The Oakland Raiders’ postseason hopes took a major blow last week, after their fantastic young quarterback, Derek Carr, suffered a broken fibula against the Indianapolis Colts.
But while the Raiders had long since clinched their first postseason spot since 2002, they still had something to play for in Week 17 against Denver: a win would secure the AFC West title and the No. 2 seed in the conference.
They placed their hopes in the hands of fourth-year backup Matt McGloin. But in the second quarter, with Oakland already trailing 10-0, McGloin was driven to the turf by Broncos’ defensive lineman Jared Crick. Initially, it looked like McGloin may have suffered a head injury, as his helmet hit hard on the turf, though he did finish the series.
But instead, his injury was to his left (non-throwing) shoulder, and McGloin was in obvious pain both during the final few plays of the series and on the sideline.
So the Raiders had to turn to their third-string quarterback, active for the first time all season: rookie Connor Cook.
Cook, the 100th overall pick out of Michigan State, finished out the first half, going 2-for-3 for eight yards.
If McGloin can’t return – or even if he can – the Raiders have to be hoping they have a mid-round gem on their hands, a la Dak Prescott, with the postseason right around the corner.
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