Stock Watch – Wild Card Edition: Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans
By Maliik Obee
Stock Down
As always, there is a downside to every game.
Here are three players whose stock is trending down following their performance in Saturday’s Wild Card game.
Connor Cook
Sure, Cook is a rookie, who only played half a game this season before facing the No. 1 defense in the league Saturday. But Cook is a professional, and after showing glimpses in Week 17, he regressed.
Cook threw for 161 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions on 18 of 45 passes. Cook repeatedly held the ball too long, looking unaware in the pocket and throwing errant passes.
Nevertheless, Cook has a bright future ahead of him, whether it’s in Oakland or someplace else. It’ll be interesting to see if Cook remains Oakland’s backup, or if the team garners any trade offers.
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David Amerson
Cornerback David Amerson continued to show why the Washington Redskins parted ways with him in 2015. Saturday, Amerson received two penalties while allowing 4 catches for 89 yards. Aside from coverage, he also continues to whiff tackles and take bad angles in pursuit.
After a strong season in 2015 — his first with the Raiders — Amerson regressed in 2016. His inconsistent play was one of several reasons why Oakland’s secondary was continuously burned.
Austin Howard
The only reason Howard is here instead of Menelik Watson is because Watson was shifted from right to left tackle. Howard allowed two sacks, at the worst times possible.
While the left side was forced to deal with the likes of Jadeveon Clowney and Vince Wilfork, Howard allowed linebacker Whitney Mercilus to run a muck. His time as a Raider may be over.