Raiders to start Connor Cook at QB against Texans (Yahoo Sports)

For the first 15 games of the season, rookie Connor Cook was inactive each week, making his biggest contribution as a scout team quarterback who would sometimes dress up like Cam Newton or Philip Rivers before Oakland faced those stars to lighten the mood at practice. Now with the Raiders set to play their first playoff game in 14 years, Cook has been thrust into a much more significant role. ''I'm just embracing the opportunity,'' Cook said Wednesday.