Las Vegas Raiders

CBS Sports is projecting that the Thanksgiving game between the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders was the most-watched NFL regular-season game on any network since 1990.

Based on preliminary numbers, CBS is estimating that 38.531 million people watched the game:

The @NFLonCBS Thanksgiving Day Game Scores Big With Viewers, Projects as Most-Watched NFL-Regular Season Game on Any Network Since 1990

Full Release: https://t.co/sKg4wCVTWJ pic.twitter.com/pISjA81lXP

— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) November 26, 2021

CBS was likely aided by the fact that it was an entertaining and tightly contested game in which the Raiders beat the Cowboys 36-33 in overtime on Daniel Carlson's fifth field goal of the game.

In addition to an estimated viewership of over 38 million, CBS noted that the Cowboys vs. Raiders game was the most-streamed NFL regular-season game ever on Paramount+.

It is also projected that Cowboys vs. Raiders had 26 percent more viewers than last year's Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and Washington Football Team.

While Las Vegas jumped out to a 17-6 lead and led for most of the game, the Cowboys stayed in it throughout and made things interesting.

The fourth quarter was especially entertaining since the teams combined for five scores, including two in the final two minutes.

After Dallas tied the game at 30 on a 32-yard passing touchdown from quarterback Dak Prescott to tight end Dalton Schultz and by a two-point conversion pass to Schultz, Vegas took a 33-30 lead on a 56-yard field goal by Carlson with 1:52 remaining in regulation.

Dallas drove deep into Raiders territory and had a chance to score a game-winning touchdown, but they had to settle for Greg Zuerlein converting a game-tying 45-yard field goal with 19 seconds left.

While the Cowboys won the coin toss and got the ball first in overtime, they punted after a three-and-out, and the Raiders got into field-goal position when Cowboys defensive back Anthony Brown committed a 33-yard pass-interference penalty on Raiders wide receiver Zay Jones.

Six plays later, Carlson made a 29-yard field goal for the win, capping the most exciting game of the holiday.

Dallas (7-4) will now look to bounce back next Thursday at the New Orleans Saints, while the Raiders (6-5) will look to build on their win when they host Washington one week from Sunday.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller reportedly avoided a serious injury in Thursday's win over the Dallas Cowboys.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the injury that knocked Waller out of the game was a strained iliotibial band in his knee.

Rapoport characterized the diagnosis as "very good news" since Waller didn't suffer a season-ending injury such as a torn ACL.

The 29-year-old, who was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time last season, has been one of the NFL's top tight ends once again in 2021.

Through 10 games, Waller has reeled in 53 receptions for 643 yards and two touchdowns, and he is second on the team in both receptions and receiving yardage behind only wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.

Waller left Thursday's game after getting tackled during a second-quarter reception. He did not return to action and finished the contest with two grabs for 33 yards.

Despite Waller's absence, the Raiders scored an upset victory in Dallas by a 36-33 score in overtime.

The win improved Vegas' record to 6-5 and put it back in the thick of the playoff race in the AFC, but continuing to play winning football could be a challenge if Waller misses any additional time.

Should Waller be unavailable for Sunday's home game against the Washington Football Team, the Raiders will turn to Foster Moreau as their starting tight end.

The third-year man out of LSU has played well in a reserve role behind Waller this season, making 12 catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller suffered a bone bruise on his left knee in the second quarter of his team's 36-33 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.

Waller is the team's top pass-catching weapon, and he had 51 receptions for 610 yards and two scores on 79 targets entering the Thanksgiving matchup.

Over the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Waller had a 16-game average of 98 receptions for 1,170 yards and six scores, per Pro Football Reference.

Losing him for any amount of time could be a significant blow to the team, although Waller has time to get ready for his team's next game on Dec. 5 at home versus the Washington Football Team.

Hopefully Waller is good to go for that matchup and returns as close to 100 percent as possible.

If not, then here's a look at the Raiders' aerial attack from a fantasy perspective, with a focus on the pass-catchers.

