It was a return to the familiar, in a lot of ways, for the Cowboys on Monday night. Playing for the first time since the tragic loss of Marshawn Kneeland, Dallas looked confident and in control as they beat the Raiders 33-16 on Monday Night Football. Afterwards, down on the field, Dak Prescott spoke about how the experience was a form of healing for not only him but the team as a whole.
Getting back into that rhythm after the bye, the shakeup of the roster at the trade deadline, and the emotional whiplash of Kneeland’s passing was a big step for the team. As Brian Schottenheimer previously said, they weren’t moving on but moving forward. And by winning, they not only honored their teammate but also managed to snap a two-game losing streak.
It’s hard to compartmentalize in the wake of something like this, but the rest of the football season remains, and the Cowboys are pushing forward despite everything. And in that regard, their play on Monday night offered legitimate hope.
It started off with some confusion, though. The Cowboys got the ball to start, and everyone quickly noticed that neither CeeDee Lamb nor George Pickens were on the field at all. Dallas quickly went three-and-out, and sideline reporter Lisa Salters confirmed it was a coach’s decision and nothing to do with an injury.
That brought up the first look at this new Dallas defense, featuring newly-minted Cowboys Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson, on top of three players – DeMarvion Overshown, Shavon Revel, and Malik Hooker – returning from injury. Caelen Carson also got the start at outside cornerback in place of Kaiir Elam.
The changes seemed to work. The Raiders punted after just four plays. Then, when the Dallas defense came back onto the field in the shadow of their own goal post following a strip sack of Dak Prescott, they held the Raiders to -2 yards and a field goal.
In fact, the Cowboys wouldn’t give up a single touchdown until the fourth quarter, and even then it came on a drive that took 14 plays and two fourth-down conversions. By that point, the Cowboys also held a dominant 31-9 lead and were content to milk the clock by giving up dink-and-dunk passes to Las Vegas.
The defense was a big part of the early lead, but the Cowboys offense woke up in the second quarter after a rough start. Pickens had consecutive big plays to kickstart a drive, and then Prescott found Lamb in the endzone for a touchdown. Their next drive saw more big plays to Pickens, as well as a couple to Lamb, before Jake Ferguson snagged a touchdown.
One drive later, an incomplete pass to Lamb was erased by a pass interference call on the Raiders. Two plays later, Prescott hit Pickens on a quick dig, and the freak athleticism of the receiver took over.
That helped the Cowboys take a 24-9 lead into halftime, and they continued to pour it on in the third quarter. The defense forced a three-and-out to start, and then Dallas engineered a seven-minute drive that ended with a touchdown pass – Prescott’s fourth on the night – to Ryan Flournoy.
There was a brief moment – emphasis on “brief” – when the tide looked to be shifting. After the Raiders’ first touchdown of the game, the Cowboys went three-and-out, but a fortuitous punt from Bryan Anger set Geno Smith and company up at their own 2-yard line. A false start backed them up one more yard, and then a run for Ashton Jeanty quickly ended in disaster for the silver and black.
Had the Raiders been able to go down the field and score a touchdown there, things would have gotten interesting, and not in the good way. But the safety from Donovan Ezeiruaku all but sealed this game up for the Cowboys.
It was, by far, their most complete win of the year. Prescott returned to form, and the offense dominated with him, but the defense looked legitimately good. Granted, many defenses have looked great against the Raiders this year, but the level of improvement on display Monday night was about more than just facing a bad offense.
Perhaps more than anything, though, it offered the defensive players hope. They’re not completely unsalvageable, and neither is the season. The hard part comes next, but getting the win here was the first step on a long journey, and they took care of business with a national television audience watching. That has to count for something.
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