Las Vegas Raiders at Dallas Cowboys: 3 things we learned in Week 12
By Brad Weiss
Las Vegas Raiders at Dallas Cowboys: 3 things we learned in Week 12
Raiders defense has the talent to get timely stops
The Raiders defense has looked terrible in recent weeks, allowing more than 70 points against the Chiefs and Bengals combined in the previous two games. When it comes to this defense, there have been some improvements over last season, as the addition of Yannick Ngakoue has been just what Maxx Crosby and this pass rush needed.
Against Dallas, the defense stepped up time and time again, and while they allowed 33 points, seven of them came on special teams. When they needed to get the ball back into Derek Carr’s hands, they were able to, specifically in overtime, where they forced a three-and-out after losing the coin toss entering the extra frame.
If the Raiders can play the way they did on Thursday, especially on third down, they have the firepower on offense to keep this team in any game they play. The defense is going to be key for this team moving forward, as they hope to avoid another second-half collapse to the season, and Thursday was a positive showing on that side of the ball.