A Week 16 injury to Derek Carr means the hopes and fears of the Oakland Raiders, who enter Week 17 with a chance to win the AFC West and grab a No. 1 seed in the playoffs, now rest in the hands of fourth-year quarterback Matt McGloin.
“What? Matt McGloin is in his fourth year in the NFL,” you ask?
That’s right, the 27-year-old out of Penn State has that and a few more surprises ups his sleeve as he enters a critical season finale against the Denver Broncos, who are hoping to play spoiler after having their own playoff hopes spoiled on Christmas night in Kansas City.
So, if Matt McGloin is as unfamiliar to you as Trevor Siemian was to Raiders fans ahead of the Week 9 matchup that saw Siemian throw for 283 yards and two touchdowns in a loss, here’s what you need to know about the man Raider Nation hopes can beat the Broncos and eventually take a bite out of Tom Brady.
VITAL STATS
Full Name: Matthew James McGloin
Birthdate: Dec. 2, 1989
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 210 pounds
College: Penn State
Draft: Undrafted Free Agent (2013)
Birthplace: Scranton, Penn.
High School: West Scranton
NFL STATS
Games: 13
Games Started: 6
QB Record: 1-5
Completion Percentage: 58.3
Pass Attempts: 266
Completions: 155
Passing Yards: 1,847
Passing Touchdowns: 11
Interceptions: 11
Rushing Attempts: 16
Rushing Yards: 27
Rushing Touchdowns: 0
NFL NOTES
Made NFL debut in a 49-20 home loss to Philadelphia, Nov. 2, 2013, in relief of Terrelle Pryor. Went 7-for-15 for 87 yards and no touchdowns.
Started and won the very next game for Oakland, his only win as a starter. Threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-23 road win over Houston. Recorded career-high passer rating of 105.9.
Started and lost the next five games of the 2013 season before Pryor’s return.
Saw significant action (12-for-19, 129 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) in a Week 4 loss to Miami in 2014 and a Week 1 loss to Cincinnati (23-for-31, 142 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) in 2015.
COLLEGE NOTES
A walk-on at Penn State at the height of the Jerry Sandusky / Joe Paterno scandal, went on to earn the starting job and pass for 6,390 yards in 2.5 years as a starter. Led the Nittany Lions to two bowl berths. Missed second bowl game due to concussion suffered in locker room incident with a teammate.
HYPE VIDEO
YouTube channel “TOWN BIZZNESS” posted this hype video just a few days ago, which tells more of the Matt McGloin underdog story…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Eqr9hkB-tE