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Tony Romo snapped the Cowboys from their offensive slumber by leading them to a season-high 494 yards, with Miles Austin delivering 145 yards and a touchdown, sending Dallas to a 24-7 victory over Oakland on Thursday.

The Raiders have to learn to build momentum.



For the third time this season, Oakland has followed up a win with a complete beating. Oakland stunned Cincinnati on Sunday.



The Raiders had high hopes going into Dallas, but they couldn’t muster any type of competitive attack in a game that was never close. Dallas had its way with Oakland all game long.



The Raiders are now 3-8. They lost by a total of 75 points in the three games following victories this season. Oakland just can’t get on a roll.

A few final nuggets on the Packers’ 34-12 victory at Detroit:

• I know I teased some discussion of Thursday’s quarterback play, but I can’t start with anything other than the performance of Green Bay cornerback Charles Woodson. Unofficially, Woodson finished with seven tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a sack. He returned the second interception 38 yards for a touchdown to ice the game. That’s how a superstar responds when another starter at his position, in this case Al Harris, is lost for the season. I’ve got Woodson at the top of my list for NFL defensive player of the Yyar. How about you?
• We feared for the Lions’ pass defense before the game, and to little surprise, it couldn’t keep up with the Packers’ offense. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 71.7 percent of his passes (28-of-39) for 348 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers took only one sack and typically had as much time as he needed to throw.
• Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was in obvious pain at the end of the game, but it was clear he wouldn’t take himself out despite a separated left shoulder. To me, that’s where someone above him — an offensive coordinator or a head coach — has to step in and say something along the lines of, “Great effort, Matt. Now get well.” Unfortunately, no one did, and Stafford finished the game with four interceptions and a 46.5 completion percentage. Did the injury impact his play? I don’t have any direct evidence, but it’s certainly easy to make that connection if you wish. I’m impressed with Stafford’s toughness but unconvinced this display was necessary. That’s why you have backups.
• It was also very clear that Lions receiver Calvin Johnson was nowhere close to full speed, mostly because of what appears to be a lingering knee injury. Again, there is much to be respected about a player who finds a way to get himself on the field. But Johnson was significantly, significantly limited.
• I should amend my earlier note on the pregame discussion between Lions general manager Martin Mayhew and backup quarterback Daunte Culpepper. John Niyo of the Detroit News, who was at Ford Field, tweeted that team president Tom Lewand and Culpepper later shook hands.
• Ok, gang. That’s it for today. Everyone please have a happy and safe holiday.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Cowboys on Thanksgiving found the perfect solution for an offensive slump: the Oakland Raiders‘ secondary. Contrary to what I’d been told, the Raiders’ cornerbacks were no match for Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin.



After being corralled the past three games, Austin busted out for seven catches, 145 yards and a touchdown. Austin beat Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha early in the game on a slant pass — and he continued overwhelming anyone the Raiders lined up against him. Austin actually scored twice, but one of them was overturned by the officials. He came right back and scored a couple of plays later on a short touchdown pass.



It was also a huge game for Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, who was questionable with a left foot sprain. He showed no signs of the injury in catching five passes for 107 yards. It was the first time he’s surpassed the 100-yard mark this season.



Cowboys running back Felix Jones broke free for a 46-yard touchdown in the first half. He high-stepped his way out of Chris Johnson‘s clutches during the final 10 yards of the run. The Cowboys’ defense kept Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski from getting in any type of rhythm. It’s the second time Gradkowski has lost on Thanksgiving to the Cowboys, with his first loss coming when he was with the Bucs.



Make no mistake: The Raiders are a bad football team, but it’s still significant that the Cowboys made some big plays on offense. Austin is a threat to turn any pass into a long touchdown and that makes the Cowboys dangerous. At 8-3, Dallas now begins the month that has haunted them for years. This season will be decided in December, a time when the Cowboys normally go belly up.



They’ll face a schedule that includes the Giants, Chargers and Saints in that fateful month. But they did what they had to do against the Raiders. I’ll return with a game column in a couple of hours. Thanks for your participation today.

Take a look at shots from the NFL’s 12th week of play in 2009.

Aaron Rodgers matched a career high with 3 touchdown passes and Green Bay beat Detroit 34-12 on Thursday, giving the Packers 3 straight wins and improving their playoff prospects. Detroit lost its 6th straight game on Thanksgiving.

Green Bay maintained its status in the NFC’s postseason race with its thorough victory Thursday at Ford Field.



The Packers will take a 7-4 record into the weekend, a mark the New York Giants and Philadelphia must match to keep pace as we head into the playoff run. The Giants play at Denver this evening, while the Eagles host Washington on Sunday. Green Bay, New York and Philadelphia comprise the top tier of teams competing for the NFC’s two wild-card berths.



Check back in a bit for some more detailed thoughts and observations about Thursday’s victory over Detroit, including a look at the, uh, dissimilar performances from the two starting quarterbacks.

A few halftime thoughts from NFC North headquarters:

• I haven’t seen any overt evidence that Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford is favoring his separated left shoulder, but I know I was cringing during the Lions’ final drive of the half. On the sack by Green Bay cornerback Charles Woodson, it looked like Stafford protected his left shoulder by turning his right shoulder toward Woodson. Putting your throwing shoulder in harm’s way is not ideal. The hit Stafford took from Brad Jones and Johnny Jolly on the next play was pretty violent, as was Clay Matthews’ sack. All in all, Stafford got roughed up a lot relative to the Lions holding the ball for only 10:38.
• I’m not sure what to make of the televised confrontation between Lions general manager Martin Mayhew and backup quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Actually, it was more of a one-sided lecture from Mayhew, who appeared pretty animated before storming off. FOX’s Pam Oliver reported Culpepper was deeply disappointed not to start the game, but it’s impossible to know the entire circumstance of their conversation. But it’s never a good thing for a player when the general manager is yelling at you before a game.
• The Lions’ strong red zone defense — or, more accurately, the Packers’ weak red zone offense — is the only thing keeping this game close. Green Bay has rolled to 256 offensive yards and hasn’t punted yet. But they’ve had to settle for three field goal attempts by Mason Crosby, who was wide right on a 43-yarder but converted from 25 and 20 yards. The Packers really should be disappointed not to have at least 20 points.
• This is easily the most time Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has had to throw this season. I’ve only seen him get touched once, a near-late hit by linebacker Larry Foote on a blitz. Otherwise, Rodgers has picked the Lions apart and has 204 passing yards at halftime.
• The Lions don’t seem to have enough firepower without tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who left with a knee injury during the game’s first series. Their only score came after recovering Jordy Nelson’s fumble on the Packers’ 20-yard line after the opening kickoff. Stranger things have happened, but they’re going to need similar help if they’re going to score more points in the second half.