Hilger Is Rusty in 34-10 Win : Special Teams Come Through for Raiders

For you Raider fans who had forgotten what a victory was, this was one. After losses in four real games at the end of last season and two in practice games before this one, you’re in the win column again.

For the more demanding of you seeking real good news, well, there’s always next week.

In a game that could have cost the Cowboys 20,000 die-hard, here-since-the-expansion-draft season ticket-holders, the Raiders trampled the Cowboys, 34-10, Sunday night.

Most of this was accomplished, however, by the Raider special teams, after the exit of Rusty Hilger and the No. 1 Raider offense. Lionel Washington returned a fumbled punt for one touchdown. Stefon Adams ran 75 yards with a punt for another.

Hilger? He was 3 for 13 with an interception. The Raiders led, 7-3, when he left the game at halftime, and those points were scored on an 11-yard drive after the first of the five interceptions the Cowboys threw.

“He didn’t play that well,” Raider Coach Tom Flores said of Hilger. “He didn’t play bad. He didn’t play great.”

Hilger was, of course, victimized by the usual mistakes--Jessie Hester, who else, dropped the ball on what would have been a 65-yard scoring play. There were the usual extenuating circumstances--the Raiders were back into their long-ball mode. But Hilger surely didn’t play great.

“The numbers were rough,” Hilger said. “I saw them at halftime. What’d we get, 49 yards passing? I was 3 for 13.

“At the start of the game, we had a tough time getting open. I had a hard time finding somebody to get the ball to. We tried a big play right away. That’s either hit or miss. We went up top (deep) four other times.

“We’re trying to dominate the game with our outside receivers. . . . It’s not statistics we’re looking for. It’s getting the ball in the end zone.”

On the other hand, Hilger wasn’t the worst quarterback out there Sunday. The Cowboys had two worse, starter Danny White (9 for 24, 3 interceptions, 3 sacks), and Steve Pelluer (2 for 11, 2 interceptions, 2 sacks).

Thus the Raiders weren’t forced to move the ball anywhere to win this night, just to field it when someone in white--or named White--threw it at them. The game was scoreless until White sidearmed a lob straight to Jerry Robinson late in the first quarter, and Robinson returned it 12 yards to the Cowboy 11. Four plays later, Marcus Allen dove over from the 1.

By the time the Raiders scored again, Marc Wilson was at quarterback. He wasn’t great, either, but he was OK--5 for 8, 87 yards, 1 interception, 0 touchdowns.

“Today I felt like I was getting back on the horse,” Wilson said. “When you get bucked off, you’ve got to get back on sooner or later.”

Did he feel as though he had been bucked off?

“You guys tell me.” Wilson said, smiling. “Last year, same stadium . . . “

It was here that Jim Plunkett replaced Wilson last season. Now they’re set to find out who else gets replaced. The Raiders will cut the squad to 60 Tuesday. Ed Luther is thought to be gone. Steve Beuerlein suffered a shoulder injury Sunday night in his short stint and could he headed for injured reserve. The big question is what happens to Plunkett, still on the physically-unable-to-perform list. He wasn’t even on this trip.

The Raiders’ No. 1 offense scored one touchdown. The No. 2 offense scored one touchdown, too. That was courtesy of Vance Mueller, who tried to vault the pile off right tackle on a third and one, was thrown back, slid back down the tangle, then saw an opening to his left and sped right through it, 40 yards to his first pro touchdown.

“My first reaction was, ‘Aw. . . ,” Mueller said. “The I saw that crease and I said, ‘Oh, boy.’ ”

More fun was in store for the Raiders. Cowboy returner Gordon Banks fielded a Stan Talley punt and then a Raider helmet belonging to Ronnie Washington, a gung-ho inside linebacker trying to challenge Jamie Kimmel for the last job. The ball came loose and Lionel Washington picked it up and ran 11 yards into the end zone. Not long thereafter, Adams zipped 75 yards with a punt return to make it an official triumph for the Raider special teams.

Before it’s a triumph for everyone, the Raider offense and its young quarterback are going to have to smooth out. The Raider game plan, of course, exerts maximum pressure on its own quarterback, but the young incumbent isn’t complaining.

“I don’t feel it,” Hilger said. “Maybe I’m too new. Maybe it’s not in my game plan.”

Raider Notes

The Cowboys appear to have been a little too ready. Before the game, they swore they would fight any Raider who provoked them, apparently forgetting that this was just an exhibition. Said linebacker Jeff Rohrer: “Irwindale will give us a good game.” The Cowboys then incurred four hands-to-the-face penalties in just the first half. At halftime, they had 88 yards in penalties, more than either team had passing. . . . Stan Talley had his best Raider game with a 44.2 average for his seven punts. He had been scheduled to share the duty with Ray Criswell, but Criswell never got on the field. Barring a total breakdown, the job appears to be Talley’s.