sirles and crawford. >> referee: false start, offense, number 78. five-yard penalty. and replay the try. >> al: sirles, the right tackle. >> cris: sirles moved first. may have been a little movement. but unless you cross that line, it doesn't matter. >> al: now, you have got the 7 yard line, they flex the tight end, rudolph, all the way to bradford looks over the middle. and whoa. where was that? ten feet high. not even close to keep it at 17-15. and obviously, they try an onside kick and if dallas recovers, that will be that. >> cris: let's see if sam bradford can get this in on the

been called. should have been called, a blow to the helmet of the quarterback. enough force we've seen those called. and sam bradford calling for it. tony corrente did not see it. it was to the shoulder pads. it was not. >> al: not at all. that was cedric thornton, getting away with it. corrente doesn't see the shoulder pad as we see. and they get away the it. >> cris: the arm on the shoulder pad blocked the arm on the face mask, from the view of corrente, back off of the quarterback's right. >> al: we know a lot of you joined us late. mike zimmer underwent emergency eye surgery.

has to be at home. priefer is the interim head coach. and onside kick will determine if this game will go on or not. and witten hasn't caught a ball tonight. but he makes the catch there. so, the streak will be over. but the dallas cowboys are going to be on their way to another win. i just want to quickly acknowledge graham tinker passing at the age of 90. he was instrumental of building nbc into a tremendous network a beloved man by everybody who worked for him and all of his pals. our sympathies to the family. he was a special human being. >> cris: got a chance to meet him, thanks to you. it was great. >> al: he was something else. the dallas cowboys will get the weekend off. their next game is a week from sunday night, against the giants

so, we will be there for that one. will go in there 11-1. the giants are 8-3. pittsburgh coming up on sunday, to try to keep pace with them. only loss this season for the cowboys was to the giants, by one point on opening day. so, find out about mike zimmer and minnesota's next game is a week from sunday. they two to jacksonville. whether mike can make it or not, we don't know. bradford trying to lead that but coming up next, the volkswagen postgame report. "thursday night football"

everyone in town eats at jim's place like mike over there. we handle payroll deposits for his hardware store. or capt. tally. we helped finance the new equipment at his marina. and that's jim. we helped him add three more jim's places across the state. but today, i'm not here as their banker. i'm here for jim's pie. because we live here, too.

welcome to "the folks volkswagen gulf alltrack game report." >> the minnesota v zeke elliott to less than 90 yards rushing since week two. and yet, the dallas cowboys emerge with their 11th-consecutive victory here on "thursday night football." winning a football game. a tight one, 17-15, here in minnesota. heather cox, moments ago, with dak prescott. >> you came into a hostile environment, on the road against a top two defense.

we played a great defense. but we always believe in ourselves. and we stuck together after some turnovers, some bad things happen. things didn't go our way. but we stayed together. >> 11-consecutive wins. and we talked yesterday. there's no stage too big. what's the key to you staying so composed and so confident during this run? >> my teammates and coaches. we have a great group of veterans that have been here that have done this. just keep us all under control, just allow us to go out and have >> congratulations. let's go upstairs to al. >> thank you, heather. a year that starts with tony romo in preseason. and opening-day loss to the giants. they're a team you can see it now. and they figure out different ways to win the game. and they certainly did tonight. >> let's say this. that was an ugly game tonight, for the dallas cowboys. they did it in an atypical fashion tonight because the time

favor of the minnesota vikings. mistakes and penalties. and end drives. they found a way to win. and as much as anything tonight, they went on special teams. it was the big turnover down there, that led to the go ahead touchdown. special teams, a big difference all night tonight. >> the irony in that, was zimmer not able to coach. and priefer the interim head coach. the one special teams guy that works with everybody. and the thielen play, that was really close, was the play of there. this is an offense that is struggling to put something together. they did on occasion. and did it on the two-point conversion and get the penalty. and don't catch a break on the officials from the last one. >> dallas, 11-1. and minnesota at .500 after the great start. they are 6-6. we'll have more of the postgame report when we come back to

"when the ship comes in" by the hollies ? oh the fishes will laugh as they swim out of the path ? ? and the seagulls they'll be smilin ? ? and the rocks on the sand ? it's so peaceful out here. yeah. introducing the new turbocharged volkswagen alltrack with 4motion? all-wheel drive. thank you for watching "the volkswagen gulf all you know track" postgame report. >> it's on to "sunday night football." we go to seattle, which means carolina against seat. you got cam newton. you have russell wilson, next thursday night.

oakland on the afc west. and kansas city off of a thrilling win, sunday night against denver. that's your action coming up over the next week on nbc. ? coming up next on nbc, except on the west coast, the late local news. our entire crew, good night from minneapolis. nbc sports thanks you for watching this special presentation of the national football league. whoa, this is awful, try it. oh no, that looks gross what is that? you gotta try it, it's terrible. i don't wanna try it if it's terrible. it's like mango chutney and burnt hair. no thank you, i have a very sensitive palate. just try it! guys, i think we should hurry up. if you taste something bad, you want someone else to try it. it's what you do.

