The Oakland Raiders did not exactly impress in their preseason opener, a 10-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Friday. The quarterback position was no exception.
Starter Matt Schaub did not look very good in his debut in Silver and Black as he struggled to get the offense going with any kind of rhythm. He completed 3-of-7 passes for 21 yards, an average of just three yards per completion. But despite his rather unimpressive performance, head coach Dennis Allen said backup Derek Carr will not be getting any of Schaub’s first team reps in practice.
Carr (10-for-16, 74 yards) had a slightly better day than Schaub, but wasn’t all that great himself. He looked decent for a rookie playing against a second team defense, but he threw the Raiders’ lone interception and didn’t come close to performing in a way that would lead Allen and crew to consider promoting him to the starting role anytime soon. Carr had a few passes that were a bit behind receivers, or a bit high, but nothing terrible. He also did not face a ton of pocket pressure, which many believe is his kryptonite.
Matt McGloin led the Raiders in passing yards and yards per attempt, completing 11-of-18 throws for 90 yards. He also scored on a 10-yard touchdown run. Schaub didn’t complete one pass that earned a first down. Carr had three, and McGloin passed for five first downs and had one first down completion wiped away by a penalty.
Many Raiders fans will not be happy with Allen’s decision, as some are already calling for Carr to be the starter. This is nothing new for Schaub, who came from a situation in Houston where he did not have the support of Texans fans or his coaches.
If the preseason continues to go the way it did last Friday, things could change. But for now, this is the right move for Allen. He made a decision to use Schaub as his starter, and showing uncertainty about that decision at this stage, after just one preseason game, would be a bad sign.
