Cowboys Rout the Raiders

Bill Parcells knows better than to get too giddy over anything that happens in the preseason.

But he also recognizes that beating the Oakland Raiders, 52-13, Thursday night at Irving, Texas, can have residual benefits for the Dallas Cowboys -- especially considering they scored on all five drives led by newly named starting quarterback Quincy Carter and got touchdowns from the defense and special teams.

“It means something to me because I think it gives the players something to build on, something to think about,” Parcells said. “You can only get confidence if you demonstrate an ability to do something. We did that tonight.”

The Cowboys scored 31 points in the first half, then added three more touchdowns -- including a 96-yard kickoff return by Reggie Swinton -- to break the team record for points in an exhibition that was set by the 1971 club that went on to win the team’s first Super Bowl title.

This wasn’t exactly the Oakland team that played in the Super Bowl in January.

Quarterback Rich Gannon and his top receivers played only five snaps. Gannon was 0 for 3, with his first pass bouncing off Jerry Rice’s shoulder and being returned 24 yards for a touchdown by cornerback Mario Edwards.

Carter was 11 for 16 for 239 yards, leading Dallas to four touchdowns and a field goal. His best plays were a scrambling 69-yard touchdown pass to Joey Galloway and a 49-yarder to Terry Glenn off play action, both against Oakland’s first-stringers.

The lopsided loss capped a disappointing preseason for the Raiders (1-3), who came into the exhibition with only two touchdowns and two field goals.

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Coach Steve Mariucci’s challenge to rebuild the Detroit Lions just got tougher.

Starting running back James Stewart is out indefinitely after separating his right shoulder six minutes into the Lions’ final exhibition game, a 22-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Orchard Park, N.Y.

Mariucci said Stewart will be examined immediately when the team returns home. But he didn’t sound confident in pinpointing who would take Stewart’s place should he not be ready for Detroit’s opener against Arizona on Sept. 7.

“I don’t know who the lead dog would be,” said Mariucci, in his first season with the Lions. “If we have a guy who’s capable of 25 carries a game, I don’t know that we have that person ready yet. It very well may be running back by committee.”

Without Stewart, the Lions are left to choose among Shawn Bryson, who’s coming off knee surgery, Autry Denson, a four-year journeyman, and Avon Cobourne, an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia.

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Losing starting quarterback Jeff Blake on the first play wasn’t a total loss for the Arizona Cardinals.

Led by third-string quarterback Preston Parsons, the Cardinals beat the Minnesota Vikings, 31-27, on Thursday night at Minneapolis to give the team its first 4-0 exhibition season in 12 years.

Parsons ran for two touchdowns and threw for another. He went 13 for 16 for 156 yards.

The Cardinals lost Blake to a concussion when Vikings tackle Chris Hovan sacked him on the game’s first offensive play.

There was no immediate word if Blake would be sidelined for the Cardinals’ regular-season opener on Sept. 7 at Detroit.

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Marquel Blackwell threw two touchdown passes, leading the New York Jets’ backups to a 17-9 victory over the Eagles’ second- and third-stringers in the final exhibition for both teams at Philadelphia.

Despite resting their starters, the Eagles lost a key player when first-round pick Jerome McDougle went down with a left hip and ankle injury in the third quarter. X-rays on McDougle were negative, but he’ll have an MRI today.

McDougle, the 15th overall pick from Miami, was expected to help fill the void left by the departure of defensive end Hugh Douglas.

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Mark Brunell never doubted he’d open the regular season as the starting quarterback for Jacksonville. He was surprised to learn that Jack Del Rio fashioned himself as more than a coach, but a psychologist too.

Brunell threw a touchdown pass to help the Jaguars to a 17-15 victory over the Washington Redskins at Jacksonville, Fla. After the game, Del Rio ended speculation about Brunell’s possible departure, naming him the starter for next weekend’s opener against Carolina.

Del Rio said Brunell’s five-for-seven performance over two drives “solidified” what he already knew -- that Brunell was better than David Garrard and Byron Leftwich. The coach waited until now to announce it, however, to get the 11-year veteran mentally ready for the season to come.

“I thought it was important for Mark to experience what he experienced the last few weeks,” Del Rio said. “He’s got two young, talented quarterbacks behind him, and it prepared him for the onslaught he’ll face.”

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Kyle Boller threw two touchdown passes to stake the Ravens to a 17-point lead over the New York Giants, who rallied for a 30-24 victory at Baltimore.... Kelly Holcomb passed for 126 yards in two series to lead the Browns to a 20-9 win over the Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland.... Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk didn’t start for the Rams in their final tuneup for the regular season, a 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis.... Shaun King threw for 146 yards and a touchdown as the Buccaneers dominated the Houston Texans, 34-3, at Tampa, Fla.... Starters for both teams made only the briefest of appearances, if they played at all, in Miami’s 24-10 victory over the Saints at New Orleans.... Steve McNair took only three snaps in the Tennessee Titans’ 27-3 victory over the Packers that included a 2-hour, 33-minute lightning delay at Green Bay, Wis. The 69,126 fans on hand got a double dose of disappointment when Packer quarterback Brett Favre sat out the game.

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Dallas safety Darren Woodson was fined $7,500 for a helmet-to-helmet hit in an exhibition against Pittsburgh last week.... New England released six players: guard Corbin Lacina, running back Frank Moreau, fullback Michael Malan, tight end Rod Trafford, defensive end Brad Harris and cornerback Dyshod Carter.