Raiders beat Cowboys in Thanksgiving overtime thriller

Daniel Carlson held his nerve to kick a game-winning 29-yard field goal in overtime as the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Dallas Cowboys 36-33 in a Thanksgiving Day thriller.

Story of the Game

At sudden death the Cowboys thought they had thwarted the Raiders’ crucial drive when Micah Parsons sacked Derek Carr to leave the visitors staring at third-and-18 from their own 43, until Anthony Brown’s fourth defensive pass interference penalty of the game flipped the field in Las Vegas’ favour.

Up stepped Carlson, having already kicked four field goals including a 56-yarder late in the fourth quarter, to win it from 39 yards, before retreating five due to a cagy Raiders false start and subsequently gaining 10 thanks to back-to-back neutral zone infractions from the Cowboys. Once he did get his shot, he made no mistake.

The Cowboys had been trailing 30-22 with 2.56 to play in the fourth quarter when Dak Prescott fired a dagger to Dalton Schultz for a 32-yard touchdown before going back to his tight end for the two-point conversion to level the game.

Carlson’s 56-yard field goal handed the Raiders a three-point lead just inside the two-minute warning, though it didn’t last long as Greg Zuerlein split the posts from 45 yards out to send the game to overtime on the ensuing possession.

Dallas had trailed since the second drive of the game when DeSean Jackson exploded for a 56-yard touchdown to put the Raiders on top. Marcus Mariota extended Vegas’ 17-13 half-time lead with a three-yard scoring run early in the third quarter, only to be met by an emphatic reply as Tony Pollard took his kickoff return to the house for a 100-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 27-19.

Schultz looked to have closed the gap again when he hauled in Prescott’s pass in the end zone only to be pegged back by a holding call as the possession ended in a field goal to make it 27-22 with 12 minutes to play.

The Cowboys were without star receivers Amani Cooper (COVID) and CeeDee Lamb (concussion), while the Raiders lost their most dangerous weapon in Darren Waller after the tight end suffered a knee injury.

Hunter Renfrow flourished in his absence with eight catches for 134 yards as his quarterback Carr threw for 373 on the day after completing 24 of 38 passes. After a sticky first half the Cowboys offense showed welcome signs of life coming out of the break, with Prescott eventually finishing 32 of 47 for 375 yards and two touchdowns while Cedrick Wilson and Michael Gallup both put up 100-yard receiving games.

Stats leaders

Raiders

Passing: Derek Carr, 24/39, 373 yards, 1 TDRushing: Josh Jacobs, 22 carries, 87 yards, 1 TDReceiving: Hunter Renfrow, eight catches, 134 yards

Cowboys

Passing: Dak Prescott, 32/47, 375 yards, 2 TDsRushing: Tony Pollard, 10 carries, 36 yardsReceiving: Michael Gallup, five catches, 106 yardsCedrick Wilson, seven catches, 104 yards

Scoring Summary

Key Plays

Jackson proved he can still run at 34 years of age as he collected Carr’s pass on his deep over before tip-toing around a tackle on the sideline and turning on the jets for a 56-yard touchdown to cap the Raiders’ opening drive of the game, which had started with Renfrow’s 21-yard punt return.

Dallas hit back immediately when tight end Sean McKeon hauled in Prescott’s floated pass and dipped inside the pylon at the end of a nine-play 75-yard drive, only to see Zuerlein miss his extra point attempt to leave the Cowboys trailing by one.

The hosts then nearly came away with a spectacular turnover when safety Jayron Kearse knocked the ball from the hands of Waller, in response to which Keanu Neal scrambled to keep it in bounds and scoop it back up to his teammate at the sideline. However, the play was ruled a contentious incomplete pass, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy opting against throwing down the challenge flag.

Running back Josh Jacobs punched in a one-yard touchdown to extend the Raiders’ lead after a 30-yard defensive pass interference call against Brown, but the visitors had to settle for a chip-shot field goal not long after when backup tight end Daniel Helm hesitated on his out-and-in end zone route for a would-be touchdown after Waller had limped off following a 21-yard catch earlier in the drive.

Zuerlein saw his 59-yard field goal attempt ricochet back off the post at the end of a disappointing drive, but the Cowboys did eventually reduce the deficit to 17-13 at the break thanks to Ezekiel Elliott’s one-yard touchdown run after Pollard’s 13-yard burst.

Mariota answered his call in a short red zone package when he darted in for a three-yard rushing score to finish a six-play, 75-yard quickfire drive propelled by Renfrow’s 31-yard catch-and-run underneath, before the Cowboys replied instantly through Pollard’s 100-yard kickoff return.

The Cowboys then accepted a 29-yard field goal from Zuerlein to make it 27-22 in the fourth quarter after seeing Shultz’s touchdown catch scratched off due to a holding call against Tyron Smith, with a quiet Gallup having sprung to life earlier in the drive on a 41-yard sideline catch.

Gallup resurfaced minutes later on a near-identical play for a 32-yard reception to set up Prescott’s touchdown throw to his tight end Schultz, who was also on hand to convert the game-tying two-point try with 2.56 to play.

Carlson and Zuerlein traded late 56 and 45-yard field goals, respectively, to send the game to overtime, where the former’s 29-yarder would secure a dramatic win.

What’s Next?

The Cowboys kick off Week 13 in the NFL when they visit the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, while the Raiders will host Washington on the Sunday.

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