The Oakland Raiders are bullish on the abilities of Matt Schaub, who was acquired this offseason for a late round pick.

"We have a quarterback now that’s on par with the quarterbacks in this division," said Dennis Allen.

Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers and Alex Smith are Schaub's three counterparts in the AFC West.

"The best way to stop those offenses No. 1 is to keep your defense off the field. And I think with some of the things we’ve been able to do up front, both from a protection standpoint, from an ability to run the football, I think those things are going to help us.

"Obviously I think the quarterback’s going to help us."

Schaub struggled badly in 2013 with the Houston Texans.

"Everybody has down seasons. Everybody has down years. It’s not a shame to get knocked down, it’s a shame to not get back up," said Allen.

"This is a guy that’s been a two-time Pro Bowl player, he’s been a top-10 quarterback in the National Football League over the last five years and we believe and he believes that he’s still that."