Category Archives: Oakland Raiders

QB Competitions to Watch this Preseason

by in American Football, Buffalo Bills, EaglesMusings, Football, Jacksonville Jaguars, National Football League, New York Jets, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles | Leave a comment
  Football is back. It is time to put the off-the-field drama behind us and get back to the action on the field.  Here are some quarterback competitions to keep an eye on this preseason.
 

Will E.J. Manuel be Buffalo’s quarterback in week one? (via Kevin Hoffman – USA TODAY Sports)



Buffalo Bills – E.J. Manuel, Kevin Kolb

“We’re going to split the reps and get looks at both Kevin and E.J. with both groups to see how they perform with that,” –  Doug Marrone. 

There was some surprise across the league when the Bills took E.J. Manuel as the first quarterback in this year’s draft at number 16 overall. As the draft process began, Manuel was seen as a mid to late round pick, but his combination of size and strength, as well as his performances at the combine and senior bowl shot him up draft boards. Manuel will certainly have an advantage over Kevin Kolb when it comes to athletic ability and running an up-tempo offense.

Kolb is someone who has consistently underperformed, despite showing some promise in his first few games in Philadelphia. His lack of success at Arizona was often blamed on bad offensive line play, but can he step up and be the face of a franchise or is he someone that doesn’t have what it takes to perform at a consistently high level in the NFL?

Head Coach Doug Marrone has recently said that he will decide on the starter around 10 to 12 days before the season opener, so both men will have the chance to shine through the preseason and show why they should be the starter. Marrone now has the decision to make: whether to put his trust in the veteran Kolb or go with his young quarterback and hope he can adapt quickly to the pro game. Either way, expect the Bills to lean heavily on C.J. Spiller, the extremely talented 4th-year back who will finally get the chance to be the number one guy in the backfield.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne

“They’re learning a new system right now, and we’re giving them a lot of opportunities. We are splitting up reps with them and I think when we get the pads on the truth will come out” – Gus Bradley

According to ‘Big Cat Country’, the quarterback battle is very much alive.  Blaine Gabbert is expected to split reps with Chad Henne throughout the preseason as they battle it out to take charge in Jacksonville. 

Gabbert came out firing in the first game of 2012 and looked like he could be the quarterback that the Jags had hoped he would be when they selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, but ultimately the rest of the season was a disappointment. He missed the last six games of the season, and with the array of talented quarterbacks due to be available in the 2014 NFL draft, this may be Gabbert’s final chance to show that he can be ‘the guy’.

Henne has had some ups and downs throughout his career, including the ‘best passing game of 2012’, but has not shown any consistency in playing at a high level. Now in his sixth year in the NFL, Henne may not have an opportunity like this again.

 First-year Coach Gus Bradley is expected to improve the defense in Jacksonville after his tremendous work at Seattle last year, however he will also be expected to find a face of the franchise that the Jaguars can proudly bring to an international audience for the next four years.

New York Jets – Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith

Will it be Sanchez or Smith? (via Rich Barnes – USA TODAY Sports)

What are your first thoughts when you hear the name Mark Sanchez? Is it the butt-fumble? Or another one of the many awful plays from last year?

Or is it his rookie and sophomore seasons in 2009/2010 where he led his team to 2 consecutive AFC championships? The Jets had hoped Sanchez which shows signs of improvement in 2012 after a disappointing 2011 season, but instead he ended up with 18 interceptions and 14 fumbles; compared to only 13 touchdowns.

At the start of the 2012 college season, Geno Smith was being talked about as a leading Heisman candidate (throwing 8 touchdowns in one game was one of his highlights). Even after a dip in production towards the end of the season, he was still regarded as one of the top picks of the draft (NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks had him at number one in a mock draft). But on draft weekend, Smith not only missed out on being the first quarterback taken; he fell out of the first round entirely. But right now, it looks like Smith is impressing in Camp.

Oakland Raiders – Matt Flynn, Terrelle Pryor, Tyler Wilson

The Oakland Raiders competition is fascinating, as it features three guys who have never had the chance to be full-time starters in this league. Flynn is the most experienced of the three, but he is arguably the least physically talented. Terrelle Pryor is a gifted athlete, but he must prove that he can handle the mental side of the game and show the ability to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball. His NFL debut against the Chargers in the final week of 2012 was unimpressive (46% completion rate), but the Raiders will hope that he can show a big improvement in year two.

Levi Damien at ‘Silver and Black Pride’ took a look at the quarterback situation and said that Matt Flynn is the front runner and is expected to start the season as the number one guy. He also described how Pryor hired coaches this off-season to help him improve his mechanics.

However, some NFL writers and analysts including former Philadelphia Eagle Scout John Middlekauf believe that Pryor has looked the best of the quarterbacks in camp and even argues that Matt McGloin is looking better than Wilson.

Tyler Wilson is a long shot to be the starter on week one after a fairly unimpressive camp so far, but he will have the chance to impress in the preseason and perhaps provide a challenge for the two others.

Oakland hasn’t had a winning season since 2002. Who will be the quarterback that will allow them to compete again?

Philadelphia Eagles – Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Matt Barkley

Michael Vick will start the Eagles first preseason game (via Howard Smith USA TODAY Sports)

“With a quarterback, it’s like a tea bag. You don’t know what you have until you put it in hot water” – Chip Kelly

Chip Kelly is already fascinating writers and fans around the NFL. From protein shakes to Navy Seals, he has created excitement with his innovative methods. But the fascination won’t last for long if the Eagles don’t perform on the field, and in order to do that they need improved quarterback play compared to their last two seasons. Donovan McNabb’s retirement reminded Eagles fans of how lucky they were to have a quarterback that didn’t turn the ball over. Michael Vick has struggled with this problem all throughout his career, and Nick Foles had similar problems looking after the ball in his rookie season.
Who will start? At the moment, opinion is split all over the NFL. The Philly beat writers seemed to mostly go with Foles, whereas the national media still believes Michael Vick will be the guy. The most intriguing thing here is how Chip Kelly will run his offense, as he has said he will cater it fit the personnel rather than fit the personnel to his scheme from Oregon. Similarly to Buffalo, whoever the Quarterback is; the Eagles are expected to rely heavily on the run game with LeSean McCoy returning healthy along with electrifying second-year back Bryce Brown.
The Eagles announced that Michael Vick will start the first game in the preseason and Nick Foles will start the second game. Will Barkley start the third? This truly is a wide-open competition, and it will be exciting to see how it plays out.


The Jets kick off at Detroit on Friday at 7.30pm EST. The Jaguars host the Dolphins at the same time. The Eagles also play at 7.30pm on Friday as they host the New England Patriots. The Oakland Raiders welcome the Dallas Cowboys at 10pm on Friday, and the Buffalo Bills travel to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at 1.30pm to close out week one of the preseason.

TheSportMatrix.com

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