Cook’s first start will be historic
Connor Cook will make his first NFL start Saturday for the Oakland Raiders in a wild-card playoff game against the Houston Texans.
Cook will become the first quarterback in league history whose first start comes in the playoffs.
The rookie fourth-round pick from Michigan State was the No. 3 quarterback for 15 games. Cook became the backup in Week 17 after Raiders starter Derek Carr suffered a broken leg Dec. 24, and he was tabbed by coach Jack Del Rio to start against the Texans after No. 2 quarterback Matt McGloin suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos.
Cook threw for 150 yards with one touchdown and one interception after replacing McGloin just before halftime in Denver.
“We trust him to go out and lead us,” Del Rio said Wednesday in a call with reporters.
Cook said that he would have nerves heading into his first start and that he was even nervous last weekend when he was active as the backup quarterback for the first time all season. In the first 15 games, Cook arrived at the stadium knowing there was no chance he would play.
Now, he’ll be starting in the Raiders’ first postseason game in 14 years.
“I’m just ready (to) embrace this opportunity and give it everything I’ve got,” Cook said Wednesday.
As the Raiders prepare for the game, Cook is getting the bulk of the first-team reps in practice for the first time. As the No. 3 quarterback, he tossed passes only to top receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree during position drills early in practices. Now they are trying to create chemistry on an accelerated schedule.
Saturday will mark Cook’s first start at any level since Dec. 31, 2015, when his Michigan State team lost 38-0 to Alabama in a College Football Playoff semifi- nal. But Cook is going to lean on his time as the Spartans starter and think back to big wins against Michigan and Ohio State in 2015 as he prepares to face the Texans.
“We played in some big-time games there. Going to try to take whatever I did there and put it to use on Saturday,” Cook said.
uThe Miami Dolphins aren’t ruling quarterback Ryan Tannehill out of Sunday’s wild-card game, but coach Adam Gase said it would take a drastic improvement over the next two days for Tannehill to be ready to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tannehill did not practice Wednesday, but Gase was hoping Tannehill might be able to make his return to the practice field this week. It won’t be until Tannehill practices that he and his coaches will know how much progress the quarterback has made from the sprained knee he suffered last month.
Gase wants to see what sort of mobility Tannehill has and if the quarterback can step into throws, move laterally to avoid a pass rush and accelerate off the left leg to scramble before making any decision about his availability.
“We may run out of time this week,” Gase said. “I don’t want to rule him out yet. I want to see him get out there and try to do something.”
Until then, Matt Moore remains the starting quarterback, Gase said.
Tannehill watched practice while wearing gym clothes and a brace on his left knee.
“He’s frustrated because he wants to help,” Gase said. “But at the same time, I have to be smart with what we’re doing moving forward. I don’t want any setbacks. I don’t want to jeopardize his career or next year. We have to be smart as an organization.”