Plunkett Gets Chance Against Dallas Today

The guy is just plain nervous. No getting around it. He has waited a long time to show what he can do, to show he can be the starting quarterback of the Raiders, and today he finally gets his chance at the Coliseum in a rare Saturday afternoon exhibition game against the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s a big day for training camp hopeful Jim Plunkett.

Training camp hopeful? When was the last time those words were placed in front of Plunkett’s name?

It has been 17 years since he was rookie of the year with the New England Patriots, 7 1/2 years since he was the Super Bowl’s most valuable player for leading the Raiders past the Philadelphia Eagles, and 4 1/2 years since he led the club to yet another Super Bowl win, this one over the Washington Redskins.

But now he’s 40, inactive since shoulder surgery in 1986, the apparent underdog for the job to Steve Beuerlein, 17 years his junior, and playing in a new system for a new coach, Mike Shanahan, five years his junior.

And yes, in his 100th exhibition game, give or take a few snaps, Plunkett will have butterflies.

“I’m ready to go,” he said, “but when I step out there, there’s going to be a little anxiety. When I was more secure, it didn’t bother me, but it’s now imperative that I perform well.”

Even that may not be enough, though Plunkett has looked sharp in training camp. Beuerlein will work the first half with the first unit, just as he did a week ago in the Raiders’ exhibition opener, a 24-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Plunkett will play the second half with the second and third units.

The consensus is that the job is Beuerlein’s to lose.

The story line is much the same today on the other sideline, where Cowboy Coach Tom Landry has relegated 14-year veteran Danny White to a backup role and given Steve Pelluer, 26, the chance to be the starting quarterback.

Pelluer completed 11 of 18 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown in last week’s loss to the San Diego Chargers and will again draw the starting role in the first half.

Raider Notes

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. . . . Raider running back Marcus Allen may not play because of sore ribs. . . . The team gets the major part of its defensive line back as Howie Long (recovered from a neck injury) and Bill Pickel (bruised ribs) make their first appearances of the exhibition season, leaving only Greg Townsend (suspended because of a positive drug test) among the missing.. . . The Raiders are hurting in the secondary, where Lionel Washington (groin injury) and Sammy Seale (thigh) will join Stacey Toran (holdout) as non-participants. Toran and Raider management are still believed to be about $100,000 apart on a new contract. The team and its other holdout, linebacker Matt Millen, are thought to be less than half that distance apart. . . . Center Don Mosebar, recovering from off-season back surgery, is not yet ready to play.

Injury is a dirty word up the road in Thousand Oaks, where the team doctor has been the key figure in the Cowboys’ training camp. Wide receiver Rod Barksdale (facing knee surgery) and linebacker Jeff Rohrer (back surgery) have already been lost for the season. Gone, too, is reserve linebacker Jesse Penn, who failed his physical because of spinal problems. Linebacker Mike Hegman (knee) and cornerback Ron Francis (dislocated shoulder) won’t be back until the regular season is under way. . . . Also out of action today are Randy White (neck) and Eugene Lockhart (hand), defensive lineman Danny Noonan (groin), defensive back Vince Albritton (thigh) and wide receiver Mike Renfro (hamstring). In Renfro’s absence, Michael Irvin, the club’s No. 1 draft pick, will start.