It didn’t take long for Terrelle Pryor to get back to where he started this season – the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders. Matt Flynn, after his first start in nearly two years, didn’t just get back to the bench, but actually saw himself being demoted, turning into the third-string quarterback.

Somehow, these things keep happening to Flynn who isn’t a bad quarterback, but he’s the kind that doesn’t make a team better. He can do a good job with a solid offensive line and good running back, but the Raiders aren’t the organization that right now can give him those conditions, and considering how his career has turned out since leaving the Green Bay Packers, it’s doubtful anyone ever will.

Flynn was sacked 7 times against the Washington Redskins, fumbled the ball twice and threw an interception that resulted in a touchdown. The Raiders lost 14-24, making it a second consecutive loss for the team, and a comeback that couldn’t have been sooner for Pryor, now symptom-free after suffering a concussion against the Broncos.

The Raiders didn’t try to throw Flynn under the bus, explaining that the sacks and lack of protection came due to the offensive line not being prepared well enough to deal with Flynn’s style. The whole concept of their blocking scheme is based on the ability and tendencies of Pryor; a completely different thing from Flynn, who was too exposed, and too slow to get away from the pressure coming at him.

The worst part of all of this for Flynn is that it seems the Raiders don’t really believe in him anymore, as Matt McGloin, out of Penn State, has become the backup quarterback. Flynn turns into the highest paid third-string quarterback in the NFL at $6.5 million. The Raiders traded for Flynn with a fifth-round pick back in April, getting him from the Seattle Seahawks. For the second consecutive training camp, Flynn lost the designated starting job to a younger quarterback.

Flynn did complete 65.6% of his passes in the loss to the Redskins, throwing a touchdown pass and finishing with a 83.7 passer rating, but his inability to avoid pressure and Pryor being healthy again made it an easy choice for the Raiders.

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