Is Terrelle Pryor the Next Colin Kaepernick?

Dec 30, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor (6) carries the ball against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers defeated the Raiders 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Terrelle Pryor as the next Colin Kaepernick. Are you TRIPPIN?

Have you lost all reasonable sense of a simple thought? Holy Batman, Terrelle Pryor is a, well I’m not sure where he fits in. He’s not JaMarcus Russell, or Tom Brady or Colin Kapernick for that matter.

Raider nation got all excited in the last game of the season when Pryor was named to start ahead of Matt Leinart. Statements were made “it’s about time, now we will have an offense”, and “Palmer finally out of the game, now we will be in the game with Pryor at QB”.  How did that work out for the Raiders in the last game against San Diego? It didn’t.

Pryor, who some people hold in as high esteem as the second coming of (Donovan McNabb, and Michael Vick), has not been able to produce in practice or preseason games. The last game of the season was a slow death for the Raiders, and everyone that is a Raider fan. The last time I had that much fun, I was at the dentist office getting teeth removed without Novocain (ouch!).

In his only start, he was 13-28 for 150 yards with one interception. Let’s review those TD bombs he threw. One for nine yards, and one for five yards. Pryor ran the third TD in himself from three yards out. Granted, you don’t have to throw bombs to be successful, but some consistency would be nice.

Forget about Kaepernick, is Pryor even better than Carson Palmer?

Palmer, when he has receivers and a chance to step up in the pocket, can be a productive QB.  His one gratuitous interception per game has got to stop, and he has to be directed that it will not be tolerated. He is a Heisman Trophy winner, for crying out loud, that acts, and plays like a Pop Warner back up at times.

Nonetheless, Palmer was the lone proficient production player for the Raiders in 2012, with no-name receivers and a running back that was forced to play in a offensive system that he was not productive in.

Pryor is virtually an unknown, and he has not regained his play from Ohio State. He can’t beat Palmer out, so why not trade him to get a QB that can deliver the skills needed to elevate the play of the Raiders offense?

In the last game against the Chargers, Pryor had poor accuracy and ball placement that made it hard on his receivers. When scrambling in the pocket. the once nifty runner looked to be sluggish and unfamiliar in his setting, creating confusion and failure on his reads.

When the offensive line correctly blocks for Palmer, he has time and makes the Raiders successful. Yet when they don’t block and they allow the opponents to penetrate and apply pressure to Palmer, it’s a crap shoot.

Even in that environment, Palmer made the best of it throwing for over 4000 yards.

Consistency in play is what makes winners, not names of players (*cough* JaMarcus *cough*). The NFL is a league where you have produce to become a proficient player such as Colin Kaepernick.

Could time help Pryor become a better QB? Sure, but the Raiders have lost enough time waiting for the next best thing since sliced bread.

Terrelle Pryor as the next Colin Kaepernick: not today or tomorrow or anytime in the future.