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ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Terrelle Pryor has learned his lesson about not telling his Oakland Raiders coaches how much his sprained right knee bothered him last week leading up to his poor performance at quarterback in a loss to the New York Giants. So he and the Raiders are taking things more cautiously this week with Pryor sitting out practice Wednesday as he tries to get healthy in time for Sundays game against the Houston Texans. "Thats what it was, the competitive nature in myself, just thinking, Hey, I can go out, just got to do this. I can go and sit in the pocket," Pryor said. "It fired back against me. I didnt want to let my teammates down. I wanted to be out there with those guys. You know, its a lesson learned and something you can take off of it." Pryor completed just 11 of 26 passes for 122 yards with one interception in his fourth straight sub-par performance as the Raiders (3-6) lost 24-20 on a day when their defence and special teams gave them a chance to win. Pryor first hurt the knee in the second half of a loss to Philadelphia on Nov. 3 and eventually left that game early. He said the knee got worse during the week of practice but he kept that information away from his coaches. "I dont know that there was any type of disconnect or anything," coach Dennis Allen said. "We evaluated him during the week in practice and things seemed to be OK, but obviously, when you got in the game, it was pretty evident early in the game that he just didnt have that same explosiveness that he normally has." Pryor only ran the ball five times for 19 yards and took four sacks as he struggled to get away from the Giants pass rushers on his bum knee. The Raiders also could be without running back Darren McFadden this week. McFadden missed another practice as he recovers from a sore hamstring that forced him to miss last weeks game. Oakland did get some positive news on the injury front with right tackle Tony Pashos returning to practice for the first time since injuring his hip in the first half at Kansas City on Oct. 13 and left tackle Jared Veldheer practicing for the first time since tearing his left triceps in training camp. The Raiders have three weeks to decide whether to activate Veldheer from the short-term injured reserve list or shut him down for the season. Pryors status is a more pressing concern. After a promising start to the season, Pryor has struggled mightily in recent weeks, once again raising questions about whether he can be consistent enough to succeed as an NFL quarterback. Since the start of Week 6, Pryor has completed 61 of 120 passes for 714 yards with one touchdown and eight interceptions. Pryor is last in the NFL in that span in completion percentage (50.8) and passer rating (44.2) and is tied for the most interceptions. Pryor has gone 112 straight passes since throwing a touchdown pass. "I still think I bring excitement," he said. "I still make people, their eyes wide on plays. On some of the stuff that happens, when you watch a lot of young guys you tend to make some mistakes or you tend to give away something to the defence because theyre watching film and maybe its a concept they realize what it is. Im not really too worried about a loss of confidence at all. Its just a learned lesson and try to put your head down and keep digging. Because you know its going to be brighter as it goes on." With Pryor sitting, undrafted rookie free agent Matt McGloin got his first extensive practice time with the first-team offence all season. McGloin, who entered camp out of Penn State as the fourth quarterback, moved past Matt Flynn and Tyler Wilson on the depth chart and now could get a chance to start this week. McGloin played briefly in relief against the Eagles, completing 7 of 15 passes for 87 yards in his only action of his rookie season. "Ive tried to improve each day as a quarterback and a leader," he said. "I have a much better grasp on what were doing as an offence. Im trying to make a good impression and work well with these guys." NOTES: CB D.J. Hayden (groin), K Sebastian Janikowski (ribs), LB Kaluka Maiava (ribs), OL Matt McCants (toe) and WR Juron Criner (shoulder) also did not practice. ... The Raiders re-signed DL Brian Sanford to the active roster and brought back OL Jack Cornell to the practice squad. Oakland also signed LB Chris McCoy to the practice squad. Pavel Zacha Jersey . The right-hander pitched into the seventh inning and boosted Cincinnatis struggling offence by hitting a double and scoring as the Reds ended a seven-game losing streak by beating the Atlanta Braves 1-0 Saturday night. Ben Lovejoy Jersey . 