Live coverage: Raiders win Thanksgiving thriller in overtime against Cowboys

By Case Keefer (contact)

Published Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021 | 2 a.m.

Updated Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021 | 5:29 p.m.

With five minutes remaining in regulation, a faint “Rai-ders” chant was audible emanating from the Northwest corner of cavernous AT&T Stadium.

It may have seemed premature at the time to the majority of the 93,483 fans in attendance for the traditional Thanksgiving afternoon game, but it turned out to be an appropriate early celebration. Las Vegas picked up an all-important 36-33 overtime win over Dallas, halting a three-game losing streak and improving to 6-5 on the year.

It didn’t come without suspense, which extended far beyond the aforementioned revelry in the stands.

The Cowboys, after trailing for the entire game, tied the score at 30-30 with three minutes left to play when Dalton Schultz caught both a touchdown pass and two-point conversion attempt. The Raiders needed a big drive to avoid slipping into a losing record for the first time this season, and they got it — barely.

Daniel Carlson made his fourth field goal of the day, a 56-yarder, to put the Raiders up three with just less than two minutes remaining. Dallas answered, however, with a 10-play, 48-yard scoring drive of its own with Greg Zuerlein making a 45-yard field goal.

The Cowboys also won the overtime coin toss to get the ball first, but the Raiders pinned them inside the 10-yard line and forced a three-and-out. Then penalties ultimately killed Dallas’ chances.

The Cowboys picked up their 12^th flag of the day on a third-down conversion pass attempt from Derek Carr to Zay Jones — pass interference. That gave the Raiders the ball at the Cowboys’ 24-yard line and set up Carlson for a game-winning 29-yard field goal.

Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr threw for 373 yards on 24-for-39 passing and a touchdown — on a deep pass in the first quarter to Desean Jackson, who tiptoed down the sideline for a 56-yard touchdown. Dallas counterpart Dak Prescott had a similar 375 yards on 32-for-47 passing and two touchdowns but had another score wiped away for a penalty and couldn’t get anything going in overtime.

Hunter Renfrow led the Raiders with 134 receiving yards while Jackson also went into triple digits with 102 yards on the air through the day.

Check back to lasvegassun.com later for more coverage and read below for live updates from throughout the game.

The Cowboys and Raiders are headed to overtime.

Dallas’ Greg Zuerlein made a 45-yard field goal with 24 seconds remaining to answer Las Vegas’ Daniel Carlson’s earlier 46-yarder. Dallas 33, Las Vegas 33.

It should be anyone’s game in overtime as both offenses have gone toe-to-toe with each other over the last two quarters. Derek Carr has 365 passing yards, while Dak Prescott is at 369.

Dallas will receive the ball.

Daniel Carlson is money from distance

If the Raiders ultimately prevail over the Cowboys, Daniel Carlson is getting a game ball.

The kicker just coolly knocked through a 56-yard field goal to put Las Vegas up 33-30 with 1:52 to play. Las Vegas moved the ball efficiently down the field after Dallas’ game-tying score, but then stalled just across midfield after a false start penalty on Andre James appeared to kill its rhythm.

Now it’s the Cowboys’ turn to see if they can prolong or end the game.

Cowboys’ have come all the way back

Tie game.

For the first time since 0-0, the Cowboys and Raiders are locked up at AT&T Stadium. Dalton Schultz both caught a touchdown pass and an ensuing two-point conversion to make the score 30-30 with 2:54 left in regulation.

The Cowboys went 69 yards on four plays in 47 seconds on the all-important scoring drive. The Raiders have been ahead on the scoreboard throughout, but this game has really tightened statistically in the second half.

Both teams are at 6.8 yards per play. The Raiders’ offense has plenty of time for a game-winning drive.

Daniel Carlson makes third field goal

The Cowboys will need a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the game with the Raiders.

Daniel Carlson just made his third field goal of the game, a 30-yarder to put Las Vegas ahead 30-22. It was an anti-climatic finish to a promising drive as Las Vegas had the ball at the 10-yard line after a 54-yard completion to Hunter Renfrow.

Now the Raiders must count on their defense.

Penalty helps Raiders hold Cowboys to a field goal

Somehow, the Raiders held.

It appeared the Cowboys scored a touchdown on a pass from Dak Prescott to Dalton Schultz and were a two-point conversion away from tying the game, but a holding call on Tyron Smith wiped it off the board. Prescott couldn’t pick up the necessary yardage on an ensuing 3^rd-and-10, and the Cowboys settled for a 29-yard field goal from Greg Zerlein.

The Raiders’ lead is down to 27-22 with 12 minutes to play.

Raiders settle for field goal

Daniel Carlson knocked through a 46-yard field, and the Raiders are back up eight points at AT&T Stadium.

