Terrelle Pryor Cleared For Practice, Unclear If Allen Will Start Him
By JL Herrera
Terrelle Pryor was cleared for non-contact practice on Thursday. Many are hoping that the Oakland Raiders will start him on Sunday, but Coach Dennis Allen did not give the press a straight answer.
Pryor practiced on Thursday with the Raiders; however, Allen stated that Pryor needed to go over a few more hurdles with the NFL's Players Association. In other words, Pryor has not been cleared 100 percent for Sunday.
The Injuries
Terrelle Pryor is the most important piece of the puzzle for this Sunday's match against the Washington Redskins. Pryor has been out with a concussion that he suffered last Monday against the Denver Broncos.
If Pryor does not get cleared by Sunday to play, the Raiders will have to go with Matt Flynn. That means that the game will be different. How different? We will have to wait and see.
If Flynn takes the helm this Sunday, it should not really matter much against a team like Washington. The Redskins defense is one of the worst when it comes to the passing yardage allowed. In this department, Matt Flynn should do just fine. Plus, a nice dosage of the running game via Darren McFadden would not hurt.
Tyvon Branch did not practice all week and is doubtful for Sunday. Again, Coach Allen was very vague about the starters when he addressed the media on Thursday after practice. Someone who does not practice all week is most likely missing out on the game.
The secondary unit should be fine without Branch, as Reggie Griffin III has had a very low passing percentage rate (63 percent). RG3 comes with a lot of misses and that's a good thing.
On the other hand, cornerback Tracy Porter was limited at practice but is most likely playing on Sunday. Porter had also suffered a concussion on Monday, but it was not as severe as Pryor's injury.
If Porter is missing this Sunday, the chances of RG3 looking good could get better–after all, he does have Santana Moss and Pierre Garcon as his receivers.
The offensive line is still in tact with Khalif Barnes most likely at left tackle. Menelik Watson will be out for most of the season with his knee injury that will require surgery, so this department will be the same and it should hold off rather well against a weak Redskins defensive line.
In the end, the main concern is Terrelle Pryor, and Coach Dennis Allen will most likely keep his plans for Sunday until game day.
Injury Report
Probable:
- Quarterback Terrelle Pryor (concussion)
- Cornerback Tracy Porter (concussion)
- Linebacker Sio Moore (concussion)
- Guard Lucas Nix (ankle)
- Fullback Jamize Olawale (ankle)
Doubtful:
- Strong Safety Tyvon Branch (ankle)
- Defensive End Jason Hunter (quad)
Out:
- Tackle Menelik Watson (knee)
For more Raiders news and updates, visit Raiders Central.
J.L. Herrera is a huge fan of football and has been following the Raiders since the 1980s during the LA era. J.L. is also a freelance writer and copywriter on the web. He taught English for a little more than a decade in Los Angeles at the secondary level. While writing for web based news outlets, J.L. enjoys reading, creative writing, and watching sports. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
