Overtime heartache for Cowboys
Carlson’s game-winner ends penalty-marred game, 36-33
ARLINGTON, Texas — Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders got the third-down help they needed from Dallas cornerback Anthony Brown.
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 by beating the Cowboys 36-33 on Thursday.
Carlson’s career-best fifth field goal came after Brown was called for interference on Zay Jones on thirdand-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.”
The Raiders had just two thirddown conversions total the previous two games and were 3 of 13 in this one. But Brown topped that total all by himself.
“Just one of them days,” Brown said. “I feel like I was in position for all of them, tried to turn my head. On some of them I did have my head turned. Just try to get better.”
Both teams had season highs in penalties and yards. Dallas, the NFL leader in penalty yards coming in, had 14 for a franchise-record 166 yards and Las Vegas 14 for 110.
A holding call on perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith in his first game back after missing three with an ankle injury negated a Dallas touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys settled for a field goal.
“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 in Dallas.
“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.”
Dak Prescott had 209 of his 375 yards passing in the fourth quarter. His 32-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz and 2-point conversion toss to the tight end pulled the Cowboys (7-4) even at 30 with 2:54 remaining after they trailed almost from the start.
Carlson put Las Vegas ahead 33-30 with a career-long 56-yarder with 1:52 remaining. Greg Zuerlein, who missed an extra point after the first Dallas TD, answered with a 45-yarder with 19 seconds to go.
Tony Pollard had a 100-yard kickoff return for Dallas in the third quarter, but was stopped inside the 15 to start overtime. The Cowboys went three-and-out after a penalty pushed them back to the 7, and the Raiders finished off the third victory for the AFC West against the NFC East-leading Cowboys in the past four games.
Brown had his back to Jones when Carr threw the pass with Las Vegas at its 43. The penalty put the Raiders at the Dallas 24, and the winning kick came after the Cowboys were penalized twice for rushing past the line of scrimmage before the snap.
Carr was 24 of 39 without an interception, and Hunter Renfrow had career highs in catches (eight) and yards (134). Marcus Mariota scored from the 3 on a shotgun keeper.
The Dallas offense struggled early without top receivers Amari Cooper (COVID-19 protocols) and CeeDee Lamb (concussion) and running back Ezekiel Elliott nursing a right knee injury. The NFL’s No. 1 offense bounced back to finish with 437 yards, but the Raiders had a season-high 509.
“We had some explosive plays and we gave up some explosive plays,” said interim coach Rich Bisaccia, who left after five seasons with the Cowboys to join the Raiders in 2018.