Football is a game of inches, but sometimes it’s a game of stationery. If you mention the Dallas Cowboys Oakland Raiders game to any fan who watched it on December 17, 2017, they won’t talk about the playoff implications or Dak Prescott’s scrambles first. They’ll talk about Gene Steratore and a folded piece of paper.
It was weird. Honestly, it was one of the most bizarre officiating moments in the history of the NFL. You had a high-stakes Sunday Night Football matchup in Oakland—a place that always feels a bit like a gladiatorial pit—and the entire outcome basically hinged on whether a folded index card could fit between the ball and a orange stick.
The Measurement That Broke the Internet
Let’s set the scene. The score was tied 17-17 in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys were facing a fourth-and-1 at their own 39-yard line. Jason Garrett, in a rare moment of pure aggression, decided to go for it. Dak Prescott went for the quarterback sneak. He got hit immediately. The pile was massive. When the dust settled, the ball was so close to the line to gain that the chain gang had to come out.
Usually, the referee looks at the link and makes a call. Not this time.
Gene Steratore, a veteran ref with a bit of a flair for the dramatic, reached into his pocket. He pulled out an index card. He slid it between the nose of the football and the tip of the rod. It didn't slide through freely. Because the card stayed put, Steratore ruled it a first down. Dallas kept the drive alive, eventually kicked a field goal, and won the game 20-17. Raiders fans were livid. Heck, most neutral fans were just confused.
It felt like a glitch in the Matrix. We have billion-dollar stadiums and high-speed cameras, yet we’re using a piece of paper from a 7-Eleven notepad to decide a multimillion-dollar game?
Why the Raiders Still Feel Robbed
Oakland’s frustration didn't just stem from the "paper thin" margin. It was the Derek Carr fumble.
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Later in that same game, with the Raiders trailing by three and less than a minute left, Carr did something both heroic and catastrophic. He scrambled toward the right pylon. He dived. He reached out with one hand to break the plane of the goal line. But the ball slipped. It fumbled out of bounds through the end zone.
By rule, that’s a touchback. Dallas ball. Game over.
You’ve got two massive plays defined by the narrowest margins imaginable. On one end, a Cowboys first down confirmed by a piece of paper. On the other, a Raiders touchdown lost by a few inches of grass before the pylon. It was a cruel way for Oakland to see their playoff hopes essentially evaporate. That 2017 season was supposed to be a follow-up to their 12-4 run in 2016, but instead, it became a year defined by "what ifs" and "almosts."
Digging Into the Dallas Cowboys Oakland Raiders Game History
While 2017 is the one everyone remembers because of the meme-worthy officiating, this matchup has always been spicy. These teams don't play often because they are in different conferences, but when they do, it’s usually chaotic.
Think back to the "Thanksgiving Classic" in 2013. The Raiders actually led that game early. Rashad Jennings was carving up the Cowboys defense. But Dallas roared back, thanks to DeMarco Murray scoring three touchdowns. It’s funny looking back at those rosters. You had Matt McGloin starting at QB for Oakland. Tony Romo was still the man in Dallas. It was a bridge era for both franchises, yet the game still drew massive ratings because, well, it’s the Cowboys and the Raiders. Two of the most polarizing "villain" brands in the sport.
The 2021 Thanksgiving game was another banger. By then, the Raiders had moved to Las Vegas. They walked into AT&T Stadium and won a 36-33 overtime thriller. That game featured a ridiculous amount of penalty yardage—276 yards total between both teams. It was ugly, physical, and absolutely gripping. Anthony Brown, the Cowboys corner, got flagged four times for pass interference. It felt like the refs were the stars of the show again, which seems to be a recurring theme when these two logos meet.
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The Cultural Weight of the Matchup
Why does the Dallas Cowboys Oakland Raiders game (even now that they are in Vegas) move the needle so much?
It’s the aesthetics. The Silver and Black vs. the America’s Team star. It’s the 1970s nostalgia. These were the teams that defined the post-merger NFL. Al Davis vs. Tom Landry. It was the outlaw vs. the establishment. Even though the personnel changes every few years, that "vibe" stays. When they play, it feels like a heavyweight fight even if both teams are having an off year.
The 2017 game specifically marked the end of an era for Oakland. It was one of the last truly meaningful games played at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum before the move to Nevada. That stadium was gritty. It had the dirt infield from the A's games. It was loud, it smelled like charcoal, and it was intimidating. Seeing the Cowboys, with their pristine uniforms and "corporate" image, try to survive in that environment was peak NFL entertainment.
What We Learned About NFL Rules
The "Index Card Incident" actually forced the NFL to clarify some things. Al Riveron, who was the Senior VP of Officiating at the time, had to come out and explain that Steratore didn't technically use the card to make the decision—he supposedly used it as a "reaffirmation" of what he already saw.
Nobody bought that.
If you see something with your eyes, you don't need a piece of cardstock to prove it. It highlighted the desperate need for better technology in ball spotting. Since then, we've seen more talk about optical tracking and chips in the footballs. We are in 2026 now, and while the tech has improved, we still see officials struggling with the spot of the ball. The 2017 Dallas-Oakland game remains the "Exhibit A" for why the old-school chain system is flawed.
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Key Takeaways from the Rivalry
If you're looking back at this specific matchup, here's the reality:
- The Cowboys usually find a way. Whether it's a controversial spot or a big fourth-quarter drive, Dallas has a knack for escaping these games with narrow wins.
- The Raiders are the kings of heartbreak. From the Derek Carr fumble-touchback to the index card, their history against Dallas is a catalog of "so close yet so far."
- Officiating will always be the story. For some reason, these games attract high-penalty counts and bizarre rules interpretations.
The next time these two teams meet, don't look at the stats. Don't look at the point spread. Just look at the sidelines. Watch the refs. Because if history is any indication, something weird is going to happen that will have us talking for the next decade.
How to Analyze Future Matchups
To get a real edge when these teams play, stop looking at the "Star" players alone. Focus on the turnover margin. In the last three meetings, the winner was the team that protected the ball in the final two minutes. Also, pay attention to the venue. The Cowboys play much differently in the climate-controlled "Jerry World" than they do in "black hole" environments where the crowd is on top of the field.
Keep an eye on the injury report specifically for interior defensive linemen. In both the 2017 and 2021 games, the ability (or inability) to stop the inside run dictated the pace. If Dallas can't establish the run early, they become predictable, and that's when the Raiders' pass rush historically tees off.
The Dallas Cowboys vs. the Raiders isn't just a game. It's a reminder that in the NFL, your entire season can be decided by a piece of paper or a fumble into a pylon. That’s the beauty, and the absolute misery, of the sport.