NFL Preseason 2013: Week 1 Raiders Recap
After seven agonizing months, football returned to the Black Hole as the Oakland Raiders hosted the Dallas Cowboys in the first preseason game for the silver and black and the second one for the silver and blue.
General Manager Reggie McKenzie has taken a keg of dynamite to the Oakland roster in an attempt to get the Raiders out of salary cap hell. The Raiders have the potential to go 0-16 in the regular season, with the preseason an attempt to try and calm the doubters. The Raiders have new players at virtually every skill position. Quarterback Carson Palmer is gone, as is punter Shane Lechler. Charles Woodson returns home from Green Bay, although Woodson is now playing safety instead of cornerback.
First round draft pick cornerback DJ Hayden did not play.
Darryl Lamonica lit the Al Davis torch to start the game, as the Raider nation hoped that would not be the entire highlight reel. The Raiders are a very young team. led by the youngest head coach in the NFL in second year leader Dennis Allen.
One new Raider is ace kickoff return man Josh Cribbs, who came over from Cleveland. Dallas kicker Dan Bailey boomed a touchback, allowing Cribbs to practice taking a knee. Matt Flynn is the new Raider quarterback acquired from Seattle. The best player on the Raiders remains running back Darren McFadden, but his issue has always been staying healthy.
On the first series a run by McFadden gained only a yard, but a West Coast swing pass to McFadden set up a critical 3rd and 1. Running back Olawale got the tough yard, and the Raiders had their first new set of downs. Yet on the next play, Flynn went back to pass and got belted on a blindside blitz. The resulting fumble was recovered by the Cowboys at the Oakland 15.
The Raiders benefitted from a holding call on Dallas, and a sack backed the Cowboys up to a 3rd and 25. After a short gain, Dan Bailey nailed the 38 yard field goal to put the Cowboys up 3-0.
Cribbs took the kickoff deep in the end zone and only brought it back to the Oakland 17. A couple of power runs by McFadden offered no power at all as the Raiders faced 3rd and 6. Flynn dropped back to pass and found Denarius Moore over the middle for a 17 yard gain. Flynn showed some agility and avoided a sack to scramble and set up 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 47. A quick strike to Rod Streater gained 4 yards and the Raiders were past midfield.
After a completion to Marcel Reece, the Raiders switched to a no-huddle offense and gained another first down on the ground. The 11 play drive ended when a 3rd and 5 pass was incomplete, but in came one of the few bright spots in recent years for the Raiders. Kicker Sebastian “Polish Cannon” Janikowski came in for a 51 yard field goal try off the dirt. Seabass drilled it and the game was tied 3-3.
Romo took over for the Cowboys at their own 17 and put on a clinic. Completions to Dez Bryant and Miles Austin along with running by DeMarco Murray had Dallas past midfield. Romo hit Bryant over the middle down to the Oakland 28. Dallas began the second quarter at the Oakland 14, but an incompletion and a false start set up 3rd and 12 from the 19. A completion came up one yard short, and on 4th and 1 from the 8, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett opted for the field goal.
The 26 yard chip shot was blocked by Raiders safety Tyvon Branch, and the game remain tied.
Flynn was done for the night, and Terrell Pryor came in for the Raiders. Pryor is the biggest curiosity, and on 1st and 10 he ran the option for over 10 yards and a first down to the Oakland 21. A dumpoff to fullback Alowale after a penalty gained 18 yards. On 3rd and 1 a run up the gut got the job done. Another 3rd and 1 from the Oakland 44 was converted when Rashad Jennings ran for 16 yards. Pryor took another option for 16 more yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Dallas 21, Pryor found Andre Holmes just past the marker for another 1st and 10.
On 3rd and 4 from the 6, Pryor rolled to his right, and made the worst mistake a quarterback can make by throwing the ball across his body. He was intercepted in the end zone. After 14 plays, 86 yards, and 9 minutes off the clock, the Raiders had no points to show for the drive.
Romo was done for the night, and Kyle Orton came in with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half in what was now a game of backups for both teams. Yet Orton is no ordinary backup, and could start for many teams. The Cowboys left their starting offensive line in and Orton easily moved Dallas. Orton went 6 for 6 on the drive, capping it off with a touchdown pass to Cole Beasley with 41 seconds left in the half to put Dallas up 10-3.
