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The case for Connor Cook to start at QB for the Oakland Raiders

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:46 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Connor Muldowney/FanSided via Spartan Avenue

Former Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook should be the starter for the Raiders this week, and here’s why.

Watching Derek Carr go down with a broken leg last week had to have been the most agonizing thing for Oakland Raiders fans. He was having an MVP-type of season and the Raiders were looking like serious Super Bowl contenders, but they will have to go forth without him.

Must Read: MSU Football: Top 50 players in school history

Carr has been ruled out 6-8 weeks, and Oakland needs to find a replacement for him before the playoffs begin. Jack Del Rio has already named Matt McGloin the starter and Connor Cook has been activated as the team’s backup.

Is McGloin really the best option, though? He did start for the Raiders a few years back, but lost his job to Terrelle Pryor who is now an NFL receiver. He never looked like an adequate starting quarterback, but rather a decent backup.

Now it’s his time to put in the work to become the starter, but Cook should be challenging him for that spot, not making it so easy for the coaching staff to pick a starter. There’s a reason the Raiders drafted him and it wasn’t to be the third-stringer — they wanted him to back up Carr.

McGloin has been in the league for four years now, but Cook is the more talented player. If the Raiders want a shot at winning — something Cook knows how to do exceptionally well — they need to think about taking a chance with Cook now.

Don’t get me wrong, McGloin is the safe option and he will be the ultimate game-manager, but he’s not going to lead this team to a Super Bowl. Cook has the big-game mentality and he has confidence.

Oakland needs to consider starting the rookie and seeing what it can get out of him before settling on McGloin, who has proven in the past that he’s nothing more than average.

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