The final Friday night NFL preseason football game of week one has the Dallas Cowboys playing at the Oakland Raiders on the NFL Network. The Raiders have a log jam at quarterback and will be auditioning three hopefuls against projected starter Matt Flynn. The Cowboys are entering their second preseason game and, unlike their first, will be putting quarterback Tony Romo on the field.
Dallas won the Hall of Fame Game last Sunday by a tight score of 24-20, which was a blowout before the fourth quarter, and did so without their starting quarterback. Romo’s struggles with interceptions, especially late last season in very meaningful games, will be under the spotlight as he will work on making better decisions from the pocket.
The Cowboys defense will get their second stab at working under new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin’s 4-3 Tampa 2 scheme. Offensive coordinator Bill Callahan has also installed a new scheme, taking over the playcalling duties from Jason Garrett. The Cowboys will need the entirety of the preseason to get used to these new schemes so they are ready for opening day.
The Raiders enter another season in rebuilding mode and the seemingly eternal quest for a long-term solution at quarterback. Former Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn is who they hope is the guy, but just in case he flounders, there are a trio of other guys trying out for a spot including Ohio State star Terrelle Pryor. Tonight is Flynn’s chance to show the Raiders fans what he’s made of and all the pressure in the world will be on his shoulders to perform.
Like the Cowboys, the Raiders will be working with a new offensive scheme, theirs from coordinator Greg Olson. With old timer Carson Palmer off to Arizona, the Raiders stable of young arms under center have the potential to make some waves and help turn around the franchise’s fortunes.
Tonight’s final NFL Friday night preseason football game between the visiting Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders kicks off at 10/9c exclusively over the air on the NFL Network in high definition (HD). For NFL Network channel subscribers on a few select cable or satellite providers, NFL Network offers the ability to watch a free live online streaming version of tonight’s late night game here on mobile phones, laptops, tablets/iPads or any Internet connected device. The Cowboys should have the least amount of rust and should win by a solid two touchdowns with Romo back in the lineup.
