WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Notes, Quotes

The Sports Xchange

December 20, 2018 at 1:01 pm.

–Tight end Jared Cook is having a career year, but it wasn’t enough to land him a spot on the AFC team for the Pro Bowl.

Cook, center Rodney Hudson and left guard Kelechi Osemele, who has been hampered by injuries this season, were selected as alternates for the annual NFL all-star game. This is only the second time in franchise history that the Raiders have been shut out of the original Pro Bowl selections, the other coming in 2003.

“If (Cook’s) not a Pro Bowler, I hope there’s an investigation,” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said. “He’s our go-to target. He’s been phenomenal.”

Obviously, the Raiders’ 3-11 record has a lot to do with it, as Cook ranks second among tight ends in the AFC with 63 receptions and 848 receiving yards behind Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs (11-3), and is third with six touchdown catches behind Eric Ebron (12) of the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) and Kelce (10).

Kelce, who has 93 receptions for 1,220 yards and Ebron, with 59 catches for 662 yards, were selected at tight end for the AFC.

–Quarterback Nathan Peterman was signed to the Raiders’ practice squad this week.

Head coach Jon Gruden, who was an ESPN analyst at the time, was very high on Peterman, who was cut by the Buffalo Bills more than a month ago, when he came out of Pitt two years ago.

“Peterman is ready to walk in and be a contributor from Day 1,” Gruden wrote at the time. “He just looks like a pro quarterback — coming out of the huddle, running an offense with different formations, shifting, motioning, different patterns that other colleges don’t run. Peterman will recognize route combinations and associate formations.”

Gruden declared that Peterman was “the draft’s most pro-ready guy.” That draft included Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Deshaun Watson of the Dallas Texans, and Mitchell Trubisky of the Chicago Bears.

Peterman struggled with the Bills, ranking last in passer rating (30.7) among NFL quarterbacks this season with a minimum of 50 passing attempts before the Bills released him.

In four appearances in Buffalo this season, including two starts, Peterman completed 44 of 81 passes for one touchdown with seven interceptions.

BY THE NUMBERS: 3 — Consecutive games in which Raiders backup tight end Lee Smith has caught a touchdown pass after catching none in the first 11 games of the season and his last 35 overall.

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