Pryor had only 36 seconds from the Oakland 24. One completion moved Oakland to their 47. Pryor then hit David Ausberry, who broke tackles and got to the sideline with 21 ticks left at the Dallas 40. Pryor calmly hit Holmes with 15 seconds left at the Dallas 22. A pair of incompletions left 3 seconds, enough time for Seabass to hit 41 yarder off the dirt. The Raiders trailed 10-6 at halftime of a game both teams could find fault with.
The third quarter saw Cowboys 3rd stringer Nick Stephens take over the signal calling duties. Stephens was quickly intercepted by Usama Young, allowing the Raiders to take over at the Dallas 30. The Raiders brought in their 3rd string quarterback, rookie walk-on Matt McGloin. For those who want something less thrilling than a Nick Stephens-Matt McGloin duel, there is soccer, golf, and baseball.
Eddie Marcona took over for Seabass in the second half, and his 42 yard field goal had the Raiders within 10-9.
While the scoring was low, there were zero punts in the first half. With 11 minutes left in the third quarter, the Oakland defense held and Dallas punted. McGloin then lit up the crowd by firing over the middle to Brice Butler, who caught the pass in stride and raced for a 40 yard gain to the Dallas 41. Butler was Oakland’s 2013 draft pick in the 7th round. On 3rd and 6 from the 37, a surprise draw play caught the Cowboys by surprise and resulted in 1st and 10 at the Dallas 31.
On the next play, we finally saw the deep ball as McGloin went up top to Butler, who made a diving catch for a touchdown. This was not a bomb, but it was nevertheless not the dink and dunk offense of the first half. The Raiders needed only 5 plays and 2 minutes to move 81 yards and put the Raiders up 16-10.
Dallas punted again, which saw the game’s first major dumb penalty. Return man Philip Adams called for a fair catch, yet was belted anyway. Adams stayed down for a bit but got up under his own power. Meanwhile, the 15 yard penalty against Dallas gave the Raiders the ball at their own 30. When a 3rd and 3 pass was dropped, the Raiders punted for the first time in the game with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. For the first time in over a decade, Shane Lechler was not the punter. He went to the Houston Texans, and the Raiders now have Chris Kluwe acquired from the Minnesota Vikings.
The fourth quarter began with the Cowboys on the Oakland 30. On 3rd and 10 Stephens hit Bedford for a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 17. On 3rd and 6 from the 13, another completion put the ball on the one yard line. On the next play Randle went airborne, and after getting hit in the backfield, stretched the ball over the goal line. With 11 minutes left in regulation the Cowboys regained the lead 17-16.
Greg Jenkins took the ensuing kickoff at the goal line and brought it back to midfield. 2013 fourth round draft pick Tyler Wilson came in as the Raiders fourth quarterback on the day. On his first play with excellent field position, Wilson was sacked for a 6 yard loss. A holding penalty was followed by Wilson misfiring on a slant to set up 3rd and 26 from the Oakland 34. Wilson rolled right and threw back across his body. He had his first completion, far short of the first down as the Raiders wasted the great field position and punted. Yet a major break in the game came when Dallas fumbled the punt.
The muffed fair catch attempt was recovered by the Raiders Marquette King at the Dallas 9 yard line. The Raiders wasted the golden opportunity when a 3rd and goal at the 5 pass in traffic was incomplete. Carmona hit the 23 yard field goal to put the Raiders up 19-17 with 8 minutes left. Wilson misfired on every throw but the Raiders had the lead.
Dallas brought in their 4th string quarterback Alex Tanney. Tanney threw incomplete on 3rd and 4 as the Cowboys punted. Wilson came back in with 6 1/2 minutes left. With 5 minutes left and the Raiders facing 3rd and 1 from their 41, Dallas jumped offsides.
On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 46, Wilson fired over the middle to Session at the Dallas 31. With 1:53 left Carmona came in for a field goal to extend the lead. From 46 yards out on the dirt, the kick was nowhere close to being good. Dallas now had a chance to win it from their own 36. With 90 seconds remaining, it came own to 4th and 10 after 3 straight incompletions. Tanney went deep and had a receiver drop it. It may have been slightly deflected but should have been caught. Tyler Wilson took a couple of knees and the Raiders had the win.
There was some good to take away from this game, and the home crowd was pleased. Next week at New Orleans will be a far sterner test. The Raiders and the Cowboy meet again on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas. 19-17 Raiders
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