The Oakland Raiders made it official on Wednesday: Matt McGloin is going to start at quarterback this week against the Tennessee Titans. They didn't have any choice.
There was no way the Raiders could go back to Terrelle Pryor because McGloin was too good last week against the Houston Texans.
Even before McGloin's impressive start against Houston, NFL Media columnist Michael Silver reported that McGloin could possibly win the starting job because of long-term doubts about Pryor. McGloin's performance left no doubt. He took first-team reps at practice Wednesday, while Pryor took the second-team reps.
McGloin was hurt by a ton of drops against Houston, but he still made a lot of plays. His "poor man's Jeff Garcia" reputation didn't fit with some of the vertical passes he put on target. He was very calm in the pocket and threw some bullets over the middle. McGloin doesn't have a gun, but he has a bigger arm than Garcia.
McGloin didn't close the game well, but it was an incredible effort through three quarters. It was a better one-game performance than anything we've seen this season from Geno Smith or EJ Manuel. McGloin's emergence is a tough break for Pryor, who has worked hard for his chance to lead an NFL team. But this shouldn't be a tough decision.
McGloin's performance against Houston comes against incredible odds. He was viewed in August as a " training camp arm," but he outplayed fourth-round draft pick Tyler Wilson and veteran Matt Flynn to earn a spot on the roster. McGloin wasn't drafted out of Penn State; he wasn't even invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. McGloin wrote a letter to every general manager in the league, strongly making his case for a chance. Yahoo! Sports filmed a video that included McGloin reading the letter.
"The conventional wisdom is that I don't have the measurables," McGloin wrote. "Well I'd argue that victories under more pressure than any other program in America is measurable enough to earn a chance to prove what I can do. To those saying to me that you'll never make it, all I have to say is this: Watch me."
I'm sold. The Raiders have to find out if McGloin can repeat the effort this week, and possibly for the rest of the season.
The Oakland Raiders will stick with Matt McGloin at quarterback. Is this the end for Terrelle Pryor? The "Around The League Podcast" crew debates. Click here to listen and subscribe.
