Raiders QB Pryor to start Sunday against Chargers
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor will make his first NFL start for Oakland in the Raiders' season finale Sunday against San Diego.
Pryor, in his second season after leaving Ohio State as a junior, will share time with backup Matt Leinart, coach Dennis Allen said after Friday's practice.
"He'll play in the game and we'll see how the game goes," Allen said of Pryor, according to USA Today. "He's the starter, and we're going to go into it as we would any other game."
Leinart was ahead of Pryor on the team's depth chart after last Sunday's game against Carolina, but Allen decided this week to remain open minded about which quarterback to start Sunday.
"We got a chance to see what Matt could do and we might need to see a little bit more of Terrelle," Allen said. "They're two totally different quarterbacks. Terrelle obviously is an athletic quarterback that can really do some things on the move. Matt's a little bit more your prototypical pocket passer. So when you look at those guys, you've got to take into account those skill sets and what they do well."
Pryor is replacing Carson Palmer, who suffered cracked ribs and a bruised lung on a hit last Sunday by Carolina defensive end Greg Hardy. Sunday's game will end a string of 24 straight starts for Palmer since he came to the Raiders in a trade with Cincinnati in 2011.
Leinart and Pryor shared reps with the first-team offense in practice this week.
"I wanted to see how each player responded," Allen said. "I thought Terrelle responded well. I think he gives us a unique element of athleticism at the quarterback position and I think he deserves to get an opportunity to get out there and see what he can do.
"I'm anxious to see him play. I want to see him get out there and relax, play the game of football the way it's supposed to be played. I want to see him take command of the huddle. I want to see us get in and out of the huddle and the operation be smooth. I want to see him protect the football, make sure he makes good decisions."
Leinart came in last week when Palmer was injured and completed 16 of 32 passes for 115 yards with an interception.
Without Palmer, Allen expects to scale back the offense against the Chargers.
"I don't think you're going to be the same with either quarterback as you would with Carson because Carson's been getting all the reps and he has the full command of the offense," Allen said.
