The Dallas Cowboys have added several prominent players by external means since the offseason, and so far, they have given the Cowboys a big boost to elevate the roster. No one looked happier to see it play out on the field than Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, brimming with excitement as he saw his roster additions crush the Las Vegas Raiders.
With the win, Dallas moved just one game back of a .500 record, ahead of a pivotal home date against the Philadelphia Eagles. The offense provided several explosive plays in the passing game, and the offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage to open holes for Javonte Williams.
Dallas’ new-look defense grounded the Raiders’ offense to easily cruise for the win on a night filled with emotions for America’s Team. Here are the prominent players who guided Dallas to their fourth win of the season.
George Pickens
In a disciplinary move that was deemed a coach’s decision, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens started the game’s opening drive on the bench. As expected, the offense struggled, yet once Pickens got on the field, he was unstoppable. Like his counterpart, Lamb, Pickens is a very quarterback-friendly target. He doesn’t get enough credit for his intelligence and understanding when to throttle down routes in the soft spot of a zone defense.
He was just in the right place, at the right time, all night. Pickens ran excellent patterns and got great releases off the line of scrimmage. You knew at some point he was going to score. Earlier in the game, Pickens made a great effort on a deep pass toward the end zone, hauling in the ball with one hand, but his feet were inches out of bounds. He stood up and motioned to the Raiders defender in coverage how close he was to a highlight reel play. Sure enough, he made one shortly thereafter and did so in style.
On his 37-yard touchdown, Pickens did a great job of creating separation after the catch from Kyu Blu Kelly and then made a lateral cut to elude the defense for the touchdown. All night, Pickens was fighting off defenders and turning good gains into great ones. When Dak Prescott needed a play, Pickens was his favorite target. The two connected for nine receptions for 144 yards. We’ve seen enough. Open up the wallet, and pay the man.
Quinnen Williams
When you make a trade like the Cowboys did at the deadline, you’re going to want to see an immediate return on investment. So far, Quinnen Williams has proved he was worth the cost of doing business, and the Cowboys are already starting to get what they paid for.
Williams said that he picked up the team’s playbook in a matter of days, and it showed as he was very comfortable acclimating himself on the field. Williams’ power and quickness were too much for the Raiders to handle. Will Putnam was filling in at center for Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Williams smelled blood in the water.
Putnam and the Raiders’ offensive line were outmatched by Williams’ strength and gave Geno Smith nowhere to step up, giving Williams’ defensive cohorts a chance to make the plays like when Williams drove Geno Smith back into the waiting arms of James Houston for a sack. Also, his impact in the running game helped the Cowboys make rookie running back Ashton Jeanty a non-factor. Jeanty rushed six times for a total of seven yards. On the night, Williams had 1.5 sacks and five quarterback hits to cap off his Cowboys debut. Welcome to Dallas, Mr. Williams.
Dak Prescott
After an eventful few weeks for the Cowboys, they needed to come together as a team and win, knowing their leadership was going to be tested. Dak Prescott proved why he’s the anchor for his team. After an early 3-and-out and Prescott making the mistake of holding the ball too long, which allowed a forced fumble from Maxx Crosby, you started to wonder if things would get out of hand like they had in the weeks prior. Instead Prescott righted the ship and caught fire conducting the offense.
He made plays to escape the pocket and give receivers an extra moment to get open. Prescott was dialed in and picked apart the Raiders’ secondary. He completed four touchdown passes to four different receivers and threw for 268 yards (QBR of 86.7), and completing 75 percent of his passes. Prescott’s hype for MVP has tapered off, coinciding with the team’s recent losses, but these are the types of games that could see his name reenter the conversation. More importantly, these are the games that the Cowboys will need from Prescott if they hope to pull off an improbable march to the postseason.
See More:
