Grier's Goodbye: QB Leads Cowboys Over Raiders In Final Game

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Las Vegas Raiders in Saturday's preseason finale thanks to the strong play of soon-to-be-cut quarterback Will Grier

ARLINGTON - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Will Grier went into Saturday's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders knowing it would be his final game with the team, and he gave fans a performance to remember him by.

Behind Grier's strong performance and a solid defensive outing, the Cowboys defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 31-16 and closed the preseason with a victory.

Grier had one of the best performances of his NFL career, completing 29 of 35 passes for 305 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also racked up 53 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Aside from a lost fumble that he also recovered, Grier had a very impressive audition for the rest of the league.

Undrafted rookie running back Hunter Luepke had a team-high 58 rushing yards on 15 carries, while Malik Davis added 42 yards on 10 attempts. Luepke also impressed as a receiver with five receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. Rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker caught a touchdown as well and finished the game with 14 yards on two receptions.

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Dallas' offense featured a unique twist in this game, as starting quarterback Dak Prescott handled play-calling duties. Seeing as this is the Cowboys' best outing of the preseason, it's safe to say Prescott handled calling the shots very well.

“Yeah, it’s fun,'' Dak said of his sideline duties. "It’s a great time. ... Obviously knowing that this is a big night for Will I was just trying to make him comfortable, keep him comfortable and continue with the spirit we have going.” 

Defensively, the Cowboys adopted a bend-don't-break mentality. They allowed 321 yards and 16 first downs, but were able to stand tall when it mattered. In six Raiders drives that reached Dallas territory, they scored one touchdown, kicked three field goals and turned the ball over on downs twice. It helps that the Cowboys won the time-of-possession battle handily, holding the ball for over 35 minutes.

Rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell played the majority of the game for Las Vegas, completing 17 of 26 passes for 178 yards. Running back Damien Williams had six carries for 54 yards and a touchdown, while receiver Kristian Wilkinson had 10 receptions for 122 yards.

The Cowboys now enjoy a week off before kicking off the season with a road primetime matchup against the New York Giants on Sept. 10.

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You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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