Cowboys vs. Raiders: What We Learned About Oakland in Preseason Loss

The Oakland Raiders are a bit of a mystery entering the 2012 season. The organization has undergone a huge shakeup since the death of long-time team owner Al Davis. New general manager Reggie McKenzie went out of his way to put his imprint on the team by jettisoning head coach Hue Jackson and replacing him with Dennis Allen.

Both McKenzie and Allen are in their respective roles for the first time with any organization, so Raiders fans have no idea what to expect.

Meanwhile, last night's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys gave fans their first look at what Oakland will look like on the field this season. The 3-0 loss looks ugly in the box score. But the most you can say about the Raiders after just one preseason game is they are an uneven work in progress.

The game started off well as running back Darren McFadden proved that he is in top form. There don't appear to be any lingering effects from the foot injury that limited him to just seven games during the 2011 season. He gained 20 yards on two carries and caught another pass for an 18-yard gain during Oakland's first offensive possession before shutting it down for the night.

Of course, being healthy now won't help the Raiders much unless McFadden can maintain that status throughout the 2012 season, something he's been unable to do during his first four years in the NFL.

Aside from McFadden, both teams looked very much like two groups of players that were playing their first organized football in almost nine months.

Starting quarterback Carson Palmer still needs a lot of work to get into a rhythm with his wide receivers. The blame can probably be split evenly between Palmer—who's going through his first training camp in two years—and a young group of wide receivers who are still trying to figure out how to play the position at the NFL level.



No matter how you interpret it, the passing game needs a l...

About the Author