The atmosphere was electric Friday night in Oakland, as the Raiders preseason opener marked the return of Jon Gruden to the NFL sidelines. Yet in a hectic environment, third-year quarterback Connor Cook remained calm, cool, and collected.
As the pocket collapsed on him, Cook rolled to his left while keeping his eyes downfield and delivered a strike to Ryan Switzer in the back of the end zone for a Raiders touchdown. The play epitomized what head coach Jon Gruden felt was a ‘pretty good’ performance, one that could push Cook as the favorite to win the Raiders backup quarterback battle over E.