Oakland Raiders: Five Things They Must Do To Beat The Cowboys

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And Speaking of Dak…

The Cowboys offense hasn’t been anywhere near the same without Elliott and that is even more true in the case of Dak Prescott.

Before Elliott’s suspension, Prescott was averaging 223 passing yards per game. And the Cowboys offense as a whole, was rolling along, averaging 371 yards and 28 points a game.

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Without Elliott though, Prescott and the offense have sputtered. Their per game average is down to 287 total yards and they’re scoring just 18 points. Prescott seems to be suffering mightily without his workhorse back, his per game average dipping to 166 passing yards in Elliott’s absence.

Dallas’ offense though, showed some signs of life last week in their 30-10 beatdown of the Giants. Prescott threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns – though, it was against the Giants, so it’s hardly anything to write home about.

That being said, the Raiders are going to have to step up big time. They’re going to have to find a way to contain him, keep him from beating them deep, and give him nothing. The defense is going to have to be smart and also be very aggressive in attacking him. They must be aware that Prescott is a threat with his arm as well as with his legs.

Pagano’s unit is going to have to play tight coverage on his pass catchers and also get the pass rushers in his face early and often. The defense is seeing a bit of a resurgence with Pagano calling the shots, notching 12 sacks over the past three games – as opposed to the 14 sacks they notched in ten games under Norton.

The defense needs to take away the run game, plus they need to focus on neutralizing Prescott’s effectiveness overall.

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