Waller injury not as serious as feared
Tight end suffers IT band strain in knee
Raiders tight end Darren Waller’s injury is not as serious as originally feared.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, an MRI on Friday revealed Waller suffered a strained IT band in his knee.
Waller injured the knee in the second quarter of the Raiders’ 3633 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. He remained on the sideline throughout the remainder of the half, trying to jog the injury off while also staying loose on a stationary bike. After halftime, though, he returned to the Raiders’ sideline in streetclothes.
The Raiders have 10 days before they take the field again against the Washington Football Team on Dec. 5 at Allegiant Stadium, giving Waller extra time to rehabilitate the injury. The Raiders are off until Monday.
Defensive end Carl Nassib left Thursday’s game with a knee injury. Linebacker Patrick Onwuasor (hamstring) and cornerback Brandon Facyson, who suffered a concussion, also were sidelined.
Raiders tight end Darren Waller wards off Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse during the first half of Las Vegas’ 36-33 overtime victory Thursday at AT&T Stadium.
Record-setting broadcast
The Raiders’ victory over the Cowboys on Thursday was the most-watched regular-season NFL game since 1990, according to CBS Sports.
An estimated 38.5 million people watched the game, a 26 percent increase over last year’s Thanksgiving game in the same time slot.
The game, shown on Paramount+, also was the most-streamed NFL regular-season game.
CBS cautioned the numbers “are based upon preliminary data,” and the final Nielsen ratings will be available Tuesday.
No picks
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr didn’t throw an interception Thursday. That meant the Cowboys’ secondary went without an interception for the third time in five games, which means Dallas isn’t countering its tendency to allow big plays.
The Cowboys allowed a season-high eight plays of at least 20 yards Thursday, and six were passes. That includes Desean Jackson’s first quarter touchdown reception.
Reporter Mark Anderson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal. com. Follow @Vinnybonsignore on Twitter.