After the Raiders jumped out to a fast start in the preseason opener in Minnesota, that didn’t happen against the Cowboys in Week two. Not much was working on offense and even the Cowboys backups were getting the better of Raiders starters on both sides of the ball.
Busters
QB Gardner Minshew
Antonio Pierce was hoping either Minshew or Aidan O’Connell would step up and claim the starting job. Neither of them did that and from the looks of things, Pierce had to look past his performance in this game in order to name hm the starter.
O’Connell threw a pick six in this game, but Minshew was lucky not to do the same on the first drive of the game. Twice, in fact.
The first drive, he missed an open Tre Tucker, opting to throw into coverage, having the pass broken up and threw a ball too high for Jakobi Meyers to get. Then on fourth and three, the linebacker stepped in front of his pass and would have had a clear path for a touchdown, but he dropped it.
A 48-yard connection with Tucker would get the Raiders in field goal range on their next drive, but another overthrow for Meyers would have them settle for a field goal.
Next drive, he waited too long to throw it and again nearly had it intercepted. It was only Michael Mayer turning defender that that pass was knocked down instead of picked.
Minshew’s final drive ended with him throwing it too high for Harrison Bryant on fourth and six.
G Dylan Parham
Just after the Raiders got to the 12-yard line on the 48-yard completion to Tre Tucker, Parham gave up a run stuff at the line. In the second quarter, he was slow to get into position on a screen, causing the ball to fall incomplete. On the final play of the third quarter, he was flagged for holding. Two plays later, O’Connell threw his pick six.
T Andrus Peat
Two plays following the 48-yard bomb, Peat gave up a pressure resulting in an incompletion. The drive would end on the next play. The next drive Peat would miss his block on a screen and it was blown up for a one yard gain.
T Thayer Munford
Peat was replaced at left tackle in the second quarter with Munford moving from the right to the left side. And on his second play at LT, Munford gave up a pressure, causing Misnhew to have to scramble for yards.
The final drive of the second quarter ended with Munford giving up another pressure, leading to an incompletion. After the Raiders finally got in the end zone in the third quarter, the two-point conversion fail in large part due to Munford giving up pressure on Minshew as he went back to pass.
DT Byron Young
It looked like the Cowboys game plan at one point was just simply to run at Young. He was getting pushed around a lot. On one drive in the second quarter, it seemed like every play. He was driven back on a seven-yard run, then gave up the first down on the next play, gave up a five-yard run two plays later, then later, with the Cowboys in first and goal at the four, he gave up a three-yard run. They scored the go ahead TD on the next play.
QB Carter Bradley
Bradley came in to start the fourth quarter. He was actually allowed to throw the ball this time. And he looked good at first, going six-for-six to start his day. Then the wheels fell off. His next two passes were an overthrown ball and a pass batted at the line. With a delay of game penalty in between.
His second and final drive featured two more batted passes and a ball behind his receiver on third and short.
CB MJ Devonshire
The final long drive for the Cowboys saw Devonshire give up a 17-yard catch, a 30-yard catch, and the third down catch that put the Cowboys in first and goal at the four.