Raiders, Colts taking different paths in opener

INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck went from No. 1 overall pick to playoff starter in one season.

Oakland is still searching for that guy.

It’s as striking a difference on paper as it is on the field.

“I think he’s obviously set to be one of the top quarterbacks in this league,” Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. “I think this guy is just a really good player. He’s got a strong arm. He’s very intelligent. He knows where to go with the ball. He can throw the ball accurately. I’ve been real impressed.”

Don’t get Allen wrong. He likes his own guys, too.

But neither Terrelle Pryor nor Matt Flynn has been a full-time NFL starter or started a playoff game, and Allen isn’t about to reveal which one will start against the Colts.

Along with Oakland’s quarterback quandary, here are five things to watch Sunday.

STAY IN LINE

One reason Pryor is the likely starter is that he’s more mobile — something the Raiders desperately need. Yes, Flynn has been battling a sore right elbow and did not look great during the preseason. But the bigger problem in Oakland has been the offensive line. Rookie Menelik Watson, a second-round pick, starts at left tackle. Left guard Lucas Nix made the team last season as an undrafted free agent and was inactive for 15 of 16 games. The lack of experience on the left side could be a major problem if the Colts use five-time Pro Bowler Robert Mathis over there. The opposing pass rush is likely to be a long-term problem this season, but Pryor at least can keep defenses off-balance with read options and his ability to scramble.

DIFFERENT DEFENSE

For years, the Colts were criticized for not being big enough, tough enough or aggressive enough on defense. Times are changing. Indy signed six veterans in free agency, and five are expected to start — defensive tackles Aubrayo Franklin and Ricky Jean Francois, linebacker Erik Walden, cornerback Greg Toler and safety LaRon Landry. When the starters played during the preseason, they looked fast and aggressive — two components coach Chuck Pagano knows he must have in the 3-4 defense he brought from Baltimore. But, as Pagano noted, the Colts kept their defense pretty basic in August. So Sunday will be the first time Colts fans will get to see the whole defensive package.

HE’S BACK

One Raiders highlight should be the return of Charles Woodson. The 2009 defensive player of the year entered the league with Oakland in 1998 then signed with Green Bay as a free agent after the 2005 season. Now, a much older Woodson has come back at a new position — safety.

The chess match between Luck and Woodson, the No. 4 overall pick in a draft that also included Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf, should be interesting. While Luck tries to improve his completion percentage and interception totals, the crafty Woodson may just try to bait Luck into a mistake. If he does, Woodson could wind up tying one or two NFL records. He needs one interception return for a score to equal Rod Woodson’s record (12) and one defensive score to match the mark shared by Rod Woodson and Darren Sharper (13).