The Broncos may have to play “guess the quarterback” this week while they’re preparing for Sunday’s home game against the Oakland Raiders.
And that may mean looking at Raiders preseason video so they can get a look at Kyle Boller in the Oakland offense. The former first-round draft pick (by the Baltimore Ravens in 2003) is trying to resurrect his NFL career with his second team in two years.
Bruce Gradkowski, the Raiders’ preferred starting QB at the moment, didn’t play in their last game because of what the Raiders are calling a sprained shoulder. But Rich Gannon, a former Oakland quarterback, described Gradkowski’s shoulder injury as a “separation” during the telecast of the game.
Jason Campbell, the Raiders’ starting QB through the preseason and into the regular season until he was benched last month by coach Tom Cable, suffered a sprained knee filling in for Gradkowski against the San Francisco 49ers. Campbell is not expected to be available Sunday against the Broncos unless the Raiders get some unexpected good news from their medical staff.
So that leaves Boller, who warmed up briefly Sunday but never entered the game. He has been the Raiders’ No. 3 quarterback all season.
In the preseason, Boller hit 26-of-43 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns. He became expendable in Baltimore when the Ravens drafted Joe Flacco, who arrived ready to play. So Boller spent the 2009 season with the woeful St. Louis Rams, finishing with three touchdown passes and six interceptions in limited playing time. He played in nine games and made four starts.
Boller signed with Oakland during the offseason. At one point, Cable said Boller was in competition to be the backup quarterback, at least when Cable was still treating Campbell like a starter.
Boller has a strong arm, but some NFL scouts were concerned because he came into the 2003 draft after just one season at California in which his completion percentage was higher than 50. He completed 53.4 percent of his passes as a Cal senior.
Accuracy has eluded him at times in the NFL. In the four seasons in which he started at least nine games for the Ravens, he never completed 60 percent of his passes. In today’s NFL, 60 percent is the minimum standard for most offensive coaches.
The Raiders would likely lean a little harder on their running game if Boller is the starter against the Broncos, a significant commitment for an offense already leaning that way. The Raiders have run the ball at least 30 times in four games this season. But as it stands, the Raiders are coming to Denver with just one healthy option at quarterback.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