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rino at 11:00. >> thieves at the door. are you an easy target? >> it's described as the war zone, a new drone's eye view of the destruction in gatlinburg. >> reporter: i'm jeff patterson in havanna, cuba. coming up we'll show you the profound impact the funeral procession of fidel castro is having on many cubans. >> good evening. i'm jennifer leigh. >> i'm keith cate. thank you for joining us tonight. first up tonight thieves at the door.

we are making it too easy for them to steal what they want when they want it. peter bernard is on the night beat in largo. how are we supposed to protect ourselves or protect the loot, if you will? >> reporter: keith, we are all vulnerable to this kind of crime and this time of year those porch pirates are out there looking for their next big score. it's the time of year when trucks like this are zooming around neighborhoods delivering holiday packages. many items they leave on he are valuable gifts. >> we've had a ups product left on our porch and someone took it. it came in and that was that. >> reporter: dave kovar knows the feeling of a thief getting to his package before he did. it happens all too often this time of year and as we've seen, security cameras often catch crooks in the act, but it's still a headache to deal with. >> to me my concern was i looked like i was faking it, i

locker outside a convenience store scattered throughout the bay area. you have your package delivered here instead of your house. then use a code to open the door. other ways to keep the porch pirates away include having your package sent to a neighbor or your job location. make a note to have the ups driver hide them behind a bush or in a side yard. use a ups access point or amazon locker or get a text or e-mail when your stuff arrives so someone can go pick it video helps. >> on facebook people put on facebook like have you ever seen this person, you know, stealing a package off my porch? >> reporter: a holiday theft can really put a damper on the season. >> it's horrible. it's absolutely horrible. >> reporter: it is horrible. a ups spokesman says those cameras people have at a lot of houses, you probably have one yourself, they do act as a deterrent, but some of the porch pirates don't even care if they're on camera when they go and snatch that stuff.

thanks. for the first time in six years a convicted killer is a free man. a judge granted trevor duly a $100,000 bond while he appeals his manslaughter conviction. dooly shot and killed david james over an argument involving a skate board. he was granted an appeal based on problems with jury instructions during his trial. clean-up is under way at a beloved rec center that burned down in hillsborough county. flames tore through the park recreation center before 3 a.m. today. 30 firefighters battled the fire over an hour. there is still no word what caused that fire. ashes and agony in the great smoky mountains, tonight families are holding out home for those still missing in gatlinburg. so far 10 people have been killed, another 53 injured in these fires which officials believe were started by someone, maybe on purpose. over 400 structures have been

rainfall. fire crews warn it's not enough to stop the fires from spreading and the city is still in danger. we have some drone video to show you tonight. this will provide a new perspective of the damage caused by this fire. there are burned houses, scorched trees and a smoke haze still over the area. a lot of residents are frustrated because they have not been allowed to go home and see the damage up close for themselves. officialsa open the main roads monday and allow people to slowly return to their properties next week. a new low tonight in pasco county, get a load of this. a funeral homeworker is under arrest after selling an elderly woman a fake burial flout. now sheriff's deputies are trying to figure out if there are more victims out here. chip osowski joins us live now from the pasco county sheriff's office in trinity. chip, this is certainly a concern for anyone with an older loved one. >> reporter: you're absolutely right, jen.

their money. earlier today i spoke exclusively to the woman who was scammed in this case. when 74-year-old ruth bachtalowsky had learned she was scammed, she wasn't angry or upset. >> i was p-oed. >> reporter: investigators tell us 49-year-old michael ritz worked for grace memorial gardens in hudson and ruth a plan for her final arrangements. >> i wrote him a check for $4,210 and he gave me a receipt. if it weren't for that receipt, i would have been just out of luck. >> reporter: when two unexpected bills came, she needed that money back and called ritz who gave her the run-around. the sheriff's office got involved and ritz was fired, but the story doesn't end there.

