In what shouldn’t be seen as too much of a surprise, the Oakland Raiders confirmed on Wednesday that rookie fourth-round pick Connor Cook will start the team’s playoff game against the Houston Texans on Saturday.
Jack Del Rio on starting Connor Cook 'we trust him to go out and lead us'
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 4, 2017
Cook took over for an injured Matt McGloin in the Raiders’ season finale against the Denver Broncos last week. He proceeded to complete 14-of-21 passes for 150 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble. Cook will be the first quarterback in NFL history to make his initial start in the playoffs.
This all comes with MVP candidate Derek Carr on the sideline after he suffered a broken fibula in a Week 16 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
It’s less-than-stellar news for a Raiders team that had Super Bowl aspirations just a few short weeks ago. Now having to go with an inexperienced quarterback in the playoffs, most figure the Raiders’ stay in the postseason will be short-lived.