5 reasons Oakland Raiders can beat Dallas Cowboys in Week 15
By John Buhler
The Oakland Raiders have a huge game this weekend, as they take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Here are five reasons the Raiders can win.
After getting trounced by the Kansas City Chiefs last week, the Oakland Raiders will need a win in the worst way when they take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 15. Oakland enters play at 6-7 and probably needs to win out to have any hopes of making the AFC playoffs. Kickoff from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum will be at 5:30 p.m. PT, 8:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 17.
It’s not just two major brands squaring off in the Bay Area on Sunday night in primetime that has the nation’s intrigue in this ball game. Both the Raiders and the Cowboys are on the outside looking in at playoff spots entering Week 15. Dallas is 7-6 and is a game back of the Atlanta Falcons for the No. 6 seed in the NFC. Atlanta has the tiebreaker over Dallas.
Oakland is a game back of the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West race. The Raiders are also a game back of the Buffalo Bills for the No. 6 seed in the wild card race. Like Dallas with Atlanta, Oakland does not have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bills.
In essence, this game will have a bit of a playoff atmosphere to it. The winner will stay alive for another week, while the loser will see its playoff hopes dashed all together. Though the Cowboys are a slight road favorite in this one, here are five reasons the Silver and Black can get back to .500 with a win at home over Dallas on Sunday night.
The Raiders’ pass rush has been on fire of late.
For about the last month or so, the Raiders’ pass rush has really come alive. We know that defensive end Khalil Mack is an elite player in the NFL, but it hasn’t been just him. Playing opposite of him has been outside linebacker Bruce Irvin. He’s had five sacks in the last three games. Before hurting his hand, defensive lineman Denico Autry was making it a trio of great Raiders pass rushers.
We’re seeing the Raiders not just get pressure off the edge, but from varying points along the defensive front. To be fair, some of the quarterbacks the Raiders have brought down aren’t starting level quarterbacks in Paxton Lynch and Geno Smith. However, bringing Alex Smith to the turf four times last week is a huge plus of more good things to come.
Oakland will have to deal with another mobile quarterback in Dak Prescott of the Cowboys this weekend. Though he’s not as shifty as Smith is for the Chiefs, Prescott is more than capable of making plays with his legs once a pocket collapses. Truth be told, this isn’t the same formidable Dallas front-five we saw dominate the NFC last year.
Yes, the Cowboys still have three perennial Pro Bowlers up front in left tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick and right guard Zack Martin. However, there are vulnerabilities along this Cowboys offensive line that the Raiders’ pass rush can exploit. Though the Raiders don’t have the best pass rush in football, it’s one of the few units that can give the Cowboys’ offensive line a run for its money.