job at a tampa funeral home. >> i didn't know that. >> reporter: that's right. ritz's latest employer is the garden of memories funeral home in tampa. now sheriff's deputies are wondering if there are additional victims and, if, so how many? >> he claims today he did not do this at the new funeral home. of course, he just started today and as far residents and community, anybody that's had any dealings with this michael ritz at this facility, to contact us. >> reporter: you may be wondering why we aren't calling ruth a victim. after this funeral home realized what their employee was charged with doing, management there took money out of their own pockets and paid her back. >> well, that sounded like a generous thing to do. what do we know about the status of michael ritz at this point? >> reporter: well, he's

theft. deputies released him from the pasco county jail earlier this afternoon after he posted a $5,000 bond. i did also call his employer in tampa. that funeral home there, to find out what his employment status is there and i have not heard back. >> chip osowski live for us in pasco county tonight, thank you. now an 8 on your side special coverage, cuba mourns castro. tonight fidel's castro's remains are on a cuba. since tuesday the procession has been slowly making its way east across the island, crowds of cubans showing up across the island to show their respect. sunday will end the country's nine day mourning period. news channel 8's jeff patterson is the only tampa bay reporter in cuba. >> reporter: tonight the funeral procession of fidel castro continues to wind its way through this country eventually traveling more than

castro's cremated remains are pulled by a summer military jeep. his flag draped cedar coffin is surrounded by flowers as thousands and thousands of cubans line the streets to say farewell. this woman tells us she's very sad because he was the leader of the revolution, a figure for all of us. as the procession passes, some people cry openly in the procession begin its journey in havana. >> so i just started taking pictures and video and i was very surprised at the response as he came by. there were people crying. there were people -- it was very somber. people were clearly upset. >> reporter: he's here as part of a tour group with the tampa bay history center. historian rodney powell told me there are very few moments in american history like that the witnessed this week in cuba.

to springfield when lincoln died when he was assassinated to have that outpouring, really spontaneous outpouring of sorrow and wanting to be part of the events that sends the person into their final resting place. >> reporter: there are no statues and few images of fidel castro in havana. powell believes that will soon change. >> you didn't see fidel as an icon that would be on martin is that icon. i think you'll start seeing that now because they really revere only those that have passed. >> reporter: castro will be laid to rest this sunday. in havana, cuba, jeff patterson, news channel 8. >> jeff will continue his reporting from cuba tomorrow and saturday. you can watch his reports right here on news channel 8. new information, recordings from the colombian plane crash that killed 71 people showed that the pilot knew he was

the plane was about 8 miles from the airport when he knew something was wrong. the plane went down when the aircraft was just 3 miles away. many of those killed were members of brat zillion soccer team. tense -- the brazilian soccer team. tense moments in miami when a school bus nearly plowed into a home. four students and two adults were rushed to the hospital. the crash happened when the bus driver swerved to miss a car that didn't stop at a stop sign. instead he crashed into a is expected to survive. well, it is official. president-elect trump picking retired marine corps general james mattis to be secretary of defense. he was head of air force central command of macdill air force base between 2010 and 2014. em has four years of service in the marine corps and held key commands -- he has four years

afghanistan and iraq. president-elect trump promised to make good on campaign promises, the big ones including building a wall and took a shout at the media for doubting he could win. trump is focusing on one of the key issues that won him the white house and that is jobs. >> the era of economic surrender is over. we're going to fight for every last american job. it's time to remove the rust from the rust belt and a new industrial revolution. >> earlier in the day donald trump touring the indiana carrier plant where he negotiated a deal to keep about 1,100 jobs in the united states. still to come hackers are targeting android devices just in time for the holiday season. >> coming up next how some malicious apps are infecting millions of phones. >> plus take cover, security cameras capture a twister barreling through a school

fairly warm day given the time of year, our average 75 degrees, but a cold front is passing through. you'll probably feel that if you've been outside especially north of the bay. we'll talk about its effects

we have an 8 on your side consumer alert for more than 1.3 million phones have been infected by fake apps. these are apps that weren't downloaded from the google play store. they found someplace else. nearly 150,000 versions of the harmful software has already been blocked by google. you can read more information on hacked on www.wfla.com. we told you recently about the secret sister gift scam on facebook. it turns out it's actually illegal to participate. according to the u.s. postal service the scam, which is the

