Cowboys Gameday Thread
Happy, Thanksgiving, Raider Take faithful! May your holiday be blessed. I'm afraid the Raiders have already show us what they are made of the past few weeks, but let's hope for a Thanksgiving day surprise. GO RAIDERS!
posted by Raider Take at 1:25 PM
23 Comments:
Nothing is ever easy but they persevered. It was a hard fought game (by both teams). Tough to watch while entertaining family but the result was very welcome. I'll watch it again this weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I just realized the Raiders elected to take a 10 second runoff at the end of the first half. They could have had the ball with 35 seconds and 3 timeouts.
Also, they wasted time, then took a knee to go into overtime, instead of making an effort to throw downfield with 19 seconds and 1 timeout.
Why so conservative? 2nd and 4th Qtrs ended with the Raiders electing to do nothing.
Interesting stat: Raiders are 6-0 when Carr throws over 300 yards, and 0-5 when Carr throws less than 300 yards.
Amazing win. Some, tough resilient play on both sides of the ball to offset the sloppy moments.
Is it just me, or do Carr's bombs lately look like tossups? They seem to go straight up in the air. Anyhow, that's more of a curiosity than a complaint tonight.
NY, even bitter on Thanksgiving seriously 19 seconds left 1 time out on your own 20 and you want them to take risks and go for it that is not good football. The 10-second runoff made no sense but they didn't have three timeouts either. The guy's a special teams coach stop nitpicking and enjoy the win.
Sandy
Sandy, your obsession with me is creepy! 99% of your posts are about me. Why not just make your own observations?
I'm thrilled about the win. The Raiders' conservative play is all I was pointing out. I reject on its face there was no other plausible outcome. The Cowboys had 10 or more penalties in the game, with well over 100 penalty yards and the Raiders had at least three huge pass interfere calls go their way. So, throwing the ball downfield with a timeout remaining seemed to be a better option than sitting on it.
Last second plays have been good enough for the Raiders to win other games this year (and last year). Why is that different against a Cowboys secondary (and an officiating crew) which demonstrated a penchant for pass interference calls?
I'd love to hear the logic, beyond slighting Bisaccia as a ST coach. These guys are pros. It's not brain surgery. Raiders (Carr) used to be very efficient inside 2 minutes. What happened?
One doesn't remember all the times Gruden wanted to try and move downfield with little time left in a half. Turnovers can kill a team when in that situation. I thought it was a good move to just wait it out. They got the ball at the beginning of the 2nd half , so there is that.
The refs, my goodness, the refs. Hate to harp on it, but Romo and that other guy were speechless on most of the penalty calls. They called Andre James for bobbing his head, every center does that in the league. Parker was called for holding and he barely touched the guy on the play. Cowboys were being called too. Though, Cowboy DB's seemed to think they had a free ticket to hold the WR's. The game was nationally televised so the refs couldn't do an all out screw job. But they tried.
This win could put the team back in the race, they have a long week to prepare for the next game.
This team is showing one thing for sure, they are resilient and they don't quit.
Big win for the team.
Fear? I hope that's not what the Raiders were relegated to at the end of the 1st half and at the end of regulation when they chose to sit on the ball. That doesn't exactly exude confidence in your offense.
Thankfully, they won the game.
Ties usually favor the home team, that's why you go for it when you have the opportunity.
Raiders won an improbable game (Thanksgiving in Dallas!). I don't want to make too big a deal but I'm concerned that coaching is not any smarter with Bisaccia at the helm. Gruden proved to be a risk taker and I believe he may have taken a more aggressive approach in those two critical situations. Remember, early in the season, the Raiders won at least a couple games by the skin on their teeth. Sometimes you have to be aggressive to get results.
Cheers!
They weren't aggressive in those situations and won. Gruden goes for it and a turnover happens and Dallas scores again before the half, is a killer. Seen it a few times and I'm sure so has this coaching staff.
They won, so they did it right.
It wasn't a gift by any means, the team has been in a state of shock for the last few weeks, they are fighting their way through it and won a big one yesterday. If they can carry that into the rest of the season, the fat lady hasn't sung yet.
