D-Town Beat-Down, 24-7

The Oakland Raiders Defense Was Just What the Doctor Ordered as Miles Austin and the Cowboys' Ailing Offense Finally Broke Out of It's Two-Game Slump.
(AP Photo/Erich Schlegel)

In their last two-games, the Dallas Cowboys (8-3) offense accounted for a total of 279 yards and 14 points. Thursday against the Oakland Raiders (3-8), Dallas had 324 yards and 17 points in the first half.

Miles Austin broke out of a slump of his own as he had six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' explosive first half. Austin finished the game with seven catches for 145-yards and a score, his 8th of the season.

Tony Romo threw for 309 yards, the 21st 300 yard game of his career, along with two scores. Romo, many times, was able to get out of the way of would be tacklers with some nifty moves in the pocket; despite the fact that he has been banged up all week after taking a knee to his lower back last game.

Tight-end Jason Witten also came into Thursday's game nursing an injury, but persevered and had his best game of the season. Witten caught five passes for 107 yards, a 21.7 average, and was there for Romo any time he had to bail out of the pocket.

Big plays were prevalent in this one as the Cowboys totaled 10 plays of 20-yards or more, eight plays of over 25-yards and four plays of over 40-yards. The Cowboys finished with 494 total yards. This was easily Dallas' best performance offensively in the last several weeks.

One constant over the past few games has been the consistently good play of the Dallas defense. The Cowboys' defense sacked Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski three times for the game, but their relentless pressure led to many miscues by the 4th-year pro. Gradkowski ended the game going 18/35 for 200 yards and, Oakland's only score of the game, a 4-yard touchdown pass to Darius Heyward-Bey.

Felix Jones and Tashard Choice led a revitalized rushing attack with a combined 135 yards on 10 carries. Choice had a 66-yard run in the first quarter that led to a Dallas field goal, and Jones had a 46-yard touchdown run that mad.0e it 10-0 Cowboys.

"We still have a lot of work to do," said Choice, whose big run came out of the Razorback formation. "A lot of things that we've messed up on we have to get better. We have to stay focused coming into December."

The Dallas offense looked much better in this game, likely because they were playing an awful Oakland team that has only one road win in five road games this season. Now the Cowboys' have time to get healthy and re-focused (with 10 days off) as they have one of the toughest final five game stretches of any team in the league this season.

Dallas has put themselves in the driver's seat with eight wins in their first 11 games. It is feasible that if the Cowboys' win two of their final five games they will at least be assured a playoff spot. Win three or even four of the last five? Then Dallas will likely be playing at Cowboys' stadium throughout the playoffs.

"I think you put yourself in position well before December," Romo said. "You have to maintain a level of consistency, then you raise it up going into January — if you're good enough to do that."

Dallas begins the trek up the mountain Sunday (Dec. 6) at 3:15 p.m. in New York against the Giants.

News and Notes:

• Tony Romo is now 4-0 on Thanksgiving day. Romo has thrown 14 touchdowns compared to only two interceptions in these games.
• Romo is also 2nd in the NFL with 22 300-yard+ passing games since 2006. Tom Brady is number 1.
  
• Anthony Spencer had his first two sacks of the season after not recording one in his first 10 games.
• After a rocky start to the season, the Dallas defense is now first in the NFC in points allowed per game with 16.5.
  

(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)