The Dallas Cowboys entered their Thanksgiving Day game against the Las Vegas Raiders in a pretty good spot. They were all but a lock to win the NFC East and were battling with Arizona, Tampa Bay, Green Bay and the Los Angeles Rams for NFC supremacy.

However, following a tough overtime loss Thursday, the Cowboys are left with a lot of unanswered questions.

Here are 4 key takeaways from the Cowboys loss on Thanksgiving to the Raiders.

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Cowboys takeaways from Week 12 Overtime Loss

4. Dallas needs to keep Tony Pollard involved

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the elite running backs in the NFL in Ezekiel Elliot. But, as the country found out on Thanksgiving, they also might have one of the best and most explosive backup running backs in the league.

Tony Pollard has shown flashes of brilliance when spelling Elliot. But he took on a crucial role on Thursday. Elliot has been nursing a knee injury he sustained in the Week 11 loss to Kansas City. 

Because of that, head coach Mike McCarthy talked about getting Pollard more work to keep Elliot fresh late in the game. Pollard rewarded his head coach. With the Cowboys trailing 24-13 mid way through the 3rd quarter, Pollard changed the game.

His 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown is the longest in Cowboys franchise history. That was not his only contribution. He looked like the best player on the field all game, for both teams.

Earlier in the game, Pollard caught a pass in the flat and made an extremely athletic move to dive for the goal line. It was initially ruled a touchdown, but after review, the ball was just short of the goal line. Elliot came in on the next play and poached his touchdown. Yes, Elliot poached. Pollard was the running back that entire drive and made play after play.

Overall, Pollard finished 36 yards rushing (also had a 32 yard rush called back due to a penalty), 32 yards receiving on four catches, and his kick return touchdown. He now leads the league in rushing of all players who have not started a game with 531 rushing yards.

As injuries and age mount against Elliot, the Cowboys have the luxury of having a premier tailback waiting in the wings.

3. The Cowboys defense is not as good as we thought

Everyone knows that the Cowboys have an elite offense. But the primary reason why many people thought this Dallas team could be different in the playoffs was because of the defense. Anchored by second year cornerback Trevon Diggs, it had appeared like the defensive unit had turned a corner.

We were reminded Thursday that might not be the case. The Raiders put up over 500 yards of offense against the Cowboys defense on Thanksgiving. Raiders wide receiver Desean Jackson is still finding ways to tear up the Dallas secondary.

He made a habit of that for years as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Thursday, he exposed them again, hauling in 3 passes for over 100 yards and this score. Hunter Renfroe also caught eight passes for 134 yards yards receiving. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr finished with 373 yards passing.

Keep in mind, they lost their primary offensive weapon, Darren Waller, to a knee injury in the first half.

It wasn't just the secondary that struggled Thursday. Raiders running back Josh Jacobs ran for 87 yards and a touchdown as Las Vegas compiled 143 yards on the ground.

If you step back and look at Cowboys defense for the season, there have been signs. They gave up 28 points to a putrid Carolina Panthers offense, 29 points to a mediocre New England Patriots offense and 30 points in a blowout loss to the Denver Broncos.

It seems to be more of a feast or famine defense and if they aren't turning you over, you can hit them with big plays. In order for Dallas to be considered a true Super Bowl contender, that might need to change.

2. The Cowboys desperately need Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb back

After watching the Cowboys loss Thursday, it was very clear quarterback Dak Prescott missed his top two receivers. If you just looked at the box score, you wouldn't assume so. After all, wide receivers Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson each went over 100 yards receiving.

But it was the things you don't see in a box score that hurt the offense. The receiving group had a number of drops, missed assignments and on 3rd down, Dak Prescott looked lost.

Dallas finished 3-13 on third down. It appeared Prescott didn't know where to go with the ball. As Las Vegas built its lead, all of the missed opportunities left Dallas in a tough spot.

1. Dallas winning the NFC East is no longer an automatic lock

This might sound crazy, but the NFC East has not been decided yet. It had been considered an after-thought a couple weeks into the season. Dallas would cruise to the division title.

After the loss to the Raiders, all of a sudden things are getting interesting.

According to 538, Dallas' chances at winning the division went from 77% (most people had it much higher) to 62%. That will drop to 57% if Philadelphia wins Sunday.

Part of the reason for that is the remaining schedule. Dallas has a soft schedule, as the Cardinals is the only team with a winning record left. But the Eagles schedule is even lighter. They play the Giants twice, Washington twice and the Jets before finishing the season against the Cowboys at home.

The Eagles have been playing much better lately and quarterback Jalen Hurts continues to improve. Dallas is still the favorite, of course, but this division is now in doubt.