It’s 27-19 Las Vegas with 3:28 left in the third quarter after a nine-play, 31-yard scoring drive. The Raiders had a fourth-and-2 at the Cowboys’ 27-yard line, but interim coach Rich Bisaccia didn’t seem to consider going for a first down. The field goal team was running onto the field almost as soon as Hunter Renfrow caught a pass short of the chains on third-down for his fifth reception of the day.

Tony Pollard goes 100 yards on kickoff return

Las Vegas gave up its breathing room in a hurry.

After Marcus Mariota’s first touchdown of the season, Tony Pollard returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Clelin Ferrell then gave the ball to the Cowboys at the 1-yard line for a two-point conversion try, but Jonathan Abram stuffed a trick pitch play to receiver Cedrick Wilson.

It’s Raiders 24, Cowboys 19 with seven minutes to play in the third quarter.

Raiders extend lead to 11 points

The Marcus Mariota package produced a touchdown.

The Raiders’ backup quarterback just dove into the end zone on a 3-yard run to put Las Vegas up 24-13 on the Cowboys midway through the third quarter. It was Mariota’s second play today as part of a re-emergence of a special package that had Raiders’ fans excited going into the season.

Las Vegas’ offense moved efficiently throughout a six-play, 75-yard drive but it also once again benefitted from a timely penalty. Micah Parson was called for a roughing the passer on Derek Carr to get the Raiders into the red zone.

Penalties have hampered Dallas all day as it currently has eight flags for 90 yards.

Cowboys score late in first half

The Raiders’ defense streak of three straight Cowboy possessions without allowing points came to an end right before halftime.

Ezekiel Elliott capped an 86-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown with 25 seconds remaining in the first half. The Raiders’ lead is down to 17-13.

Dallas gave Las Vegas great field position on the drive before with a miss on a 59-yard field goal, but the visitors couldn’t capitalize with as much as a first down and punted the ball back.

It didn’t take the Cowboys’ offense long to get down the field, largely because of a 51-yard completion from Dak Prescott to Cedrick Wilson. Running back Tony Pollard also got three touches on the drive, including a 14-yard completion that was originally singaled a touchdown but overturned upon review.

Pollard is the game’s leading rusher with 29 yards, as Elliott has amassed only 23 with Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs having racked up 24 yards on eight carries.

Raiders up double digits on Cowboys

The Raiders drove right down the field again for the third time in four drives, but they settled for a field goal from the 3-yard line to end the latest possession.

Daniel Carlson’s 22-yarder went through the uprights and Las Vegas is now up 17-6 on Dallas with 8:46 left in the second quarter. The Raiders offense has hummed all day at AT&T Stadium and has now totaled 166 yards on 26 plays. The Cowboys have been comparatively inefficient, with only 90 yards on 19 plays.

Derek Carr has completed passes to six different receivers as part of his seven completions for 135 yards.

Pass-interference call leads to Raiders' touchdown

Raiders’ fans were unhappy with the amount of penalties called against the team in last week’s loss against the Bengals. They’re probably not having the same complaints today with the flags so far largely being thrown in their favor.

Las Vegas leads Dallas 14-6 after a one-yard touchdown run from Josh Jacobs set up by a pass interference penalty in the end zone. The Cowboys were also flagged for pass interference on a third-down play to extend the scoring drive.

Las Vegas ended up needing to only gain 24 yards — the other 36 were provided by penalties — to get the score.

Cowboys down one after missed extra point

The Cowboys answered the Raiders’ touchdown, but the visitors still lead.

Sean McKeon caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott, but kicker Greg Zuerlein missed the extra point. The Raiders are ahead 7-6 at AT&T Stadium.

Dallas’ scoring drive went 75 yards on nine plays with the biggest gainer being a 17-yard pass from Prescott to Cedrick Wilson.

Raiders score first

The Raiders have life at AT&T Stadium.

The offense had its best opening drive of the year, scoring in just three plays when Derek Carr found DeSean Jackson along the sideline for a 56-yard score. Jackson made one defender and turned on the speed to get to the end zone.

Las Vegas’ defense meanwhile forced Dallas into a three-and-out to start the game. The touchdown was Jackson’s second catch as a Raider.

Inactives released

Peyton Barber received the Raiders’ first carry in last week’s loss to the Bengals. He won’t be doing so today against the Cowboys.

Barber leads the Raiders’ just-released list of inactives, along with linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski and cornerback Keisean Nixon. Barber is a healthy scratch, while the other two still aren’t ready to return from ankle injuries.

It appears guard John Simpson, who was questionable with rib injuries, will play as he was not on the inactives list. The other players not suited up are defensive end Malcolm Koonce, tackle Jackson Barton and defensive tackle Kendal Vickers.

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb did not pass out of the concussion protocol and will be inactive for the Cowboys.

