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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- The preseason is all about testing players
and plays. Oakland coach Jon Gruden also wanted to test himself.
Rather than take the likely extra point to force overtime,
Gruden went for a 2-point conversion with 1:08 left and Scott
Dreisbach made it work, giving the Raiders a 21-20 victory over the
Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
"I wanted to get some idea as to strategy," said Gruden, who
also let strong-legged rookie Sebastian Janikowski try a 57-yard
field goal, which was blocked. "We wanted to try some things."
|  | | Trainers look after an injured Terry Mickens on Sunday. |
The game was stopped for nearly 10 minutes early in the first
quarter when Raiders receiver Terry Mickens injured his neck after
a catch. He was mobilized and taken to a hospital for observation,
although he was conscious and had feeling in his arms and legs. Mickens has a neck strain and will remain in Baylor University Medical Center overnight for observation.
The Raiders (1-1) trailed 17-3 at halftime despite their
regulars thoroughly outplaying the Cowboys' first team. Oakland got
within 17-13, then trailed 20-13 when Dreisbach was intercepted
with little more than three minutes left.
Dallas (0-3) could have iced the game with a first down or two.
Instead, the Cowboys showed why they've lost 12 of their last 13
preseason games.
The offense went three-and-out, forcing punter Micah Knorr to
kick from his end zone. A penalty gave him even less room and his
short punt gave Dreisbach a second chance.
Dreisbach threw a 15-yard touchdown to Willy Tate to make it
20-19. An extra point would have tied it, but Gruden went with
Dreisbach, who drilled David Dunn for the game-winning conversion.
Cynics would say the strategy was a good way to end a
meaningless game one way or another. Gruden, though, didn't see it
that way.
"If it was the regular season," he said, "I might have tried
it."
Dallas' last-chance drive ended with Tim Seder trying a 58-yard
field goal. It never came close.
Cowboys coach Dave Campo wasn't too upset about the result. He
was more interested in the two touchdowns and a field goal by his
first-team offense and the fact 10 of the points were set up by the
first-team defense.
"It's the third straight game our No. 1 guys left the game with
the lead," Campo said. "They moved the ball on us, even with our
first unit, but when teams have challenged us with that group,
we've answered with a big play."
Oakland outgained Dallas 222 yards to 80 in the first half. The
Raiders ran for 146 yards on 21 carries, an average of 7 per try,
over that stretch.
What hurt Oakland were mistakes: a fumble by rookie Marvin
Knight that led to Dallas' first points, a 47-yard field goal by
Seder; a 28-yard pass interference penalty by Charles Woodson that
set up Chris Warren's 1-yard touchdown; and a wayward pass by Bobby
Hoying that rookie Stephen Fisher returned 62 yards, setting up a
1-yard touchdown by Michael Wiley.
The Cowboys weren't that efficient, though. The first drive
started at the Oakland 27 and went backwards 3 yards. Warren's
touchdown, which came without his left shoe, ended a 53-yard drive
that included 33 yards in penalties. And the Cowboys needed four
plays to score from the 4 following Fisher's interception.
"We're still trying a lot of things, trying to get a look at
them on film, so everything we did probably didn't look as clean as
you would like," said Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman, who was
6-of-14 for 61 yards.
Fisher's long return ended when he raised an arm in celebration
at the 12 and was tackled from behind at the 4. He also had the
fourth-quarter interception of Dreisbach, improving his chances of
making the team at its weakest position.
"I went out tonight with an opportunity to make plays and I
thank God that I did," Fisher said.
Janikowski rebounded from his blocked 57-yarder to hit from 47
and 44 yards and Hoying atoned for his interception by scoring on a
9-yard run -- a few plays after sprinting 40 yards. Rian Lindell put
Dallas up 20-13 with a 19-yard field goal.
Fisher's first interception was beat for silliness in the third
quarter when Dallas' James McKnight turned a nice catch into a
54-yard gain -- then fumbled at the Oakland 6. Raiders safety
Brandon Jennings recovered at the 2, then fumbled at midfield.
Dallas' Troy Hambrick picked it up and ran 25 yards, then fell from
exhaustion.
Dallas lost receiver Raghib Ismail to a sprained thumb, fullback
Robert Thomas sprained a knee and rookie cornerback Mario Edwards
strained a hamstring.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Oakland Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
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