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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Raiders vs Cowboys.
Man, as Jon Gruden would say to introduce a comment, what a matchup of National Football League glamour teams.
From the 1970s.
Ah yes, Kenny “The Snake” Stabler and Roger Staubach. John Madden and Tom Landry. Fred Biletnikoff and “Bullet” Bob Hayes. Otis Sistrunk and Bob Lilly.
But it’s 2025.
And Monday Night Football’s prime time showdown of Raiders vs Cowboys features a two-win Raiders team against a three-win Cowboys club.
It’s kind of like looking for a Sears store to rent Blockbuster videos.
Let’s just say these iconic NFL brands have seen better days.
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A mere nine seconds into the second quarter, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to an open CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys led, 10-6, as the packed crowd inside Allegiant Stadium exploded in cheers.
Tonight was not unlike previous Raiders “home” games in Las Vegas where fan bases from Kansas City, Pittsburgh and San Francisco invaded Allegiant Stadium and left Raiders owner Mark Davis with a stadium that bolstered his team’s value but hardly delivered a home field advantage.
Southern Nevada still owes a debt of more than $1 billion on the $750 million it contributed to build the Raiders home stadium in 2020. A hotel room tax is being collected to pay off that 30-year debt.
So, all those visiting fans paying for hotel rooms in Las Vegas are helping pay the local stadium debt.
When Prescott threw a short 5-yard pass to tight end Jake Ferguson with about five minutes left in the first half, the Cowboys enjoyed a 17-6 lead and their fans roars filled Allegiant Stadium again.
Before the half was over and darkness would fall on the press box because of the halftime show, Prescott threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver George Pickens and the Raiders were losing, 24-6.
The Raiders’ placekicker, Daniel Carlson, booted a 38-yarder after hitting two prior FGs and it was halftime: Dallas 24 Raiders 9.
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In the second half, Prescott threw a short two-yard TD to receiver Ryan Flournoy in the third quarter, while the Raiders beleaguered quarterback, Geno Smith, tossed a five-yard scoring pass to Tre Tucker for six yards early in the fourth quarter.
Dallas led, 31-16.
Poor Ashton Jeanty. A year ago, the fast, powerful runner from Boise State was carving up Mountain West Conference defenses, finishing second in the Heisman Award voting and getting drafted sixth overall by the Raiders in April.
He was tackled in his end zone for a safety and Dallas led, 33-16. Jeanty had six carries and seven yards, including two rushes in the first half. Not exactly his Boise State numbers.
The game mercifully ended for the Raiders.
Final: Cowboys 33 Raiders 16.
“It was a rough night,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll started in his postgame presser.
The PA announcer wished everyone a goodnight and the crowd filed out at 8:15 PM as a Santana song played on the sound system.
The Raiders have won two of ten games this season. And what role is Raiders part-owner/FOX NFL game broadcaster Tom Brady playing in this Raiders organization failure so far this season?
Here’s Allegiant Stadium as the game’s final seconds drained away.
PSA