I'm all in favor of whatever it takes! Just win! IMO, Gruden's didn't separate smart risk from stupid risk, e.g., the times he went on 4th down inside the Raiders own territory, in the first half, in close games. But didn't his penchant for high-risk also win a game on a 2-point conversion?
I think if the Raiders had lost in Dallas, we might all be pointing to the two series at the end of the first and second half, which the Raiders offense controlled the ball and the clock (with timeouts) but chose to sit on it.
Read that the Raider game vs the Cowboys was the most watched regular season game since 1990.
Still a ton of Raider fans even after 20 yrs of stink.
Best fans in the world.
One day, we may be rewarded.
Arm chair couch coaching B. One timeout 19 seconds left on their own 25? Every coach in the league sits on it and plays for overtime. Cowboy had just scored Raiders needed to collect themselves and move into overtime.
I don't entirely disagree. 19 seconds and one TO isn't much. The end of the first half was far more doable. Approx 35 seconds and multiple TOs. It's just an observation and shows a pattern.
The old axiom is, play to tie at home, and play to win on the road.
This was a road game!
It's moot since they won, but the pattern of conservative play could come back to bite them, i.e., should the Raiders actually make a run for the playoffs.
Cowboys' Mega-Stars
T. Aikman #8
T. Dorsett #33
D. Johnston #48
L. Alworth #19
M. Irvin #88
J. Novacek #84
L. Allen #73
N. Newton #61
M. Stepnowski #53
M. Tuinie #71
R. Wright #70
KR B. Haynes (no. #3 WR)
Raiders' Pro Bowlers
J. plunkett #16
B. Jackson #34
B. Cannon #20
D. Casper #87
J. Rice #80
C. Branch #21
A. Shell #78
G. Buhler #64
D. Mosebar #72
M. Montoya #65
R. Mix #71
C-Bass #11
PR N. Cozie #20
H. Martin #79
J. Dutton #72
R. White #54
D. Lawrence #90
T. Henderson #53
D. Ngyen #59
C. Howley #54
D. Sanders #21
H. Adderley #
D. Woodson #28
C. Harris #43
M. Saxon #4
PR D. Sanders #21
H. Long #75
J. Ball #93 (and 3-4 NG)
B. Smith #77 (and 3-4 DE)
G. Townsend #93
R. Martin #53
B. Nelson #51
T. Hendricks #83
R. Woodsen #26
L. Hayes #37
R. Lott #42
D. Fulcher #33
R. Guy #8
PR B.J. Edmonds
R. Horton #20 (no. #5 DB)
D. Ware #94 (Edge)
S. Lee # (3-4 ILB)
D. Poe #92 (3-4 NG)
D. Shultz #86 (no. 2 TE)
Z. Miller #85 (no. #2 TE)
J. Ford #12 (no. #3 WR)
R. Ellison #50 (3-4 ILB)
S. Routt #26 (no. #5 DB)
K. Wimbley #96 (edge)
From media:
Davis hasn’t launched a search to fill a [head coach] job that opened on October 11, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Davis, per the report, actually has rebuffed inquiries from “many interested parties.”
If true, that's incredibly lame considering the head start Davis had (for next season) and the obvious need to make an informed decision regarding the next Raiders head coach. True or not, this seems emblematic of how business is conducted in LV. Mark Davis could be meeting qualified candidates and growing his knowledge of football and potential HC talent in the marketplace. Start with a big list and narrow it down. Seems obvious, right?
Bissacia has proven nothing, nor has Olsen or anyone else on staff. Raiders are on the fence, and could go either direction in a hurry.
I thought the Raiders played inspired football after Gruden left, but they took a sharp turn until posting an important and somewhat improbable win in Dallas. During that period, Biasscia's ST group has not played well, getting burned on a fake punt and giving up a return TD. Meanwhile, he looks a bit lost on the sideline (just my uninformed observation). I would guess Olsen is in total control of the offense and Bradley is in total control of the defense. That's not ideal. The HC needs to have some chops to get through rough periods.
Wow, what a week! I pray everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving (it is my favorite holiday, btw). It is the time of year that I look back and "count my blessings," and I have a lot to be thankful for, and it has been a wild year for me. My family and I moved to a small town 2 hours southwest of Austin in the middle of COVID. My son, since we've moved 16 months ago, has grown 1/2 an inch every month like clockwork, and is now 1/2 an inch shorter than me (he's 14). He played Jr High football as WR, LCB, Punter, backup QB (should have been a starter, but coach's son started due to "Daddy Ball"), and Kick Returner. He is now playing basketball.
