Raiders- Cowboys: The Rundown

This week, Oakland will travel to Dallas to face off in what is sure to be an interesting match. While the Raiders have not had much luck when facing the NFC East, they will no doubt be hungry for a win after their nail-biter with the Titans. The Cowboys are fresh off a win against the hapless Giants, and seek to keep themselves on top of the NFC East to gain a playoff berth.

Oakland Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys Overview

Now for the breakdown:

Offense

There is no way to deny that Tony Romo is going on a hot streak. He was twenty-three out of thirty-eight against the Giants, and only had a single turnover in two weeks. His arm is powerful and his receivers are dangerous; it will be up to the Raiders to force him to make mistakes and turn the ball over. The Raiders, on the other hand, have passed the ball to the young Matt McGloin. While he has only had two professional starts in the NFL, McGloin has proven himself to be a valuable asset since he replaced the injured Terrelle Pryor. Last week he was nineteen for thirty-two, with one touchdown and no turnovers. Between his debut against the Texans and his game against the Titans, it is little wonder why the Raiders have named Matt McGloin as the starter despite having a healthy Pryor ready this week. However, McGloin clearly has his work cut out for him this week.

Defense

Despite having the twentieth ranked defense in the NFL, the Cowboys have shut down some biggest names in the NFL this year. They choked out the explosive Eagles offense, and even managed to box-in Robert Griffin III. However, when it comes to offensive shootouts, they have fallen victim to the Broncos, Saints, and most recently, the Lions. The Raiders defense is not perfect, but being that they are in the very tough AFC West, they have no had a chance to shine. They are ranked seventeenth in overall defense, but have faced some of the toughest offenses that the league has to offer. If they can get in Romo’s face like the Saints were able to, this game could become very interesting, very fast.

The Vegas line has Dallas at a 9.5-point favorite. Given the facts about the Cowboys’ offense, this is not outside of the realm of possibility. If Romo is able to let loose early in the game, there will be no way for the Raiders to stop him.

Free Pick – Dallas Cowboys