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Wendy Holdener and Reto Schmidiger won their final heats against Julia Mancuso and Tim Jitloff, respectively.A manager is often only as good as his players. A Liverpool team played to great acclaim a season ago. Luis Suarez was a top-three player in the world, alongside an in-form Daniel Sturridge (who managed to stay healthy), and an up-and-coming prodigy Raheem Sterling that made for the most daunting attack in all of Great Britain. It was enough for Champions League qualification. It was enough for Brendan Rodgers to win Manager of the Year. It wasnt quite enough for a long-waited Premier League title. But it was a start of something. What that something turns out to be remains to be seen. The expectation was Liverpool was a team on the rise. Shortcomings were ignored. Perhaps passionate Liverpool support forgot how hard it was to balance a domestic and Champions League campaign. Perhaps it was overlooked by all just how difficult it is to maintain top form and place, year after year, in the most balanced and competitive football league in the world. Perhaps it was understated how important Suarez was to the overall team success. And perhaps we all conveniently ignored the evident weakness of Steven Gerrard as an everyday player as Father Time continues to slow the inspiration captain. Liverpool does not have a win in the month of November, not even a draw. The Anfield club sits 12th in the table on 14 points through 12 matches. The form has been erratic and the play all over the place. They hardly look the impressive outfit of a season ago. The system is off and the players largely look clueless. To say these are trying times for Rodgers is to put it mildly. As Rodgers tries to sort out his squad, find a proper formation to please this unit, and find a way to rid the damning mistakes that keep plaguing this group, calls for his job have crept into the conversation. Manager-facing-the-sack is a side-storyline that all too often grabs ahold of the main narrative and becomes all encompassing in the everyday life at a club. Every match becomes a must-win for the manager. Collars are tightened. Every decision and performance is run through with a fine-toothed comb. Its hardly fair on Rodgers. From the penthouse to the doghouse in four months hardly makes sense. Exceptional performance brings heightened expectations. Sturridge and Suarez combined for 52 goals last season. SAS were the main catalysts for success. Yet soccer types like yours truly praised superior team movement on and off the ball, tactical flexibility and formational depth set by the manager, and emerging young talent as reason for belief superior results would continue. While those assessments arent entirely off base, they are trumped by flash points; the big moments that inevitably decide a match. Finishing. Defensive intervention. Big saves. Central midfield dominance. And referee decisions. These count. These matter. These defining moments have ended poorly for Liverpool this season. SAS would simply outscore Liverpools mistakes. Teams would be forced to play differently against Liverpool, fully understanding taking risk wasnt in the cards or they would be punished by the strike duo. Liverpool would take advantage of superior possession numbers as teams sat back to guard against SAS. That simply isnt the case anymore. Rickie Lamberts goal was the first by a striker not named Sturridge this season. And Sturridge only scored once before falling into his old ways as an injury-plagued, maddeningly frustrating enigma. Rodgers isnt managing any differently. But the way we look at him has changed. If anything, Rodgers can be blamed for spending big money on the wrong players to replace Suarez. Liverpool spent ￡113 million this summer in attempt to fill the hole left by Suarez and strengthen the squad. His signings have left much to be desired. Three Southampton players, young and unproven, and a wild card in Mario Balotelli should never have been deemed good enough for Liverpool to take the next step. Quality was replaced with quantity. Failing to find value in the market for a team with financial pressures without a new, modern stadium is a massive issue. And Rodgers eye for talent in the market should be questioned as the list of bad signings continues to grow. If you spend more than ￡100million, you expect to be challenging for the league. Rodgers flippant remark last season about Tottenhams struggles a season ago may come back to haunt him. Spurs had all kinds of problems replacing Gareth Bale. Spending, according to Rodgers, should have been enough. Now he finds himself in a similar predicament. Andre Villas-Boas lost his job at Spurs for failure to launch. Its incredible to think Rodgers may be facing the same. That comment may turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Rodgers shouldnt be fired. But with sky-high expectations and a lack of patience in modern day football, Rodgers has set himself up for the worst. Bad signings, controversial decision-making and poor form does nothing for job security. United in the Top Four It should have been predictable no matter who van Gaal sent out for an injury-depleted Manchester United, they would fare well against fragile Arsenal. A 2-1 win at the Emirates had more to do witth Arsenals failures than anything United showed during the cagey victory.dddddddddddd Recent years havent been kind on the Arsenal-United rivalry. Its been entirely one-sided, with United posting an impressive 11-2-3 record in all competitions since the beginning of the 2008-09 season. Arsenals inability to push back is a massive concern in North London, as is Arsenals porous record against top teams in recent seasons. The vintage performances of a decade ago between these two teams are no more. The competitive, no-love-lost engagement is seldom evident. Even worse, the quality of play has dramatically declined. Arsenal and United both have top players. Its undeniable. But the standard of play has dropped as team form has dipped. The sheer inability to finish and lack of quality in the final third continues to plague Arsenal. The Gunners should have been up at least two through the first 15 minutes if Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck