Raiders coach Jackson prepares for preseason debut

NAPA -- Hue Jackson has waited a long time for his first chance to be a head coach.

So it comes as no surprise that he's going into his debut in the exhibition opener for the Oakland Raiders with the same sort of verve he brings each day to the practice field.

"If they're keeping score I like to win," Jackson said. "That's the way it is. Our team is going to go out there and play the way we're supposed to play as Raiders and keep building on that."

Oakland opens the preseason Thursday night at home against the Arizona Cardinals and their newly acquired quarterback, Kevin Kolb. It will also be the first chance for Raiders fans to see how the team has changed under Jackson's leadership.

After spending a decade in the NFL as an offensive assistant, Jackson got the chance to run his own team when owner Al Davis hired him last January. So instead of just worrying about the offense or his position group, Jackson must spend the night before the game deciding how much to play his starters, thinking about click management and other strategy issues that fall on the head coach's shoulders.,

The Raiders will go into the preseason opener without many of their key offensive players. Star running back Darren McFadden is out with a broken orbital bone in his face, receiver Jacoby Ford is sidelined with a broken hand and receiver Louis Murphy has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

"We're missing a lot of people right now, obviously," quarterback Jason Campbell said. "But at the same time, other guys are getting an opportunity to show what they can do and a chance to step up and make plays. The preseason is really big for a lot of guys. We also have to take it serious because everyone's out there playing for jobs. This is our livelihood. We want to help whoever's in there to perform to the best of their ability."

That will give some younger players a chance to shine, including rookie receiver Denarius Moore, who has been the training camp star so far this summer.

Moore has been part of what has looked like a vastly improved passing offense in training camp. Now the key is to see if that can carry over into a game

"You go to practice and you make these plays and guys run and look pretty and you do all this good stuff. That's all good, but you've got to do it when you're playing against an opponent," Jackson said. "It's all about performance on game day when you're playing against somebody else. That's what I'm looking for."

With 10 starters returning on defense and Kevin Boss coming in to replace the departed Zach Miller at tight end, the biggest questions on the Raiders this summer are on the offensive line.

Last year's starting left guard, Robert Gallery, left in free agency and the Raiders did not bring back last season's starting right tackle, Langston Walker. Oakland then used two of its first three draft picks on offensive linemen, taking Stefen Wisniewski in the second round and Joe Barksdale in the third.

Wisniewski has been seeing time at center and left guard in practice, mixing in with last year's starter at center Samson Satele and left guard Daniel Loper. Wisniewski is slated to play as a reserve Thursday with Satele and Loper listed as starters.

The most stable position on the line is at left tackle, where Jared Veldheer looks to start again after taking over the position as a rookie last year. Cooper Carlisle, who has started at right guard the past four seasons, is back again this year.

He was expected to be pushed for time by second-year player Bruce Campbell, but Campbell has not practiced yet because of an offseason knee injury, making it a longshot that he could win the job for the season opener Sept. 12 in Denver.

Khalif Barnes, who has been a backup the past two seasons, will start at right tackle.

"Whatever happens Thursday night doesn't mean that that's the way it goes," Jackson said. "It just means that's the way we're starting. We all know we got to start someplace with a football team. When we get ready to play Denver that's when I'm concerned about putting the best football team out there. Now we need to get five guys as we move forward to play together and to be together so they can learn to work with each other. Thursday night is our first dress rehearsal. However we start that game doesn't mean that's the way we go for the regular season."