Cowboys news: analysis and fallout from the week 15 victory over the Raiders

3 Things We Learned About Cowboys In Win Over Raiders - John Owning, Fanrag Sports Network
John weighs in with his thoughts on the Cowboys unlikely victory over the Raiders.

Even though Awuzie was beaten for two short TDs in the second half, he provided a glimpse into the type of player he can be in Dallas’ secondary. Awuzie’s ability to drive on throws off coverage is impressive, and his ability to attack the ball at the catch point is outstanding. Awuzie was also a big factor against the run. He wasn’t afraid to stick his nose in and tackle Marshawn Lynch — one of the most powerful running backs in the NFL.

Overall, there was a lot of good but also some bad mixed in for each rookie CB. Ultimately, each showed why Dallas’ secondary has a bright future.

4 Takeaways: 4th-down drama galore, Cowboys escape Oakland 20-17 - K.D. Drummong
K. D. provides his thoughts on the Cowboys - Raiders outcome.

Every so often the football gods will leave fans feeling drained and barely satisfied, even when their team wins. Cowboys Nation was toyed with relentlessly, including the excruciating pain of having to watch a crucial fourth down attempt come down to measurement-by-index-card. Dallas converted, but wasn’t able to ice the game away with a touchdown

Heath’s Game-Winning Effort, Grading Chido; Dak’s Decision-Making - Bryan Broaddus, DallasCowboys.com
Checking in with the mothership we find the Broad one giving his scout's eye on the Cowboys' performance.

I have a ton of respect for Chidobe Awuzie stepping up and taking Marshawn Lynch on in the flat, holding him to a short gain. The initial blow might have appeared bad for Awuzie but that wasn’t the case. He was able to put his right shoulder into Lynch, driving him to the sideline. He knocked Lynch off balance, stopping all his momentum from going up the field. It’s no easy task bringing down Lynch -- especially when he’s able to square his pads and run downhill.

The 11 best jokes made about the index card that helped the Cowboys beat the Raiders - Charles Curtis, For The Win
The FTW writer gathers the most humorous tweets from the Index Card game.

Seriously. On Sunday night and with the Cowboys and Raiders tied, Dallas went for it on 4th-and-1 and a Dak Prescott run appeared to be enough for a first down. But when the chain gang came out, referee Gene Steratore wanted to be absolutely sure that he saw the nose of the ball over the first-down marker. So he took out a folded index card (!!!) and confirmed his call:

Should the catch or no catch rule be changed? - NFL Videos
Rich Eisen and many other media pundits passionately urged the NFL to change the catch rule after yesterday's dumb Pittsburgh - New England outcome. But I can't help wondering where was all this outrage and passion when the Cowboys suffered the exact same fate in a much more important playoff game? Makes one wonder.

Here Fox Sports Rules Analyst Mike Pereira stops by the "Rich Eisen Show" and explains why the NFL rule on what is or is not a catch cannot be changed.

Five Ways to Fix the Dumbest Rule in Football - Rodger Sherman, The Ringer
This goes back a few weeks but seems appropriate considering this rule provided the Cowboys with the victory Sunday night. Sherman discusses the end zone fumble rule and provides some options on how to fix it.

The Reverse Touchback

How it would work: After a player fumbles out of the end zone, the ball would be moved back to the 20-yard line as it is now. In this case, though, the fumbling team would keep possession.

The pros: The team that fumbles would lose field position as a result of its error. This solution feels more sensible than the current rule: It’d punish the fumbling team, but it wouldn’t award possession to an opposing team that didn’t recover that fumble.

The cons: The 20-yard line might be too close to discourage players from being reckless with the ball near the goal line. Why not move the starting field position back to the 30, 35, or 50?

The man arguably most responsible for Cowboys' win; a troubling reality about Dallas' defense - Bob Sturm, SportsDay
As always, the Sturminator is a must-read as he breaks down the craziness from Sunday night.

No, it was not aesthetically pleasing to the eye at all points. No, coaching clinics on how football is supposed to be played are not likely to be based on this contest. And no, it will not rank among the most important games on the way to the Super Bowl.

But for me, Cowboys-Raiders was about as memorable a game as you can possibly offer. And for the Cowboys to survive it -- however much Lady Luck had to intervene -- suggests that perhaps the coffin is not completely closed on 2017 after all.

After That, Could Destiny Be Knocking On Cowboys’ Door - DallasCowboys.com
Mickey Spagnola talks about the voodoo-like outcome from Sunday's affair.

Seriously, who the heck has ever heard of a walk-off touchback? Home runs, yes. Field goals, sure. Hail Marys, of course.

But a quarterback racing for the end zone from the 8-yard line, just more than a half-minute to play, down three, getting inside the 5 and deciding to not only dive for the goal line, but as he does so extend the ball to reach inside the pylon while getting hit from the side, then losing his grip on the ball that’s now at the 1-yard line, and that sonofagun rolls just inside the pylon, over the goal line and out of bounds.

“My daughter (Charlotte) and son (Jerry Jr.) both hollered, ‘That’s a touchback,’” Jones said, and knowing “if so, we win the game.”