My daughter (16) ran Cross Country and played volleyball as a Sophomore. She was on her way to state in Cross Country and was dealt an injury that ended her season for both sports. Now that she is done there, she is in UIL Congress/Debate, and made it to State. So she has been preparing speeches and doing research for that. Helping her find resources and using some of my contacts to put her in touch with some State and Federal Congressman has really opened her eyes to some of the nuances of Government.
She is dating a boy, who everyone in the community has told me, that if there is anyone you want to date your daughter; it's this kid. He's a very humble, and respectful young man. We know all of his family, and have become close with them all. He is a senior, trying to get a football scholarship. My wife and I are going to bless him by paying for a football workout for several colleges and coaches that will help give him exposure; for Christmas. I also have some contacts here that are going to help me out with that, and help get him on the right track. This has melted my daughters' heart, that her mom and dad would help a boy she is dating, in this way. He's a great kid, and even if they don't end up together down the road, he and his family will always be welcomed in our home.
My wife started a new job in our town as the office manager of a funeral home. I teased her that it was a dead end job! Ha! The director of the home absolutely adores her and appreciates the hard work she has done in a few short months.
The Raiders are playing some of their best football in years, and some of their worst in the last several weeks. The Cardiac Kids are definitely giving my heart a run for its money. As the ol' saying goes though, "Win, lose, or tie; Raiders 'til I die!" I was surrounded by Cowboys' fans at my wife's family for Thanksgiving, so my son and I heard a lot of trash talk before the game, and then when the Cowboys came back and tied it; but then we got to return the favor with the win. It was all in good fun and love, no hard feelings in the trash talk, which is how it should be, right?
All of that to say, life is more than football and the Raiders. Yet, the Raiders are something we all gather to as a way to be a part of a family. I pray blessings over you, and hope that as you reflect on this past year, you will find more positives and blessings than you realize. When you see those blessings, the challenge is to then be a blessing to someone the way you have been blessed. This is what winning means. This is what family is. This is the key to happiness in life. Happy (belated) Thanksgiving to everyone. Much love to you all, and JUST WIN, BABY!
NY,
Rather than the clock mismangement you pointed out, I took umbrage with the following: In the third quarter leading 24-19, the Raiders faced a fourth-and-2 at the Cowboys’ 27-yard line. Instead of going for it, they settled for a 46-yard field goal by Carlson that kept it a one-score game. In the fourth quarter leading 27-22, they made the right call to go for a field goal on a fourth-and-7. The Cowboys were called for an illegal formation penalty, however, which would’ve put the Raiders in a fourth-and-2 situation at the Cowboys’ 7-yard line. Instead of accepting it, the Raiders took the made field goal 30-22.
On the ensuing possession, the Cowboys tied the game at 30 and ultimately forced overtime. The Raiders won, so it doesn’t matter, but they seemed to be playing not to lose rather than going for the win once they got ahead. There’s no guarantee that they would’ve scored before halftime or converted either of the fourth-down opportunities, but they’re going to have to take more risks at some point to get to where they want to go this season.
As far as the coaching issue, the report is click bait why would Mark or any other owner undercut their coach with the playoffs on the line. The real story is he is meetng with MAdden and Ron Wolf after the season to seek counsel on how to conduct a search and who to hire and I would say that includes Mayock's possible replacement as well.
Sandy
Raider Nate, love your slice of life. You sound happy and blessed with a great family. There's one big thing missing from your life, however: a Raiders playoff run. We shall see!
What are the Raiders doing to make the playoffs?
O.k.
They signed DeSean Jackson and that was very good but
They refuse to even look at Al's guys!
Ford, TP2 or J. Vehldeer(OT, FA to be the RT).
They need to get a healthy RB. Should Jacobs go on IR?
They need Morrow back as OLB and #44 Kawaski needs more time as OLB too.
They need F. Mourou to help them and give Waller a week off.
They're a mediocre team with a good record not a playoff team but if they can get more help(IR guys and free agents) then maybe they may get a wildcard.
