Pryor, a third round pick of the 2011 Supplemental draft, only became the starter for the Raiders late in the preseason. The Raiders acquired Matt Flynn in the off-season, expecting him to be their starter, and Pryor only received his opportunity because Flynn failed to impress early in the preseason. That meant that expectations couldn't have been lower for the former Ohio State Buckeye.
While expectations were low, the performance in a vacuum will have revitalised a fan base that has been engulfed in negativity during recent times.
Dennis Allen, Greg Olsen and the rest of the Raiders coaching staff didn't look to hide Pryor. After falling behind by 14 points in the second quarter, they didn't really have much choice, but that doesn't change the fact that Pryor attempted 29 passes, completing 19 for 217 yards, with a further 112 rushing yards coming on 13 carries.
At Ohio State, Pryor was recognised for his overwhelming athleticism. In today's NFL, athleticism at the quarterback position is celebrated maybe more than ever. Even though Pryor wasn't making huge plays like Colin Kaepernick from the read-option, he did show off that athleticism early on against the Colts.
This play comes from the Raiders' opening drive, as they face a third and seven.
Pryor has three receivers to the right side of the formation, with just one to the left. Those three receivers are left with just three defensive backs, as the Colts rotate the safety to that side of the field across the formation at the snap. That safety joins two other defensive backs who are too far away to make a play on any quick pass to the right side of the field.
Denarius Moore, the wide recei...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