chain letters like secret sister that promise substantial reward for participating violate the postal lottery statute. changes are coming to starbucks but not to your favorite latte. chairman and chief executive officer howard schultz is stepping down. schultz isn't going away. in april he will focus on opening more innovative and high end starbucks shops. new tonight a sarasota bakery shop owner is trying to make a bitter situation a the owner of sift bakehouse wants to track down the person who vandalized her business with a bb gun. she's offering one free cake every month for the rest of your life if you can help her find the bad guy. amazon prime members can now add premium channels to their video streaming service. if you want hbo, it will cost an extra $15 a month on top of the $99 a year fee for amazon

price, but by signing up through amazon you'll be able to watch hbo shows without switching apps. cinemax is available through prime for $10 a month. nestle thinks a treat made with less sugar can taste just as sweet. the chocolate company wants to essentially hollow out the sugar particles reducing the sugar content in its items by about 40%. nestle hopes to roll out the a land o lakes couple was getting dozens of calls for papa john's pizzas. tonight the company has taken steps to remove google, bing and maps quests listings that had their home phone listed, what a pain. folks in lakeland getting in the christmas spirit tonight. the 36th annual christmas parade wrapped up a short time ago. more than 100 floats cruised

this year's theme was miracle on main street. the event is so popular many people claimed their spot along the parade route days ago by leaving their chairs there. now max defender 8, the world's most powerful radar, and your storm team 8 forecast with chief meteorologist steve jerve. >> incredible video to show you tonight out of cobb county, georgia, security cameras at the atlanta classical academy were rolling when a tornad national weather service confirms an ef1 tornado struck the area generally less than 100 mile-per-hour winds, but clearly can shake things up a little bit there. it's amazing what the security cameras can capture of not capturing much precipitation this hour. we have a front passing through the area, perhaps a few showers offshore maybe. otherwise cooler conditions overall with the front pushing through the area. in fact, our weekend weather, 79 degrees, starting to warm up by saturday, although saturday

kind of warm of late. i mentioned 80. we had 83 yesterday and by sunday back to 82 degrees again. don't forget we have kindness day coming up december 90 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. -- december 9th from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. you can drop off bears for the rough riders. toys for tots, brand new toys, food and, of course, blood all here at news channel 8. we'd love to see you. nice shot from chip landry tonight, bell creek and shot, great florida scene. robert in lucerne park, great lake shot and finally jackie with a shot of the crescent moon in the tampa area. clear enough skies to spot that. here's our eight-day forecast outlook. pretty close to normal in the forecast saturday and sunday. actually we're past midnight now. it's cycling ahead. 66 degrees the current temperature, dew point 56, north wind at 8 miles per hour. a look at current temps, 61

degrees in st. petersburg. so north to south we're seeing that change in temperature and also you can see 24 hours ago it was much warmer obviously. it's cooler now, 14 degrees cooler than it was 24 hours ago in crystal river and eventually folks farther south will feel that as well as the cool air continues to spill southward. a few showers offshore of the southeastern portion of florida. otherwise things clear out as high pressure builds into the region. high pressure will provide a stronger it will be breezy throughout the day on and off starting in the morning hours with sunshine mixed in. the same for the afternoon. our temperatures are very pleasant, pretty close to our average highs. a few clouds around, too. as we get into saturday, start the warming trend as we change those winds more easterly. that's just a natural warming trend for us when that happens. typical december temps in the 50s to start the day. in the afternoon fantastic fall day, comfortable and sunny

bradenton, northern spots perhaps a little bit cooler overall, 50 inverness, crystal river. skies clearing, a bit warmer. it takes a while for the southern folks to sample some of that cooler air. highs tomorrow upper 70s, generally very nice day overall, normal highs. then we start the warming trend again as we cruise into saturday and sunday, but still a very nice florida day. 60 degrees to start the day and overall maybe a saturday and sunday nice temperatures, 79, 82 and 83 degrees on monday. the warming trend carries through the weekend and we stick near 80 degrees. long term if you're looking for a real cooldown, we're getting an indication that may happen out eight days or beyond, maybe a rain chance ahead of that. very cold air across the country, so much chillier temperatures overall. >> that sounds kind of festive. >> yeah.

the college coaching rumor mihm, could usf's willy taggert be headed to oregon? >> the lightning, could they rally or will they be singing the blues in st. louis? >> help channel 8 support a number of worthy causes, the teddy bear roundup, toys for ft.s, feeding a studios at south parker street in tampa. oh, that's lovely... so graceful. the corkscrew spin, flawless... ...his signature move, the flying dutchman. poetry in motion. and there it is, the "baby bird". breathtaking. a sumo wrestler figure skating? surprising.