Maybe
They need to give Mariota MORE time as a throwing QB. I feel he would
Raiders need a fast rb. Maybe J. Richard is the man but they refuse to let him run the ball.
They need T. Mullen to come from IR.
They need to give Hobbs a chance as an outside press CB.
They need to bring in guys for tryouts. They should give CB Isiah Johnson a chance.
Playing "not to lose" is a problem on defense too. Watching WFT - who the Raiders play this week - they were aggressive at the LOS and in tight coverage. They smothered the Seahawks offense. That's what the Raiders can expect. But I'd like to see them return the favor. I hate the soft zone defense the Raiders play. They have talent on defense and could do so much better.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/raiders/brent-musburger-calls-jon-gruden-email-leaks-a-hit-job-2489459/
No revelations there. It's obvious Gruden was targeted.
Today's game is another potential trap game (ala Bears and Giants), with a splash of irony and chance for poetic justice for Jack Del Rio.
Del Rio, former HC of the Raiders, was fired in favor of Jon Gruden, who was targeted by the NFL and forced to quit. I'm not saying Del Rio didn't deserve to be fired. He let Bill Musgrave go after Musgrave presided over the Raiders best offense in recent history, only to have the offense collapse under his successor.
But back to Del Rio. He and Ken Norton together could not field a serviceable defense while with the Raiders. Part of the irony is that Del Rio is a proven defensive coach, with the Broncos before the Raiders, and now with the team that doesn't really have a name.
The "Washington Football Team" in recent weeks has had an aggressive and smothering defense. This is what the Raiders have to look forward to today.
Today we get to truly see if the Raiders O-Line experiment actually worked, because they will be tested. Raiders went young, and they've had 11 games to gel. Time to man up!
I'm not making any predictions, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about facing the WFT and Del Rio's defense.
As I said in a previous post, Raiders have the personnel to return the favor on their defense, but do they have the chops? Bradley has been extremely conservative as the Raiders DC. Raiders rarely blitz and usually play soft zone coverage. While the front four stays aggressive, they are mostly a reactionary defense which gives up a lot plays underneath.
On another note, we've all seen Abram step up this year. He's been outstanding at the LOS. However, he's been the guy mostly responsible for covering backs out of the back field, which explains why so many times RBs are wide open along the sideline. This play has killed the Raiders too many times... Look for the WFT QB named after a beer to try and exploit that.
Enjoy the game.
Vegas, Baby!
WFT Ultra Squad
J. Thiesman #7
L. Brown #43
J. Riggins #44
J. Smith
A. Monk #81
S. Moss #83
C. Samuels
R. Grimm #68
J. Bostic #53
M. Schlereth #69
J. Lachey #79
M. Mosely #3
KR J. Washington #20 (no. #2 RB)
D. Manley #72
D. Butz # 65
D. Wilkinson #99 (3-4 NG)
D. Jones #75
M. Coleman #51
C. Hanburger #55
W. Marshall #58
D. Greene #28
C. Bailey #24
S. Taylor #
P. Ficher #37
T. Way
PR B. Mitchell #30 (no. #3 RB)
H. Long #75
R. Kinlaw #62 (3-4 NG)
C. McGlockton #91
T. Armstrong #93
J. Squirek #58
M. Millen #55
J. Robinson #57
M. Haynes #22
S. Thomas #26
R. Lott #42
M. Hardin #31
S. Lechler #9
KR R. Ismail #86 (no. #3 WR)
Raiders' All-Decaders
D. Lamonica #3
E. Dickerson #29
M. Van Eagan #30
J. Witten #82
J. Lofton #80
F. Biletnikoff #25
A. Shell #78
S. Wisnewski #76
R. Hudson #61
M. Marvin #65
B. Brown #76
C-Bass
PR R. Woodson #26 (no. #5 DB)
C. Didier #85 (no. #2 TE)
G. Clark (no. #3 WR)
R. Kerrigan # (edge)
K. Goviea #54 (3-4 ILB)
K. Houston #27 (no. #5 DB)
D. Waller #83 (no. #2 TE)
K. Wimbley #96 (edge)
T. Benson #54 (3-4 ILB)
R. Ismail #86 (no. #3 WR, KR)
G. Pruitt (no. #2 RB)
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