It’s been a rough month for the Las Vegas Raiders (5-5) and also Dallas Cowboys (7-3). The Raiders began November atop the AFC West, having gotten rid of a scandal-induced mentoring modification to win five games on the season.
They haven’t won considering that. The Cowboys walloped the Atlanta Falcons a couple weeks ago. But bookending that impressive win are a full collapse against the Denver Broncos and a partial collapse versus the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s vague which Dallas team will show up on Thanksgiving versus the Raiders.
The high-scoring Cowboys violation stopped working to find the end area in Week 11, choosing 3 basket. That had not been sufficient. They lost 19-9 as well as returned a video game to the Philadelphia Eagles in the department standings. Dak Prescott had a rough mid-day, going 28-43 for 216 lawns and 2 interceptions. He was sacked 5 times and also invested much of the game under pressure. Tight end Dalton Schultz caught six masquerade 53 yards; Michael Gallup hauled in 5 passes for 44 yards. Ezekiel Elliott and also Tony Pollard combined for 82 backyards on the ground.
The dull offensive showing can be discussed to some extent by injuries as well as COVID. Left take on Tryon Smith was out with an ankle injury. Wide receiver Amari Cooper evaluated favorable for COVID, which avoided him from playing. Other pass receiver CeeDee Lamb was required from the game with a trauma late in the second quarter. And running back Ezekiel Elliott modified the injured knee that’s hampered him for much of the period.
The Cowboys, when healthy, are one of the NFL’s better offenses. They average a league-leading 418.1 yards and a third-best 29.3 factors per game. Their run and pass games are both leading 5. Much of their success results from Prescott, but he can’t do it all. As well as it appears unlikely he’ll have his full enhance of weapons with the short week. Cooper is already on the reserve/COVID -19 listing and also, being unvaccinated, will be out until at the very least Sunday. Lamb has entered trauma protocol as well as seems not likely to remove it by Thursday. That leaves Michael Gallup, that himself only recently went back to the field, as well as Cedrick Wilson. Elliott played with the exacerbated knee injury, which suggests he might be offered.
The limited Dallas infraction will deal with a Raiders defense that played well enough to win for much of recently’s game. Las Vegas was down 16-13 early in the 4th quarter. After that the video game escaped from them. Joe Burrow and also business put up 16 unanswered indicate lead the Cincinnati Bengals to a 32-13 win. Untimely defensive fines aided maintain their drives to life. Yet the Las Vegas protection minimal Burrow to simply 20-29 passing, for 148 yards as well as a goal, on the mid-day. They sacked him three times. The Raiders defense really did not have a response for Joe Mixon, who carried on 30 times for 123 yards and 2 TDs.
That’s been the tale with this unit for much of the period. They place among the NFL’s worst against the run, enabling 132.1 backyards per game, as well as amongst the very best versus the pass, permitting 220.8 backyards.
Their Cowboy counterparts have actually seen marked renovation as the period has actually advanced. They shut down the overmatched Atlanta Falcons in Week 10. Which solid play proceeded in Week 11 against the always-dangerous Chiefs. After allowing 16 first-half points, the Dallas protection tightened up. The Chiefs’ next three drives finished in either a fumble or a punt. Their 10 total amount plays in those collection netted just 25 lawns. A Jayron Kearse interception and an additional compelled punting opened up the 2nd half.
Patrick Mahomes went 23-37 for 260 yards and also no goals on the day. Linebacker Micah Parsons sacked him twice, linking the group’s newbie document with 8 on the period. Among those sacks led to a fumble and also a modification of possession in Chiefs’ region. The unit stays at risk against the pass, enabling 251.9 lawns passing per video game, sufficient for center of the pack. They’re better safeguarding the run, quiting 103.7 yards per video game. That low average is partially a feature of an infraction that often leaps out to a lead, compeling challengers to abandon the run video game.
The Raiders offense definitely does not wish to find the Cowboys an early lead. Yet they fit relying upon the pass. Derek Carr has set up 3,041 lawns on the season up until now, 3rd most after Patrick Mahomes and also Tom Brady. Limited end Darren Waller is his leading target in regards to yardage, with 610 on the period. Hunter Renfro has additionally been productive, specifically with the loss of Henry Ruggs III. He leads the team with 56 functions. For comparable to the passing game is, their ground game has actually not been terribly efficient. Josh Jacobs, their leading rush, has 333 yards on the period in 88 efforts. He’s just covered 50 yards in a video game two times.
The Raiders are now seeking out at both the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers in the standings. They require to burst out of their downturn soon if they wish to keep up in the competitive AFC West. The Cowboys deal with less necessity in the NFC East, with just the Eagles offering any type of kind of resistance. However they’ll be looking to get their crime going once more in Week 12.