From
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/84020/being-thankful-for-the-nfl
5. The Matt McGloin era: Sometimes, though, being wrong is fun, too. I thought McGloin was basically Oakland's way of throwing in the towel on an occasionally competitive 2013 in an attempt to refocus its efforts on tanking for a high pick in the 2014 draft. Then again, I thought that about Terrelle Pryor, too, and I'm now running 0-for-2 on Oakland quarterback choices this year. Just as Pryor was surprisingly impressive before suffering an injury, McGloin has now exhibited shocking coherency during his first two professional starts. He's only completing 55.7 percent of his passes, but McGloin has averaged nearly seven yards per attempt, thrown four touchdowns against one pick, and been sacked less frequently than Stafford (although he doesn't qualify to lead in any rate statistics because he has played in only three games).
The truly interesting thing about McGloin is what his success suggests about young quarterbacks. If McGloin can put together a competent half-season for the Raiders, he would be one of the first undrafted free agents in the history of the league to pull that off during a true rookie campaign. And like Tampa Bay third-rounder Mike Glennon, McGloin's success in the pros has been either consistent with or better than his level of play against much inferior competition at the college level. Even as Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin struggle through difficult second years as starters, the success of guys like Glennon and McGloin show us that the level of play from college quarterbacks is higher than it has ever been before. And, likewise, that suggests teams should be more aggressive about moving on from expensive, middling veterans to go for younger options. If McGloin throws four interceptions against the Cowboys … just pretend you imagined this paragraph in a tryptophan-induced dream.
6. Oakland's famous defense: Oakland's defense isn't as bad as you think. It's 23rd in DVOA and 20th in points allowed per game, but those numbers are inflated by two ugly performances against the Broncos and Eagles; the Raiders have allowed 24 points or fewer in each of their nine other games. That's not to say the awful games don't matter, but Oakland's defense has given the team a chance to be competitive in the vast majority of its matchups. That's a display of competency, if not brilliance.
What's even better is that Oakland's defense is full of "I know that guy!" and "Didn't he used to play for … " guys, which is perfect for watching Thanksgiving football with the members of your family who aren't a touch obsessive about football. Watch as your uncle finds out the Raiders now have Charles Woodson; it's your decision whether to tell him Woodson isn't any good anymore. Tracy Porter! Didn't he win a Super Bowl a few years ago? Sure did, gramps. Everyone has a Cowboys fan and a Bears fan in the family, so watch how amazed they are when Mike Jenkins, Kevin Burnett, and Nick Roach are chasing after a Tony Romo fumble. In fact, speaking of …