Raiders Head to Dallas

THIS WEEK: The Oakland Raiders, members of the American Football Conference Western Division, face the NFC East Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. The Silver and Black took on each AFC West team in the first three weeks of the 2009 regular season and played the Chiefs in Kansas City in Week Two on September 20.

TELEVISION: The game will be televised on CBS with Jim Nantz providing play-by-play and former NFL player Phil Simms handling color analysis. The game will air in the Bay Area on KPIX Channel 5 and in Sacramento on KOVR Channel 13.

RADIO: The game will air on Raiders Radio originating on KSFO 560 AM, the Silver and Black’s Flagship for the multi-state Radio Network. Greg Papa and former Raiders player, assistant and head coach Tom Flores will man the booth for the 12^th straight year. The radio pregame show and postgame show will feature Raider Legends George Atkinson and David Humm along with KSFO’s Rich Walcoff.

SPANISH RADIO: Raider games air in Spanish on radio station La Kaliente, KZSF 1370 AM. Armando Botello and Angel Dinamita handle announcing duties.

NATIONAL RADIO: In addition, Westwood One/CBS Radio will air the game nationally with Howard David, Dan Reeves and Kevin Kiley handling announcing duties.

CONNECTIONS

RAIDERS: DE Greg Ellis played 11 seasons for the Cowboys (1998-2008)…SS Tyvon Branch and Cowboys FB Deon Anderson played together at UConn…RB Darren McFadden and Cowboys RB Felix Jones played together at Arkansas…CB Nnamdi Asomugha and T Langston Walker were teammates of Cowboys LS L.P. Ladecour at California…WR Darrius Heyward-Bey and Cowboys RB Keon Lattimore were teammates at Maryland…S Michael Huff and Cowboys WR Roy Williams were teammates at Texas…QB JaMarcus Russell and Cowboys DE Marcus Spears were teammates at LSU…Former Raiders FB and current player personnel executive Zack Crockett played for Dallas in 2007…Quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett served as an assistant coach for the Cowboys from 1986-88…DE Jay Richardson and Cowboys LB Bobby Carpenter were teammates at Ohio State.

COWBOYS: Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson played two seasons for the Raiders…Running backs coach Skip Peete spent nine years in the same capacity with the Raiders …S Courtney Brown is from Berkeley and attended St. Mary’s High School…Secondary coach Dave Campo coached Raiders DE Greg Ellis during his first term in Dallas as defensive coordinator and head coach (1998-2002)…Wide receivers coach Ray Sherman coached Raiders’ WR Javon Walker in Green Bay…DE Igor Olshansky is a native of San Francisco.

SERIES: The Raiders hold a 6-3 lead over Dallas in league games played and have won three straight regular season meetings against the Cowboys. In addition, the teams have met 26 times in the preseason with the Silver and Black holding a 17-9 advantage. The Raiders defeated the Cowboys, 31-10, in Oakland in the 2009 preseason opener. The teams met in the preseason in consecutive years from 1972-76, 1986-91 and from 1993-2004.

LAST TIME: The Oakland Raiders defeated the Dallas Cowboys 19-13 at McAfee Coliseum on October 2, 2005. RB LaMont Jordan rushed for 126 yards and a TD. WR Randy Moss caught four balls for 123 yards and K Sebastian Janikowski booted four FGs. The Raider defense contributed four sacks—by SS Derrick Gibson, DT Warren Sapp and two by DE Derrick Burgess. On the Raiders second play of the game QB Kerry Collins hit Moss for a 79-yard gain helping to set-up a 30-yard FG from Janikowski and a 3-0 Raiders lead. In the second quarter, Jordan scored on a 2-yard TD run giving the Raiders a 10-0 advantage. The Raiders took a 10-3 lead into the half before the teams exchanged FGs in the third quarter putting the Raiders out in front 13-6 heading into the final quarter of play. A 49-yard FG from Janikowski gave the Raiders a 16-6 lead. The Cowboys got to within 16-13 before Janikowski’s field goal from 43 yards, pushing the Raider lead to 19-13.

RAIDERS ON THANKSGIVING: The Oakland Raiders will play on Thanksgiving Day for the first time since 1970. The Raiders are 3-2 in Thanksgiving Day games. The Raiders had their 1963 game moved to Thanksgiving (November 28) after the American Football League cancelled all games the prior Sunday following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

LAST WEEK: The Oakland Raiders defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-17, at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. In his first start as a Raider, QB Bruce Gradkowski threw two touchdowns—a 10-yarder to TE Zach Miller and a game-tying 29-yarder to WR Louis Murphy in the fourth quarter. Following a forced fumble and recovery by TE Brandon Myers, Janikowski kicked a game-winning 33-yard field goal, his second on the day after converting on a 52-yarder in the third quarter.

NEXT WEEK: The Raiders travel to Pittsburgh to face the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers on Sunday, December 6 at Heinz Field.