Cowboys vs. Raiders: Biggest Storylines to Watch in Preseason Battle

Anytime you can have the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders—two of the most popular and controversial franchises in all of sports—match up, you know you are in for something unique. It may not be good, but it will definitely be noteworthy. 

Preseason football is like getting punched in the stomach over and over. It is physically painful to watch because it is not very good. That is by design, since this is when teams are figuring out their rosters and trying to work out the kinks before the regular season. 

As we get ready for the clash between the Cowboys and Raiders, here are the biggest storylines we are going to watch for.

How Will Dennis Allen Handle His First Head Coaching Job?

Trying to get a feel for how a coach will handle in-game adjustments and things on the field in preseason is impossible. 

What we can get a look at is how well Allen acclimates himself to the locker room and how his system will fit with the personnel the Raiders have right now. 

Allen brings a long resume as an assistant coach, including last year as Denver's defensive coordinator. He needs to bring attitude and discipline back to a Raiders franchise that has felt like a sinking ship for a long time. 

What Will Injury-Plagued Cowboys Look Like?

Saying an NFL team has injuries is like waking up in the morning—it's commonplace. But the Cowboys are missing a lot of key components right now that may or may not be ready to go when the regular season starts. 

Miles Austin, Morris Claiborne, Mike Jenkins and Anthony Spencer are dealing with their own issues right now. With so many significant players just trying to get healthy, you can understand if the Cowboys look far from crisp. 

Plus, the longer these players are out, the fewer reps they will have in practice to get in game shape. This is a critical time for the Cowboys to find some depth to take into the regular season. 

What Needs To Happen Tonight?

Dallas needs to make it through the game as healthy as it enters, while at the same time trying to find some players who are going to make the team and play a good role, whether it is as a starter, reserve or special teams player. 

Oakland needs to show that it can play a disciplined style of football. That starts with head coach Dennis Allen, but the players are the ones that have to execute on the field. 

Again, this is just the first preseason game, so jumping to conclusions after it is over would be foolish. But there are individual items that we can watch to see how they progress before the regular season starts. 

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