TC Martin

Raiders Get Much Needed Thanksgiving Win  

 

It wasn’t pretty but the Las Vegas Raiders got the win they desperately needed.  Thanks to 166 yards in penalties committed by the Dallas Cowboys, the Raiders squeaked out at 36-33 victory on Thanksgiving day at AT&T Stadium. 

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Las Vegas was just as bad as they were marched off for 110 yards, making it the most penalized game in the NFL this season with an embarrassing 276 combined yards in total penalties. Being dismal on third downs the past two weeks converting on lonely one each game, Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders got the third-down help they needed from Dallas cornerback Anthony Brown.

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Daniel Carlson kicked a 29-yard field goal in overtime after Brown’s fourth pass-interference penalty kept the drive alive, and the Raiders ended a three-game losing streak.

Carlson’s career-best fifth field goal came after Brown was called for interference on Zay Jones on third-and-18. All four of Brown’s interference penalties came on third-down incompletions.

“The penalties obviously helped,” said Carr, whose 373 yards passing included a 56-yard touchdown to DeSean Jackson for the first points. “If they weren’t holding, we probably would have hit those plays.”

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The Raiders had just two third-down conversions total the previous two games and were 3 of 13 in this one. But Brown topped that total all by himself.

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“Twenty-eight penalties, I don’t know what the hell you want me to say,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. “Write what you want. I’m all for it.”

The Raiders (6-5) won on Thanksgiving for the first time since 1968. It was their fourth appearance on the holiday since then, with the previous two losses coming at the Cowboys.

“It kind of gave me goose bumps, I’m not going to lie,” Carr said. “When that kick went through, I had a lot of memories as a kid.”

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The Raiders wil get some extra rest and reconvene next Sunday at Allegiant Stadium as they take on Washington who are 4-6.