had any kind of nose for goal. Likewise, poor defending also remains an Achilles heel. The forced reliance to play the average Nacho Monreal and centre-back speaks to the lack of reinforcements at Arsene Wengers disposal. There are clear and present holes across the park, notable in the defensive midfield position where average players are expected to perform extraordinarily. Its naive of Wenger to think his squad is anywhere near complete. Instead, decent ball movement with little cutting edge is what goes for good football at Arsenal these days. Its an absolute drop in the acceptable standard at the club. United is not free of criticism, despite victory. The current injury crisis demands players to play out of position or beyond their experience/level. Forty injuries and 31 different players contributing speaks volumes about the overall team approach. Its fair to question however how many in this United squad are of genuine United quality? A club like Manchester United is used to the best and can afford top talent others cannot dream of. Yet many who are playing significant roles fit the bill as good, not great players. It all starts in the midfield, where balance has not been achieved and remains a position that has lacked a true top player for years on end. United are left with the likes Marouane Fellaini, who as a good friend explains plays the role of disruptive midfielder - he disrupts the play of all 21 other players when on the field. The overall quality of the match between two Premier League giants was poor. It was scrappy, mistake-ridden, and hardly eye-pleasing for the casual. Top football is expected and demanded from teams like these. Its an overall poor reflection of the Premier League when the so-called best play such substandard football. Through it all, somehow, some way, United sits in fourth in the table. United incredibly ended the game with three 19-year-olds on the field, and it would have been four if Luke Shaw had not gone off injured. The team is far from a finished product and there remains imbalance across the park. Yet, the players, young and old, continue to show remarkable composure. Amidst mistakes, there is confidence in the process. Its an intangible you cannot quantify. Although these are trying times at a moment of change, the stature of the club has not changed. The approach bodes well for the future of this group. The quality of play is what need come next. Wenger Out? The Wenger Out campaign again gains in number and volume. Arsenal is not a title contender, rendered again to the battle for the top four. What else is new? Thats the crux of it all, and Wenger mindlessly continues to play into the madness of the masses. He is his own worst enemy, teasing fans with moronic comments like Arsenal could have had Lionel Messi, while the likes of Welbeck, Arteta, and Flamini are being rolled out as key players week after week. Its comical stuff from the manager and a club that refuses to spend to their capacity. Criticism from shareholder Alisher Usmanov hits home. The billionaire is not wrong; Arsenal need better players across the pitch. Yet Wenger remains defiant, loyal to his model that perennially fails to reach the summit of the Premier League. This is the worst start to the season for Arsenal since 82-83. But all is not lost. Yet. They are ahead of Everton, Liverpool and Spurs in the standings and only two points behind Manchester United. They are on pace to advance from the group stage in the Champions League and Arsenal is coming off an FA Cup victory. The argument of new vision and leadership at Arsenal is well taken. Wengers due date may have come and gone. Eighteen years at one club will do that. New ideas are welcome, and frankly needed at the Emirates. But now, in the middle of the season, is no time to make such a move. Wenger cannot and should not be sacked. The three-time Premier League winner deserves to go out on amicable terms. He has earned the trust of the club and its fans to see out this season. He is the best man for it. Any change should happen in the off-season. It would be apropos for Wenger to go out after another top four finish. @WheelerTSN gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca Cheap Throwback Baseball Detroit Tigers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Colorado Rockies Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Houston Astros Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Kansas City Royals Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Los Angeles Angels Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Miami Marlins Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Milwaukee Brewers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Minnesota Twins Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball New York Mets Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball New York Yankees Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Oakland Athletics Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Philadelphia Phillies Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball San Diego Padres Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball San Francisco Giants Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Seattle Mariners Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Tampa Bay Rays Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Texas Rangers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Washington Nationals Jerseys ' ' '