Dak Prescott and his stable of offensive weapons are coming off of a second poor showing in three weeks after scoring no touchdowns in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and although they’re still sitting atop the NFC East with a 7-3 record, added losses will begin lessening the odds of them making a move for the No.
There is much to play for on both sidelines, and pride is also a large part of it, as a “pissed off” Prescott readies to host an equally angry Carr at AT&T Stadium — where the Cowboys are 7-point favorites, via Caesars Sportsbook.
That will not only help Prescott remain upright and focused on making throws downfield, but it also ensures lanes will be carved for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in the run game — applying that much more pressure on a Raiders secondary that has struggled to take the ball away and is part of a defensive unit ranked 25th in points allowed this season .
Already without four-time Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper — who remains in COVID-19 protocol — missing Lamb as well would be a devastating blow to what offensive coordinator Kellen Moore wants to do, but there is optimism Lamb might clear concussion protocol in time .
The more one-dimensional the Raiders become, even with the addition of DeSean Jackson, the more likely Carr will be introduced to the takeaway machine that is the Cowboys defense, be it by interceptions, fumbles or both, and rookie sensation Micah Parsons is looking to add to his robust tally of eight sacks.
The best chance for the Raiders is to see Maxx Crosby lead the charge in a big way defensively to help ground the Cowboys offense, allowing Carr to operate with the threat of a running game to back him up.
Coming off of another poor showing — again, his second in only three games — and back for some home cooking at AT&T Stadium, Prescott will be looking to get going early and often to take advantage of a Raiders secondary that recently released safety Damon Arnette and use the scoreboard to apply pressure to an offense that parted ways with Henry Ruggs.
The Cowboys have scored at least 40 points in three of their first five home games and are averaging a whopping 36 points at AT&T Stadium.