Oakland @ Dallas preview
AT&T Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 9, 2013 ) Dallas 17, Oakland 19
The Dallas Cowboys are tied atop the NFC East and can keep pressure on the competition with a win over the visiting Oakland Raiders on Thursday. The Cowboys go into their traditional Thanksgiving contest tied with Philadelphia for the division lead and riding momentum of a 24-21 road win over the New York Giants. The Raiders gave up a late touchdown in a 23-19 loss to Tennessee to fall one game behind a group of six teams tied for the final AFC wild card.
Dallas plays three of its last five games at home - including a season-ending showdown with the Eagles - where it is 4-1 with the only loss a 51-48 shootout with Denver. Oft-criticized quarterback Tony Romo boasts a 105.7 rating at home compared to an 89.7 mark on the road. Undrafted rookie Matt McGloin will make his third straight start at quarterback for Oakland, earning another turn in favor of now-healthy Terrelle Pryor after passing for 457 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in the past two games.
TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Dallas -9.5. O/U: 45.5.
ABOUT THE RAIDERS (4-7): McGloin has done a credible job leading the offense considering running back Darren McFadden remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and receiver Denarius Moore (shoulder) sat out Sunday. The Raiders rank fifth in the league in rushing, but that's skewed by the 504 yards Pryor has racked up in eight games. Oakland's defense has to do a better job of getting off the field after allowing scoring drives of 16 and 14 plays on Tennessee's final two possessions.
ABOUT THE COWBOYS (6-5): Dallas limped into its bye week after a 49-17 loss at New Orleans, but Romo's late heroics against the Giants might have saved the Cowboys' season. The offense is still inconsistent and leans too heavily on the pass, but having DeMarco Murray back to full strength should help get the running game going. Dallas allows 432.2 yards per game - most in the league - and gave up 202 rushing yards to New York in an otherwise solid performance.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Romo's 11 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime are the most in the NFL over the past three seasons.
2. Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski is 15-of-22 on field-goal attempts after going 62-of-69 the previous two seasons, and he is 11-of-15 from inside 50 yards compared to 49-of-50 from that range the past two years.
3. Dallas CB Morris Claiborne aggravated his hamstring injury against the Giants and is not likely to play versus Oakland.
PREDICTION: Cowboys 27, Raiders 23