However, in the 1998 season opener in Cincinnati, McNair exited the game with a bruised elbow. Krieg—by then nearly 40 years old—came off the bench to rally the Oilers to victory, going 7-of-13 for 129 yards. Although McNair recovered from his injury and could have re-entered the game, the team let Krieg finish. "Dave was in the zone", McNair explained. "He was doing a great job moving the team up and down the field. It's a matter of doing what's right (for the team). At that time, what was right was letting Dave stay in."