Matt Flynn got the first crack at the starting job with the Raiders and he didn’t do much to hurt his chances of holding onto the job in the preseason opener against the Cowboys.
Flynn’s night got off to a rough start when he fumbled on a sack by linebacker Sean Lee, who came through untouched on a delayed rush after the Raiders handled the initial blitz. Flynn’s second drive was more successful, though, as he threw for a pair of first downs and could have had another if not for Lee hitting Rod Streater just as the ball arrived on another third down play.
The 12-play, 49-yard drive was short on fireworks, but it was efficient and Flynn managed things well enough to get the offense into a rhythm. The return of a power blocking scheme in the run game seemed to suit the Raiders offensive line, which also helped them control the ball for nearly seven minutes.
The starting quarterback on the other side of the field had a similar night. Tony Romo, who didn’t play in the Hall of Fame Game, couldn’t get the Cowboys into the end zone after Jason Hatcher recovered Flynn’s fumble thanks to a holding penalty and a sack by Raiders rookie Sio Moore, but he completed four passes on his second and final drive of the game. Three of them went to Dez Bryant, who overwhelmed the Raiders secondary and looked as good as he did in the second half of last season.