Pregame

Even when the Raiders struggled the past two years with midseason swoons like their current three-game losing streak, the offense stayed mostly dependable. The organization spent most of its resources this offseason on overhauling the defense under the assumption that the offense could maintain its high level of play. It hasn’t worked out that way. Turnovers plagued the offense in a 23-16 Week 9 loss to the New York Giants, lethargic play struck in a 41-14 Week 10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and a combination of both prevailed in last week’s 32-13 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s gotten to the point where a vocal portion of fans have called for Marcus Mariota to replace quarterback Derek Carr, who’s accounted for six turnovers to only four touchdowns during the losing streak. The switch is not going to happen, at least not yet, as the coaching staff trusts Carr. But he’s running out of time to salvage a once-promising season with Las Vegas slipping down the standings.

Favorable matchup: Raiders’ run game vs. Cowboys’ rush defense

This is speculative, as the Las Vegas running game hasn’t looked potent nearly all year and sits 28th in the NFL at 3.7 yards per attempt. But if there was ever an opportunity for a turnaround, it should be this week. Dallas has emerged as a surprise Super Bowl contender by being solid to outstanding in every major area except one — rush defense. The Cowboys have lost two of three games, to the Chiefs and Denver Broncos, while getting gashed for just short of 5 yards per attempt on the ground. If the likes of Denver rookie Javonte Williams and Kansas City’s just-returned-from-injury Clyde Edwards-Helaire can run effectively on Dallas, Las Vegas’ duo of Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake should be able to do the same — especially on the edges. The Raiders’ interior offensive line has failed to consistently get an adequate push, but right tackle Brandon Parker had his strongest game against the Bengals and left tackle Kolton Miller has been among the team's best players.

Problematic matchup: Cowboys’ defensive star power vs. Raiders’ skill players

Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons is a runaway favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors while teammate Trevon Diggs at cornerback is currently the second choice for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Neither Parsons nor Diggs is perfect — they both tend to be overly aggressive at times — but there’s no denying they’re highly athletic, big-time playmakers. Diggs has a league-leading eight interceptions on the season, including two returned for touchdowns, while Parsons has eight sacks and 13 tackles for loss. They’ve consistently produced the type of quick-strike, game-altering moments that the Raiders’ offense has lacked since coming back from their bye week. Diggs will be ready to feast if Carr’s accuracy woes persist. Parsons could eat up Alex Leatherwood and Jordan Simmons, the worst pair of starting guards in the league by Pro Football Focus’ grading system. Interim coach Rich Bisaccia and offensive coordinator Greg Olson must have specific plans in place for dealing with both defenders — they’ve been that impactful.

Gamebreaker: Tight end Foster Moreau

One of the most underrated players on the Raiders’ roster has seen his responsibilities increase over the past month to become the ultimate utility man. He played a key role with a career-high 66 offensive snaps and a touchdown in the Raiders’ last win, a 33-22 victory over the Philadelpha Eagles in Week 7, with Pro Bowler Darren Waller out with an ankle injury. Waller has since returned, but the Raiders have occasionally split him out wide with Moreau at the traditional tight end spot. Meanwhile, fullback Alec Ingold was lost for the season with an ACL tear against the Chiefs and Moreau has assumed some of his duties. He’s now filling in for Ingold as the special teams captain and even at fullback on a few snaps. Moreau scored the Raiders’ only touchdown against the Bengals, on a 19-yard pass from Derek Carr, to continue a season-long trend where he’s been a red-zone option.

Big Number: 53

Number of years since the Raiders won a Thanksgiving game, as the franchise’s last victory in the traditional holiday spot came in 1968 when they beat the Bills 13-10 despite getting no offensive points. Franchise legends George Blanda, who had two field goals, and George Atkinson, who returned an interception for a touchdown, led the Raiders to victory. The Raiders have played on Thanksgiving three times since the win, including the last two against the Cowboys. Dallas won 24-7 in a 2009 Thanksgiving meeting and 31-24 in 2013. No players on either side remain from the 2013 game as Carr, the longest-tenured Raider, debuted the next season. Dallas plays on Thanksgiving every year, but this is a special occasion for Las Vegas and the players have expressed excitement about the opportunity. A stage like this, which will likely come with the Raiders’ biggest television audience of the season, would be quite the place for the team to get back on track.

Best Bet (5-5): Ezekiel Elliott over 60.5 rushing yards

Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said, contrary to what might be popular belief, he thought the Cowboys would go run-heavy on Thursday. It makes sense considering Dallas is beaten-up at receiver and already ranks in the league’s top half with runs on 42% of plays. The Cowboys will also be healthier on the offensive line this week with tackle Tyron Smith expected to return from injury. Bisaccia, who coached in Dallas from 2013-2017, called Smith and linemate Zack Martin “gold-jacket type players” to indicate he believes the veterans merit Hall of Fame consideration. They should be able to create large enough holes for Elliott to at least reach his season average of 69.5 rushing yards per game even though he’s dealing with a minor knee injury.