Cowboys Beat Raiders in Ezekiel Elliott's Preseason Debut; Derek Carr with 2 TDs

The Dallas Cowboys earned their third victory of the preseason Saturday with a 24-20 home win over the Oakland Raiders in AT&T Stadium.     

It was Oakland's third preseason contest of the year and Dallas' fourth—counting the Hall of Fame Game—and backup quarterback Cooper Rush led the Cowboys to the win with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

His strike to Lance Lenoir proved to be the winner:

While Rush won the game, one of the primary storylines was Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott's return to the field after leading the league with 1,631 rushing yards as a rookie last year. His preseason debut was noteworthy beyond his skills because the NFL suspended him six games for his alleged role in a domestic violence incident, although he has appealed the decision.

Elliott was greeted with cheers from the home fans, and the Cowboys weren't shy about using him in his lone drive. He carried the ball on their first three offensive plays and finished the field-goal drive with six carries for 18 yards and two receptions for six yards.

Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal weighed in on Elliott's performance:

Dallas quickly took him out of the game since Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris and Ronnie Hillman need reps before presumably carrying the load in the early going of the season. Elliott wasn't the only star running back with limited action Saturday, as Oakland's Marshawn Lynch notched two carries for six yards and one catch for seven yards.

The starting quarterbacks made more of an impact than the runners.

Derek Carr finished 13-of-17 for 144 yards and two touchdowns, one to Cordarrelle Patterson to finish a steady 10-play drive and another on a deep ball to Amari Cooper shortly before halftime:

While Carr appeared ready to lead the Raiders to another playoff appearance, the Cowboys defense didn't exactly look like the 1985 Chicago Bears:

Fortunately for Dallas, it has Dak Prescott on the other side to make up for its defensive shortcomings. He went 11-of-14 for 113 yards and a play-action touchdown to the ageless Jason Witten—who also impressed six catches for 74 yards.

Nick Eatman of the Cowboys' official website didn't hold back when evaluating Prescott:

It is no secret Prescott is a blossoming star for Dallas, but it was more notable Rush—and not Kellen Moore—took over the offense after the starter left. The rookie is battling Moore for the backup spot and was given a golden opportunity to make an impression Saturday.

He started slowly when Antonio Hamilton forced a fumble with a hard hit, which LaTroy Lewis scooped up and ran 65 yards for a touchdown. However, Rush went 12-of-13 for 115 yards and quickly orchestrated a comeback with a touchdown pass to Hillman and the winner to Lenoir.

Rush earned praise for his play:

"

Don't focus on his age or his undrafted status. Cooper Rush has performed like a capable backup QB in preseason.

— Rob Phillips (@robphillips3) August 27, 2017"

While Rush played well in the win, the result masked a larger issue for Dallas.

According to David Helman of the team's official website, starting linebacker Anthony Hitchens was ruled out with a knee injury after he was helped off the field. His long-term availability is far more important to the Cowboys than the outcome of Saturday's contest.

If he is able to go, Hitchens and the Cowboys finish their preseason Thursday with a contest against the Houston Texans. Oakland concludes its preseason the same day with a game against the Seattle Seahawks.