Inside Slant
The Cowboys accomplished their goal of holding receiver Randy Moss in check.
After posting video game-like numbers in his previous five outings against the Cowboys, Moss caught four passes for 123 yards.
Most importantly, he was kept out of the end zone.
Moss' biggest play was a 79-yard catch on the second play of the game for the Raiders. He was caught from behind by cornerback Terence Newman, and the Raiders had to settle for a field goal on the drive.
Moss caught a total of three passes the rest of the way for 44 yards.
The Cowboys, however, take no solace in winning the battle against Moss but losing the war of the game.
"It was a challenge," Newman said. "He has speed. He is rangy and he makes plays on the ball. But we lost the game. So we didn't do a good job."
The Cowboys didn't do anything special to contain Moss, though they did mix coverages and played a lot of zone defense.
They used safety Roy Williams in deep coverage, and that played a role in the Raiders' ability to gash the Cowboys on the ground.
Running back Lamont Jordan had his best game of the season with 126 yards.
He also became first back since Green Bay's Ahman Green 14 games ago to top the 100-yard barrier against the Cowboys defense.
NOTES, QUOTES
—Cowboys coach Bill Parcells absolved quarterback Drew Bledsoe of some of the blame for the decision to throw the ball to receiver Terry Glenn on a failed fourth down, over what he thought was a wide open Jason Witten.
"It's the QB's choice to pick a side," Parcells said. "He picked the other side. That's just the way it is. If he had thrown it to Witten, there was a chance he might have gotten in, but in looking at the film, there was a chance maybe that it wouldn't have been as clear cut as we thought it maybe was after the game."
—After initially blaming many of the team's early woes against the Raiders on rookie mistakes, Cowboys coach Bill Parcells retreated a little on Monday.
He said there was enough blame to go around, as veterans made as many mistakes as the rookies.
Keyshawn Johnson turned up only on his 24-yard touchdown catch and was flagged for illegal motion.
Quarterback Drew Bledsoe had his worst game with a 68.1 quarterback rating.
Tackle Flozell Adams, guard Larry Allen and guard Marco Rivera all struggled with run and pass blocking.
PLAYER PERSONNEL NOTES
—LB DeMarcus Ware was flagged three times for being offside. Coach Bill Parcells said it was inexcusable. He said one of the flags cost the Cowboys a sack and resulted in a field goal by the Raiders.
—RB Tyson Thompson rushed seven times for 32 yards in relief of Julius Jones. Coach Bill Parcells said Thompson played well enough to earn more time as Jones' primary backup, though he must improve his pass protection.
—RB Julius Jones is not running well. He has yet to break 100 yards this season. His 76 yards on 22 carries against the Raiders marked only the second time in nine starts that he didn't get at least 80 yards. Coach Bill Parcells said Jones can do more, but he is not the blame. Blocking woes have also let him down.
—WR Terry Glenn had two catches for 64 yards against the Raiders. He now has 7,060 yards for his career, and leads the Cowboys with 400 yards through four games.
—DE Jay Ratliff was active for the first time against the Raiders. He recorded a half a sack on the nickel defense. But he also had several gaffes on special teams; blocking the wrong guy four different times on kickoff returns.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
REPORT CARD VS. RAIDERS
PASSING OFFENSE: C — Drew Bledsoe had his worst outing of the season. He completed 11-of-26 passes for 212 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He had only 70 yards passing through three quarters and finished with a 68.1 quarterback rating. He was sacked four times because protection breakdowns.
RUSHING OFFENSE: D-minus — Julius Jones has yet to get untracked. He rushed 22 times for 76 yards. It was the only second time in nine starts that he did not have at least 80 yards. Blocking breakdowns are a problem, as well is Jones' tentativeness.
PASS DEFENSE: C — The Cowboys gave up another big play; a 79-yard pass to Randy Moss. Other than that, they pretty much held the Raiders in check passing-wise. Still, it was the third straight game they have surrendered a completion of 70 yards or more.
RUSH DEFENSE: D — Lamont Jordan rushed for 126 yards and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. He was the first player top the 100-yard barrier on the Cowboys in 14 games, dating back to the Packers' Ahman Green last year.
SPECIAL TEAMS: D — Jose Cortez made two field goals and new long snapper L.P. Ladouceur was invisible — which is a good thing. Punter Matt McBriar struggled, as did the coverage units.
COACHING: C — The Cowboys missed an opportunity to move to 3-1. They are 2-2; a middling team — as they have been since Parcells took over in 2003. They are 18-18 the last three years.
