtrodden franchise, and he made the most of it on Sunday, throwing for 217 yards and running for another 112. Although two interceptions were a part of the package, the young signal caller showed enough promise to offer fans a glimmer of hope and bring forth praise from one of the game’s best quarterbacks.
“It’s not fun watching Terrelle Pryor run around and do his thing,” said Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. “I’m sure for everybody else watching, it’s pretty electric.” Luck, arguably the top young passer in the NFL, went on to call Pryor a “stud.”
While Raiders fans can still expect a long season in 2013, the fact that Pryor basically carried the offense on his back, and the defense largely held the Colts in check, has to be a strong sign.
The development of the Raiders quarterback will be key to watch, not only as he has the potential to be one of the more dynamic players in the NFL, but also because Oakland is almost certain to hold a high pick, meaning the decision of whether or not to take a signal caller early in Round 1 will largely rest on how well Pryor continues to perform this season.
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