Backup tight end Foster Moreau should see the biggest uptick in snaps and usage without Waller.

Waller was inactive against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 24 due to an ankle issue. Moreau stepped up with six catches (six targets) for 60 yards and one touchdown. He played on 100 percent of the snaps and saw the second-most targets on the team behind wideout Hunter Renfrow, per Pro Football Reference.

Consider Moreau a lower-end starting tight end option. Quarterback Derek Carr clearly trusts him, and Moreau has delivered when called upon.

Renfrow should also be a bigger asset sans Waller.

He became the team's de facto No. 1 wide receiver after the Raiders released Henry Ruggs III, and he proved that on Thursday with eight catches for 134 yards. 

The former Clemson star routinely carves up defenses with short and intermediate routes, and Renfrow could be featured even more sans Waller. He's a must-start every week at wideout without Waller and an excellent flex option even with the tight end available.

Kenyan Drake may also get more targets. He's been used more often in a pass-catching role than backfield mate Josh Jacobs, accruing 29 catches (38 targets) for 283 yards and one score.

The rest of the Raiders wideouts are hard to trust.

DeSean Jackson can pay off in fantasy with one big play, as he did when he snagged a 56-yard touchdown against the Cowboys.

However, he's seen just five total targets in three games with the Silver and Black, making him hard to trust on a weekly basis.

Bryan Edwards is a talented wideout who is too inconsistent on a weekly basis. He started the season with 10 catches for 210 yards in three games, but his last eight have seen just 12 receptions for 224 yards and two scores.

Zay Jones entered Thursday with just nine receptions for 177 yards (16 targets). He never had more than one catch in a game after Week 1 until Thursday, when Carr looked his way for seven targets (five catches, 59 yards). He's worth a flier in deeper fantasy leagues.

The Las Vegas Raiders snapped a three-game losing skid, picking up a 36-33 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day at AT&T Stadium.

The Cowboys tied the score at 30-all with 2:56 left in regulation on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Dalton Schultz. The pair reconnected on the two-point conversion.

HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS.

Dak to Schultz! Tie game!

📺: #LVvsDAL on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/GBPTmQAgCj

— NFL (@NFL) November 26, 2021

Daniel Carlson and Greg Zuerlein exchanged field goals to send the game into overtime. Carlson landed the decisive blow on a 29-yarder with 4:31 remaining in OT.

Las Vegas' last win came a little over a month ago in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Raiders (6-5) have yet to fall below .500 this season.

The Cowboys (7-4), meanwhile, have now dropped three of their last four following a 6-1 start. Their recent slide will have some fans wondering whether that early progress was a bit of a mirage.

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Notable Performers

Derek Carr, QB, Raiders: 24-of-39, 373 yards, one touchdown; two carries, 21 yards

Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders: 22 carries, 87 yards, one touchdown; two receptions 25 yards

Hunter Renfrow, WR, Raiders: eight receptions, 134 yards

Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: 32-of-47, 375 yards, two touchdowns; one carry, three yards

Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys: 10 carries, 36 yards; four receptions, 32 yards

Cedrick Wilson, WR, Cowboys: seven receptions, 104 yards

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Raiders Do Just Enough

The Raiders got off to a fast start as Derek Carr hit DeSean Jackson for a 56-yard touchdown on their first drive of the game.

BIG PLAY TO OPEN THIS ONE.@DeSeanJackson10 gets the corner and a TD! #RaiderNation

📺: #LVvsDAL on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/h623evZaLx

— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2021

Later in the first quarter, Josh Jacobs punched it in from a yard out to help put Las Vegas ahead 14-6. It was about as good as fans could've hoped considering the team averaged about 14 points in each of its last three games.

Raiders offense has been bad for three weeks. On a short week they play a good Dallas defense and can’t be stopped. The NFL in 2021.

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) November 25, 2021

The Raiders began hitting a lull in the second quarter and lost their best pass-catcher, Darren Waller, to a knee injury. Perhaps not coincidentally, Carr targeted nine different players, the most frequent of whom was Hunter Renfrow.

