Is Matt Flynn ready to be a starting quarterback in the NFL? While he appears to show that on the practice field, he has yet to prove himself worthy during game time. The Oakland Raiders quarterback had beat out rookie Tyler Wilson to sit on top of the depth chart, but after struggling in three preseason games, head coach Dennis Allen says the competition is wide open.
Could it be wide open because Terrelle Pryor is impressing coaches more by the day? Flynn got the start on Friday night against the Chicago Bears, but threw two interceptions on six attempts in the first half. His longest throw was nine yards. He fumbled a snap and was also sacked once. He was pulled in the second quarter in favor of Pryor. It could be that Flynn's hold on the top spot is weakening.
"I think obviously we have to look at it. I think when you look at it I don't think Matt [Flynn] played well in this game," Allen said, via ESPN.com. "Obviously, I thought Terrelle [Pryor] came in and gave us a spark. I thought he played well in the game. I think that's something that we have to go and look at it."Allen was right when saying Pryor provided a spark for the offense. He completed seven of nine passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded one rushing touchdown, making the Raiders offense look as dynamic as ever. Pryor was pulled at the end of third quarter, but successfully brought the score to 27-20.
"What I want to look at is who gives us the best chance to move the ball down the field and score points," Allen said. "Obviously I'm not going to look at one night and base any type of decision on one night. I'll go back and I'll look at it and we'll see where we go from here."
Pryor represents the new trend for a quarterback. He has proven mobility and can operate the read-option offense. He also worked heavily on his mechanics in the offseason, showing up to training camp looking better than ever. Pryor certainly gives Allen and offensive coordinator Greg Olson more options with the playbook.
Allen noted that he believed Pryor was the better quarterback on Friday night. It was once speculated that he could be trade bait considering the Raiders currently hold four quarterbacks right now in camp. However, if he continues to play this way, Pryor could find himself locked into the starting role.
Flynn has been in this position before. He lost out on the starting job in Seattle after Russell Wilson took over in training camp. That situation could be repeating itself.
