In his third preseason game for the Raiders Friday night, Matt Schaub looked much like he did in Games 1 and 2.
And that’s not good.
Schaub completed 13-of-27 passes for 110 yards – just over 4 yards per attempt – in Oakland’s 31-21 loss to the Packers in Green Bay.
Schaub still looked fragile in the pocket, didn’t challenge the Packers defense downfield and showed a less-than-rifle arm.
At one point he threw a pass into the end zone intended for a well-covered Denarius Moore that could easily have been intercepted, prompting Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle to tweet: “Decision-making sometimes fails him more than his less-than-powerful arm.”
Even luck was against Schaub Friday night. He appeared to connect with James Jones for a touchdown, but it eventually was overruled. And Marcel Reece also dropped a pass that could have gone for a TD.
As Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group noted on Twitter during the game, “Schaub should be looking more comfortable … he’s not.”
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So, through three games, Schaub – anointed the opening-game starter – has had three shaky appearances. Rookie Derek Carr, the No. 2, was held out because of a concussion and rib injury last week. And No. 3 Matt McGloin again looked very good, completing 10-of-17 for 162 yards and two TDs – but against the Packers’ second- and third-teamers at the end of the game.
So, while the Raiders roster appears to be much better than it was at this point last year, the quarterback position remains a giant question mark.
By now, Schaub is looking like Matt Flynn II, the anointed starter of 2013 who flamed out. Once Carr is cleared to play, it seems only a matter of time before the former Fresno State standout is starting.
