Mike Vick 2.0?

For a QB that amassed over 6000 passing yards, 57 td's, & a passer efficiency rating of 144, graduating from college and entering in the NFL draft should have been a step towards a bright future. Unfortunately for Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor, the cloud of allegations he left under, over shadowed anything about his draft stock. For many college quarterbacks that are physical freaks, the speed and strength of NFL players seem to overwhelm them in the first couple of years. For Pryor, this was also the case. He admits that his athletic ability, lends itself to feelings of superiority. Before his professional career, he was constantly outperforming his opponents on just talent alone. His mind-set and playing style didn't transfer over to the NFL very well, where gifted athletes don't always outperform master tacticians. For the first two years of Pryor's NFL career, he sat on the bench as he tried to understand the game, it's pace, and how to make the "smart" play rather than the "big" play. The Raiders QB admitted that his first two seasons he spent on the bench simply "trying to understand how to play quarterback in the NFL." Those years as a back up seemed to be paying off for Terrelle. With Pryor admitting he is trying to give the team "that spark and enthusiasm our locker room needs", he has set himself on a path to becoming Oakland's solidified starter.  In 8 games this season he is averaging over 250 all-purpose yards and a completion rating of almost 60%. For anyone who is a Denver, New England, or New Orleans fan, these numbers will be scoffed at. But for Raiders fans, having a constant QB, is something they haven't had in years. This is a team that has only had one 2500yd passer since Kerry Collins in '05. A team that hasn't had a winning record, yet alone made the playoffs, since their SB loss in 2002. A team that has seen little success since the Gruden, Gannon days of the late 90's & early 2000's. For the Oakland Raiders fan base, all they can ask for is for some hope. Pryor might not be one of the top QB's in the league, but week in and week out, he definitely gives his team a chance to win.