Renfrow made some timely big plays.

A 31-yard reception in the third quarter put his team into Cowboys territory on a possession that ended in a three-yard touchdown run by Marcus Mariota. Renfrow hooked up with Carr again in the fourth quarter for 54 yards to set up a 30-yard field goal by Carlson.

Renfrow running free down the middle... HUGE 54-yard gain! @renfrowhunter

📺: #LVvsDAL on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/CGX2CnsW9C

— NFL (@NFL) November 26, 2021

Las Vegas totaled 509 yards, and its 36 points are a season high. But it still felt like the offense was scraping by at times because it went 3-of-13 on third down and found the end zone on two of its first four trips into the red zone.

The Cowboys provided a helping hand.

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Self-Inflicted Wounds Prove Costly for Cowboys

Leading up to Thursday's contest, the Cowboys knew they'd likely be without the services of Amari Cooper after placing him on the NFL's reserve/COVID-19 list. Then hours before kickoff, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that CeeDee Lamb hadn't cleared the league's concussion protocol and would be out as well.

Cooper and Lamb accounted for around 44 percent of Dallas' passing yards entering this week, so they collectively left a massive void in the offense.

The Cowboys offense performed well given who was missing. Prescott was particularly phenomenal in the fourth quarter, and Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson stepped up in a big way to account for Cooper and Lamb's absences.

Tony Pollard also brought the home crowd to life with a 100-yard kick return touchdown at the 7:00 mark of the third quarter.

.@Tp__5 DID THAT❕#LVvsDAL | 📺 : @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/KZ8M2DlZxd

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 26, 2021

Tony Pollard reached a top speed of 20.97 mph on this 100-yard kickoff return TD, the fastest play of Pollard's career as a ball-carrier.#StatThat | Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/roSzaulRdG

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 26, 2021

But Dallas didn't do enough to overcome 14 penalties that totaled 166 yards.

Cowboys overcame these penalties earlier in season when offense was hitting in all cylinders.

That’s no longer the case.

— David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) November 26, 2021

No infraction proved more costly than a pass interference call on Anthony Brown on a 3rd-and-18 in overtime that set the Raiders up at the Cowboys' 24-yard line. Las Vegas didn't need to get much closer to the goal line before sending Carlson out there.

Earlier in the game, Dallas also saw a touchdown reception by Schultz wiped off the board because of a holding call on Tyron Smith.

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What's Next?

Dallas has another Thursday night game with the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 2. Las Vegas stays in the NFC East and hosts the Washington Football Team on Dec. 5.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller was ruled out of Thursday's game against the Dallas Cowboys with a shoulder injury.

Waller had two receptions for 33 yards on five targets prior to exiting.

He entered as the team's leading receiver with 51 receptions for 610 yards and two touchdowns through nine appearances.

An ankle injury kept the 2020 Pro Bowler out for Las Vegas' 33-22 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7.

Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden raised eyebrows in September when he said Waller was the best player he had ever coached. Even though that comment was met with some skepticism, it spoke to how important he is to the offense.

Waller had a team-high 145 targets in 2020. Nelson Agholor was second with 82.

The Raiders have needed to lean on him even more following the release of Henry Ruggs III after he was involved in a fatal car crash in Las Vegas.

The franchise dropped three games in a row heading into Week 12, with what's transpiring off the field appearing to impact the players on the gridiron.

Losing Waller for more than the remainder of Sunday's game would be yet another setback for interim head coach Rich Bisaccia.

There's a big drop between Waller and his replacement, Foster Moreau, who only has 39 catches for 446 yards and 10 touchdowns midway through his third season in the NFL.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is anticipating a significant workload when his team hosts the Las Vegas Raiders in a Thanksgiving clash.

According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, Elliott said: "I think running the football has to be important to us. I think it helps this offense. We're a better football team when we can run it well. I think it will be [a] point for us Thursday to get that run game going."

