Vinny Of Old, Young Drew Henson Mix Well Randy Galloway Fort Worth Star-Telegram 8/22/04 OAKLAND, Calif. - (KRT) - Critics will say the Cowboys are either too old or too young at vital positions where you actually need to be somewhere in between. But what was on display here Saturday night, in a last-second, 21-20, exhibition-season win over the Raiders, was a workable mix of both old and young. For the record, it was quarterback Tony Romo who engineered the winning touchdown drive, a massive rebound from his Houston hell of a week ago. But Romo was late icing on this victory cake. The headliners were: At quarterback, Vinny Testaverde is 40, pushing 41, but unlike a week ago in Houston, his performance was more vintage than ancient. Then the kid, Drew Henson, showed up at QB to start the second half, and it was the same as in Houston. Good, very good, under the circumstances of nearly four years lost to making millions trying baseball. Those who think Henson should never see the field this season may have underestimated his readiness and talent. It's the same at running back. Eddie George has been around the NFL block several times. The Cowboys signed the veteran to carry the load. But rookie Julius Jones once again indicated that Eddie may have to share. Speaking of vital positions, there's also that defensive opening at one of the cornerback spots. The mix of old and young ends here. The Cowboys are counting on youth, and there had been indications that waiver-wire acquisition Jemeel Powell might be pushing starter Pete Hunter. But Powell had a rough Saturday night, which included being beaten on an 89-yard touchdown bomb. Score it as some good and some bad in this loss. But more good than bad. That's a large upgrade from Houston, when the preseason opener was all bad. Putting it in perspective, Vinny T. will find a much warmer welcome as the Cowboys return to Irving today for the remainder of training camp. Testaverde operated against the Raiders' defensive starters, and did well. But Henson, who engineered the first August touchdown drive, continues to be the youngster who leaves you wanting to see more next week. Granted, he was playing against mostly backups, but once again, the poise and still-untapped talent was there. Drew went 7-for-9, producing 53 yards. And Julius Jones? Once the rookie got rolling against the Raiders' second unit, he placed himself in the same category as Henson. Let's see more. Jones ended up with 56 yards on 14 carries, including a touchdown run. But the star of the evening? With Vinny, you know the story. The arm is still live, but the legs don't necessarily move like they once did. Then again, if you try sometimes, you just might find, that those aren't cement loafers attached to the feet. Testaverde received a first-half agility test, particularly in the second quarter. Partly by design (he left the pocket on his own with rollouts) and partly out of necessity (the blocking had breakdowns), the old-timer had some nice creative moments. But when given time ... Vinny was right on the money, delivering the ball with deadly accuracy, including first-down throws in five consecutive third-down situations stretched over two possessions, both of which netted field goals. And that's what the regular season will be all about, of course. Can the Cowboys get Testaverde protected enough? This remains a work in progress, but progress was made Saturday night, certainly compared with last week in Houston. Bill Parcells also spent the past three weeks in Oxnard promising a trio of receivers that, to borrow a Keyshawn-ism, Vinny could get them all the damn ball. Just get open, fellows. Testaverde was 12-for-16 in the second quarter for 116 yards, and spread the receptions mainly between Antonio Bryant (five catches, 51 yards) and Keyshawn Johnson (four-for-41). Riding Vinny's arm, the Cowboys moved the ball well in the first half (mostly the second quarter), racking up 170 yards. Included was an 84-yard drive, that stretched over 17 snaps and just over eight minutes. One negative was no touchdowns against the Oakland first-unit defense, despite three trips inside the red zone for a total of nine points. But this, of course, was a good overall evening for Vinny. The Cowboy Nation can relax, at least until Monday week when the Tennessee Titans come to Texas Stadium for exhibition game No. 3, a contest that promises to be a full dress rehearsal for the regular season.