It’s no longer a secret. Terrelle Pryor was named starting quarterback over Matt Flynn. Raiders head coach Dennis Allen chose not to disclose the starter the week leading up to Oakland’s first NFL game to kickoff the season but the rumor mill went in a frenzy naming the former Ohio State star.

Many assumed he would fail. However, far from a disappointment in his NFL debut against the Indianapolis Colts, this was simply what he’s been waiting for over the past two years.

< p>< p>”I thought Terrelle earned the job in the preseason, and I thought he did some really good things in the game,” said Allen after the Colts loss last Sunday. “There’s still a lot of growing we have to continue to do with Terrelle, but I was pleased with the way he came out.

“Listen, we moved the football team down the field, and that’s what you’re looking for.”

There was plenty that Pryor took away from the season that ended last year. He wanted to improve his passing game, perfect his mobility in the pocket and pick up his speed. In week one he achieved his goal despite the 21-17 loss to Indianapolis.

Terrelle recorded a career-high in his second career start. He set a franchise record for yards rushing by a quarterback. He carried 13 times for 112 yards, breaking the mark (85 yards) by former MVP Rich Gannon on Oct. 8, 2000. Since he’s already established his ability to run, this feat was the least of Terrelle’s concerns.

“I’m disappointed in myself,” he said when asked how he felt about his performance. “Taking sacks is unacceptable, this loss is on me. At the end of the day, I threw the ball away. I did awful, I thought.”

Terrelle was sacked once on 16 attempts. Despite throwing two interceptions, he kept the offense in the game. He worked extremely hard during the off-season. And while being looked down on with disdain, he changed the opinions of many naysayers who believed he would fail.

“Hey man, the way he played gave us a chance, to win and that’s all we can ask of him,” said Charles Woodson. “There are a lot of people that don’t think much of Terrelle Pryor and don’t think much of a lot of people on this team. He gave us a chance to win on offense and gave us a chance to win on a lot of plays out there.”

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