Zeke's comments came on the heels of a tough outing for himself and the Cowboys' running game in a 19-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Elliott, who missed some time during the road game with a knee injury before returning, finished with season lows of nine carries and 32 rushing yards.

The three-time Pro Bowler was outplayed by backup Tony Pollard, who carried seven times for 50 yards and caught two passes for 20 yards.

There was some question coming out of that game whether the 26-year-old would be ready for Thursday, but he tried to put the concerns to rest while speaking to David Helman of the Cowboys' official website Tuesday, saying: "It's football. You get hurt. You're not going to be 100 percent. I'm tough. I can play through it."

While quarterback Dak Prescott has largely been the driving force behind a Cowboys offense that ranks first in the NFL in total offense and third in scoring this season, Zeke has been productive as well.

The Ohio State product has rushed for 695 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 4.6 yards per carry, which is his best average since 2018. He has also caught 32 passes for 204 yards and a score.

Zeke hasn't been a dominant force, though, which is contrary to what fantasy football managers were likely hoping for when they selected him in the first round.

Turkey Day could be a get-right game for Elliott, however, against a Raiders team that has lost two games in a row and appears to be sinking quickly.

The Raiders rank 29th in the NFL against the run this season, so there is every reason to believe the Cowboys will feed Zeke, especially if they can build an early lead as expected.

The NFL announced its pair of Saturday games for the Week 15 slate.

The Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 18, with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts to follow at 8:20 p.m. ET.

IT'S A WEEK 15 SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER!@Raiders vs. @Browns@Patriots vs. @Colts

Saturday, Dec. 18. Only on @NFLNetwork. pic.twitter.com/cBkrKYa1A4

— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2021

The league originally left five games open to flex into the two Saturday slots. Tuesday's news means these three games are locked in for Dec. 19:

• New York Jets at Miami Dolphins 
• Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles 
• Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills

Schedule flexing has become commonplace in the NFL, and the practice carried over into the new 18-week regular season. The idea is that league officials might be able to position important games into prime-time viewing hours.

The Patriots (7-4) have a half-game lead on the Buffalo Bills for first place in the AFC. The Colts (6-5) might be out of a playoff position for the time being, but they're also riding a three-game winning streak into Week 12.

New England and Indianapolis could be jostling for wild-card positioning in one month's time.

Cleveland vs. Las Vegas may have lost some luster by then, on the other hand.

The Browns are last in the AFC North at 6-5, and a 13-10 victory over the Detroit Lions couldn't make people ignore Baker Mayfield getting booed by his own fans. Likewise, the Raiders (5-5) have dropped three games in a row amid a wealth of off-field problems.

Their encounter could be a meeting between two teams that have fallen short of the expectations they set for themselves heading into 2021.

Former Las Vegas Raiders wideout Henry Ruggs will be required to wear an ankle monitor that will measure his blood-alcohol levels 24 hours a day after he failed to report one of his mandated daily alcohol tests, per Katelyn Newberg of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 

Ruggs' attorney, David Chesnoff, said his client missed the daily test after the monitoring device he was using didn't tried to send him a text message alert to let him know he was due for a test but it wasn't delivered.

Ruggs had given the monitoring service his cell phone number but it had been confiscated by police. An updated number was then provided to the company, but Ruggs missed one of his tests.

Ruggs posted bail and has been on house arrest after being arrested and charged with felony counts of DUI resulting in death and DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm, along with two charges of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm and a misdemeanor count of possession of a firearm while under the influence.

Prosecutors say Ruggs was driving 156 mph just before crashing his car into the vehicle of 23-year-old Tina Tintor, killing her and her dog. Police said Ruggs had a blood alcohol content of 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit. 

He's facing up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the DUI charges.

Ruggs was not ordered to initially wear the 24-hour monitoring device upon being placed on house arrest because his leg was in a cast. Among the conditions of his bail, Ruggs cannot leave his house, use drugs or alcohol or drive a motor vehicle. 

The Raiders released Ruggs the day after his crash. He was in his second year with the team after being the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.