By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
Just the facts: Las Vegas Raiders 36 Dallas Cowboys 33 OT
Storyline: Another overtime cardiac thriller win for Raiders, which break three-game losing streak and improve to 6-5
By the numbers: Raiders, 509 total yards; Derek Carr, 24/39 for 373 yards and 1 TD; Dak Prescott, 32/47 for 373 yards and 2 TDs; Daniel Carlson kicks five field goals
Penalties: Too many
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Raiders owner Mark Davis hasn’t had a fun autumn. A few weeks ago, Davis attended the funeral of a young woman killed when a former Raiders player accused of DUI drove a car into the woman’s vehicle and killed her. Weeks before that, Davis was blindsided by news reports of former Raiders coach Jon Gruden’s awful emails that were unearthed during an NFL investigation. And now his team was coping with a three-game losing streak and an anemic offense.
But at least he shared some Thanksgiving smiles and even a few laughs with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the Raiders-Cowboys Thanksgiving game in Dallas Thursday.
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Not too shabby, Dallas. Tailgating is an art of cuisine and pigskin welded together by BBQs and tents.
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The Cowboys are controlling their division with a 7-3 record, but the Raiders scored first when quarterback Derek Carr connected with new receiver DeSean Jackson on a 56-yard touchdown strike. Carr leads the NFL in pass completions of 20 yards or more with 53, nine more than Tom Brady’s 44.
The Raiders’ 7-0 lead didn’t last long, though. The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott tossed a 10-yard TD pass to Sean McKeon. A missed extra point left the Cowboys down, 7-6.
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A pass interference on Dallas set up a one-yard TD run by Josh Jacobs and Las Vegas had a 14-6 lead.
The Raiders chewed up clock in the second quarter and moved more than 70 yards, but more red zone problems beset Las Vegas. They had to settle for a 22-yard chip shot by placekicker Daniel Carlson and Las Vegas advanced its lead to 17-6.
Dallas mounted an eight-play, 86-yard, 3:27 TD drive thanks to a 51-yard pass and Zeke Elliott easily powered in from the one yard line for the touchdown. The extra point was good and the Raiders led at the half, 17-13.
It was an even first half on the stats board. The Raiders outgained Dallas by a mere yard, 197-196, and was ahead in time of possession, 15:24 to 14:36. A slow-moving first first half slogged along thanks to 11 penalties for 114 yards.
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Things livened up in the second half. The Raiders, helped by some Dallas penalties, moved 75 yards on six plays over 2:48 to score on a Marcus Mariota run midway through the third quarter.
But then the Cowboys’ Tony Pollard ran 100 yards for a TD on the ensuing kickoff. Dallas was denied on the two-point play and trailed, 24-19.
Carlson was true from 46 yards to tack on three more and the Raiders were up, 27-19,. with 3:28 left in the 3Q..
End of third — Carr has Raiders on the move. Raiders 27 Cowboys 19.
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Man, Dallas is shooting itself in the foot. It looked like Prescott tossed a TD pass early in the fourth quarter.
But the Cowboys were hit with a penalty. Holding and Dallas settled for a 29-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein. So, the Raiders held a 27-22 lead.
Carr responded. He hit Hunter Renfrow with a 54-yarder down the middle of the field. Carlson banged home another FG: Raiders 30 Dallas 22.
Prescott threw a TD and two-pointer to Dalton Schultz and it was a 30-30.
But Carlson nailed a 56-yarder with 1:52 left.
And Zuerlein nailed a 45-yarder with 30 seconds left and off to OT, 33-33, the two teams go. Prescott threw for 369 yards, while Carr piled up 365 passing yards.
But Carlson ended it with his fifth FG in overtime: Raiders 36 Cowboys 33
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