Jon Gruden has two backup quarterbacks he likes going into the Raiders’ final exhibition game Thursday in Seattle. Both are expected to play in one final audition for the regular-season roster.
At the start of training camp, Mike Glennon was the clear favorite. He has more experience and NFL success than Nathan Peterman, the former short-time Buffalo Bills starter who gained fame as an interception machine before coming to Oakland.
But this summer, Peterman has received new life under Gruden, who has praised his performance in training camp and preseason games. Over three games, Peterman has clearly been superior to Glennon. The numbers:
Peterman: 40-of-57 passes for 70.2 percent completion rate, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 101.3 quarterback rating.
Glennon: 32-of-48 for 66.7 percent, two TDs, two interceptions and a 90.0 QB rating.
This week, longtime Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez, who writes for ESPN.com, made his projection for the 53 players who will make the roster cutdown this Saturday and had Peterman over Glennon, if Gruden decides to carry just two quarterbacks.
Wrote Gutierrez: “Gruden gave Peterman three quarters last week … and Peterman did not fall on his face. Gruden is enticed by the more athletic Peterman’s higher ceiling. The caveat being that should Peterman fall apart in the exhibition finale at Seattle, Glennon would get the gig.”
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Peterman admitted recently to Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle that his confidence is growing. He can’t control anything but his performance but hopes to keep producing to make the roster.
Gruden certainly seems willing to see Peterman for what he’s doing now, rather than what he did in Buffalo.
“Look at it yourself,” Gruden told the media this week when asked about Peterman’s play. “He’s hitting 75 percent of his passes. The ones that are incomplete are dropped. I mean, he runs, he passes, he’s making audibles. He’s getting better and he’s getting some confidence. He’s in the mix. I like him. I know other people that do, too.”
The Raiders are set to kick off at 7 Thursday night in Seattle vs. the Seahawks.
