Cowboys Stuff the Raiders

Yesterday's traditional Thanksgiving Day game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Oakland Raiders started ugly for the Cowboys as the Raiders gobbled up the football when the Cowboys Terence Williams fumbled the opening kickoff and returned it for a Touchdown.  Only 12 seconds into the game and the Cowboys found themselves down by 7.  The Cowboys then proceeded to sleep walk through most of the rest of the first quarter before pinning the Raiders deep in their own end of the field.  Then the Raiders gifted the Cowboys when QB Matt McGloin fumbled the snap and the Cowboys Kyle Wilber pounced on it to set the Cowboys up on the 2 yard line with a first and goal.  First down was all they needed as DeMarco Murray powered throught the left side and into the End Zone to tie the score at 7 all.  

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long, as the visitors enjoyed two lengthy possessions that not only put points on the board, but also ate up the clock.  Starting at their own 21-yard line, the Raiders went on 12-play drive that took off 5:30. Four times the team converted on third down, the last of which was a 1-yard run by Jennings that gave Oakland back the lead.  Which they soon enough added to. After Dallas was unable to do anything on offense, as Romo threw three straight incomplete passes, the Raiders got going again at the 50-yard line with just under 10 minutes remaining in the half. By the time Jennings went off left tackle for another 1-yard score 12 plays later, 7:46 of clock had been eaten up.  The Cowboys finally woke up and ran the two minute drill with Romo connecting twice with Jason Witten and twice with Dez Bryant to reach the Raider 4 yard line.  DeMarco Murray took over at that point pounding through the center of the line to bring the Cowboys within 7 at 21-14 and giving the Cowboys some momentum going into the second half.  

After holding the Raiders to a 3 and out on their first possession of the second half, the Cowboys marched 87 yards in ten plays to tie the score at 21.  Surprisingly, the two smallest members of the team came up big during the drive.  Reserve running back Lance Dunbar carried the ball three times during the drive for a combined 58 yards, the big blow coming when the 5-8 running back broke loose up the middle for a 45-yard gain. After that, Cole Beasley, another standing just 5-8, hauled in two passes that set Dallas up with first-and-goal at the Raiders 4-yard line.  Romo then fired a dart at Dez Bryant in the End Zone for the score on the next play.  After another 3 and out, Oakland could do little to stop the Cowboys offense, as the team found the end zone on its next possession, traveling 65 yards in nine plays on a drive that started in the third quarter and finished early in the fourth.  DeMarco Murray's third touchdown of the day gave the Cowboys their first lead of the day at 28-21.  

The Raiders then went on a drive of their own moving quickly to the Dallas 21 yard line.  The Cowboys defense stiffened at that point, when on third and 9  QB Matt McGloin  tried to find receiver Jacoby Ford in the end zone, only to have corner back Brandon Carr come down with the jump ball for the interception, his third of the season.

Starting at its own 20 with more than eight minutes still remaining on the clock, Dallas needed a time-consuming march to put the game away. They got it.  Relying heavily on their ground game, the Cowboys ran 14 plays all the way down to the Oakland 1-yard line before Dan Bailey came out for a game-securing 19-yard field goal. And perhaps even more importantly, the offense ate up 6:43 of the clock.  The Raiders did manage to keep the fans on the edge of their seats as they came right back and got a 45-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski, setting up an onside kick with 35 seconds remaining. But safety Jeff Heath was there to recover the attempt, Romo then took a knee to run out the clock for the victory.

With this win the Cowboys moved into sole possession of First Place in NFC East pending the outcome of Sunday's clash between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals.  The Cardinals have been going like gangbusters the last few weeks and I will be rooting for them to put one on the Eagles, leaving Dallas alone at the top of the East with a 4-0 division record.  The Cowboys next play on Monday Night Football, December 9 in Chicago against the Bears. 

Your Friday Musical Moment features Piano Concerto Number 2 by Johannes Brahms with a live recording of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Sergiu Celibadache and Daniel Barenboim as the Piano Soloist.  Following the video is a superb selection of sultry sexiness in this week's edition of Naked or Nearly So.  Thanks for sharing a part of your day with me, see you over the weekend for this week's review of the Best of the Web This Week.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!