Beuerlein a Raider TV Spectator, if Not Necessarily a Raider Fan

A day after the Raiders fell in the playoffs, Steve Beuerlein, the quarterback they discarded only to see him pop up and win six games, including Sunday’s wild-card playoff game, for the Dallas Cowboys, barely let his satisfaction show.

Did he watch the Raiders lose to Kansas City, 10-6, Saturday?

“As an interested bystander,” Beuerlein said with a smile after answering 30 minutes of postgame questions Sunday. “Not as a bitter former Raider or anything like that. I’m a Cowboy, and I happen to have a lot of friends there, and I watched them with interest.

“But it’s not like I celebrated their defeat or anything, because you never want to see friends lose.

“Let’s just say it this way: I feel awfully good about being a Cowboy right now.”

Even though starting quarterback Troy Aikman is fit enough to play again, Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson said he anticipated starting Beuerlein again for next weekend’s matchup with the Detroit Lions.

“I’m just going to play as long as they tell me to,” Beuerlein said.

Was he surprised by the Raiders’ decision to go with rookie quarterback Todd Marinovich, who threw four interceptions Saturday, over regular starter Jay Schroeder?

“Nothing surprises me out there,” Beuerlein said. “That’s all I can say.”