Matt Flynn started at quarterback for the Raiders on Friday night and moved the team well after an early fumble, a performance that was likely good enough to keep him on top of the depth chart unless Terrelle Pryor blew everyone’s socks off when he took the field.
Pryor was 6-of-10 for 88 yards in two series at the helm for Oakland in a performance that had both high and low points. The first saw him run for 31 yards on three carries as the Raiders showed read option and pistol looks to good effect and the threat of Pryor’s running also helped Rashad Jennings find gains. It ended when Pryor threw across his body into the end zone for an interception by Cowboys rookie safety J.J. Wilcox.
Pryor should have thrown the ball away, but the second drive showed more positive signs. The Raiders got the ball with 41 seconds left in the first half and Pryor completed three straight passes for 54 yards to move the Raiders into field goal position. They settled for the field goal after Pryor threw the ball away rather than repeat his earlier mistake, but Pryor looked comfortable running the offense on both drives and the read option plays made it easy to see why the Raiders want to install a package of plays for Pryor.
All of this comes with the sizable caveat that the Cowboys first team was out of the game and that Pryor has to keep improving as a passer, but it was intriguing enough to wonder if we’ll see him against starters at some point this preseason.