Cowboys-Raiders: Pre-Season Opener Preview
10. First time Cowboys have been on the field keeping score since Jan. 1, when they fell behind the Giants 21-0 early in a season-ending loss in the NFC East championship game. Safe to say tonight's pre-season opener is a tad less meaningful.
9. Owner Jerry Jones on the lack of the annual "Super Bowl or bust!" cries this year in Oxnard: "We're not talking up our Super Bowl expectations, but it doesn't mean we don't have Super Bowl goals."
8. Out tonight is rookie cornerback Morris Claiborne, who has practiced in pads only twice in Oxnard. He expects to play Saturday in San Diego against the Chargers.
7. Cowboys didn't sign former Eagles' center Jamaal Jackson because he isn't in shape. They got good news when Phil Costa's MRI turned up only back spasms and not a disk problem, but Andre Gurode is still on the short list. Costa is out tonight, meaning David Arkin is in. Starting LG Nate Livings is also out, meaning Derrick Dockery gets the start.
6. Dan Bailey has missed 1 kick all camp. Unless something totally unravels in Oakland the Cowboys are totally set at that important position. As for punter Chris Jones, we'll see.
5. Cole Beasley will get a shot returning punts. Far as I could tell he hasn't muffed one the entire camp.
4. Interested to watch Barry Church tonight. He beat out Brodney Pool early in camp, but he's got to make plays at safety in a game situation.
3. Goal No. 1 tonight is to not get Tony Romo killed. After watching Arkin snap last week the Cowboys shouldn't play Romo at all. Not, at least, until their quarterback-center exchanges stop looking like a Pop Warner team.
2. With Miles Austin and Dez Bryant both suffering from hamstring flu, your starting receivers will likely be Kevin Ogletree and Andre Holmes. Opportunity for a third receiver to earn himself a job.
1. Since the game plan will be, according to Jerry Jones, "plain vanilla," it's all about individuals tonight and very little about team.
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