Oakland Raiders: The good, bad, and ugly in preseason win over the Packers
By Kevin Saito
Ugly: Backup Quarterbacks
The top of the depth chart is obviously set, with Derek Carr ready to lead the charge. After Carr though, the situation gets murky. Dangerously murky.
After week one, it looked like Connor Cook was ready to step up and seize control of the backup job. It looked like he was ready to be a productive NFL quarterback. After weeks two and three though – well – not so much.
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Since that solid opening week, Cook has thrown for 121 yards on 12/27 passing (a woeful 44 percent completion percentage), with no touchdowns, one interception – and one fumble lost.
E.J. Manuel – though his numbers are a bit better – really hasn’t looked like a solution at the position either. In weeks two and three, Manuel has thrown for 176 yards on 18/28 passing (a 64 percent completion rate), with a touchdown – and three consecutive games with a fumble lost.
The situation is so dire, even Gruden is admitting that he doesn’t know if Oakland’s backup quarterback is “on the roster right now.”
If he’s not on the roster right now, Gruden had better start figuring out where to find him – and get him on the roster.
In this league – and given Carr’s history with injury – having a competent backup is vital. The Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles can absolutely attest to that.
There are some names already out there, and a few more who will likely hit the scrap heap once the preseason ends and teams pare their rosters down to 53. The sooner they can get a guy in, the better, given the complexities of Gruden’s offense – it’s going to take time to master.
The only thing that’s certain is that Oakland’s backup quarterback situation is a dumpster fire, and they need to figure this out sooner, rather than later.