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 […] 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. See More: Dallas Cowboys Scores & Results

Second Quarter The Cowboys were indeed threatening as the first quarter ended and made good on it shortly into the second. After hitting George Pickens just out of bounds in the endzone, Dak Prescott found CeeDee Lamb in the heart of it. SCORE: COWBOYS 10, RAIDERS 6 (Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb 18-yard touchdown) The […] The Dallas Cowboys picked up a much-needed win on Monday night. A trip out to Las Vegas, the first ever in the regular season for the franchise, to play the Raiders felt rather meaningless given the events that transpired since we last saw the Cowboys play a football game. The recent death of Marshawn Kneeland clearly hung over the Cowboys and will for some time, but the team played their hearts out while they were clearly hurting. It was an admirable performance on the field where the Cowboys had all sorts of success on both offense and defense. They scored touchdowns on every possession between the second and third quarters and in the process made the fourth quarter a formality more than anything. This team is now 4-5-1 and has a big date at home against the Eagles on Sunday before hosting the Chiefs for all the world to see on Thanksgiving. Those matters will come and we will deal with them as they do, but for now the Cowboys are winners for the first moment in some time and that feels good. Way to go, Cowboys. That was a job well done. First Quarter The Raiders won the toss and deferred which put the Cowboys offense on the field first. Vegas had to be feeling great about that decision early on as the Cowboys went three and out to start the game. Matters seemed easy for them given that CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens were not on the field for Dallas which was strange. The ESPN broadcast noted as Dallas was taking the field for defense that Lamb and Pickens were absent due to a “coach’s decision” with an implication that it was some sort of disciplinary decision. We will see. The Raiders were unable to do anything with the possession that they were effectively given. They punted it to the Cowboys who actually then gave them the ball. Well, Maxx Crosby took it away. Thankfully the Cowboys defense buckled and held the Raiders to only a field goal. Still though, early on things felt a bit treacherous for the silver and blue side of things. SCORE: COWBOYS 0, RAIDERS 3 (Daniel Carlson 35-yard field goal) Early on in their next possession the Cowboys moved the chains by way of George Pickens which was great to see. Javonte Williams was running hard early on which was also a positive sign. Ultimately things stalled a bit, but not before it came time for Brandon Aubrey. SCORE: COWBOYS 3, RAIDERS 3 (Brandon Aubrey 50-yard field goal) It was more of the same in a lot of ways on the next possession for the Raiders. They were moving the ball in a relatively un-challenged way… until they got near the redzone. The Cowboys defense managed to stand tall and force another field goal attempt. SCORE: COWBOYS 3, RAIDERS 6 (Daniel Carlson 45-yard field goal) The first quarter ended with Dallas driving and threatening in Las Vegas territory. Second Quarter The Cowboys were indeed threatening as the first quarter ended and made good on it shortly into the second. After hitting George Pickens just out of bounds in the endzone, Dak Prescott found CeeDee Lamb in the heart of it. SCORE: COWBOYS 10, RAIDERS 6 (Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb 18-yard touchdown) The positive momentum continued for the Cowboys which is a strange thing to say given that they were on defense. But this is a defense that now features Quinnen Williams and he got his first sack with a star on his helmet. It was epic. The Raiders punted the ball and Dallas went to work. Serious work. It was one of the best offensive drives we have seen from the Cowboys in some time. Dak Prescott looked fully and totally in control and CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens were in sync, maybe coach’s decisions are a good thing after all. Jake Ferguson was the one who capped it off with a score to make everything feel great. SCORE: COWBOYS 17, RAIDERS 6 (Dak Prescott to Jake Ferguson 5-yard touchdown) It looked like things were going to break a little bit after this. The Raiders were marching and marching and hey, you can’t stop them every time. But can you? Geno Smith had a pass tipped and it found the hands of Markquese Bell for a Cowboys interception. Boom. At this moment the previous two Cowboys possessions each ended in touchdowns and to different players in CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson. This one followed that trend. Dak Prescott continued his form and so did George Pickens. That harmony made for the perfect scoring song. SCORE: COWBOYS 24, RAIDERS 6 (Dak Prescott to George Pickens 37-yard touchdown) Pickens was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on the celebration (maybe a coach’s decision looms next week?!), but Brandon Aubrey nailed the extra point anyway. The Raiders were able to grind out a field goal to end the half. SCORE: COWBOYS 24, RAIDERS 9 (Daniel Carlson 38-yard field goal) Third Quarter The Raiders went three and out to start the second half so the positive momentum kept right on rolling. That roll extended to the offense. The second quarter ended with them hot and the group picked up right where they left off. George Pickens was arguably the star of the drive as he continued to make incredible play after incredible play. Things ended with another Dak Prescott passing touchdown and this one went to yet another different wideout in Ryan Flournoy. SCORE: COWBOYS 31, RAIDERS 9 (Dak Prescott to Ryan Flournoy 2- yard touchdown) The third quarter ended with the Raiders on the verge of scoring. Fourth Quarter The

The Cowboys are gearing up for the start of the second half of their season, emerging from an eventful and challenging bye week with a road trip to Las Vegas to face the Raiders. The theme leading into this game has been defensive reinforcements, and the inactive list only reinforced that. Start with the big […] The Cowboys are gearing up for the start of the second half of their season, emerging from an eventful and challenging bye week with a road trip to Las Vegas to face the Raiders. The theme leading into this game has been defensive reinforcements, and the inactive list only reinforced that. Start with the big news: DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel, neither of whom have played this year while recovering from injuries suffered last season, are both active. Overshown will be suiting up for the first time since changing his jersey number to 0, and he’s a sight for sore eyes given the state of the defense. Meanwhile, Revel will be making his NFL debut tonight, and he’s also a welcome addition to a beleaguered secondary. The sudden surge in health is reflected by the inactive report, in which Solomon Thomas is the only important injured player featured. Thomas did not practice this week with a calf injury, but was unlikely to play much anyway with the addition of Quinnen Williams alongside Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark. Thomas is joined on the inactive list by Damone Clark, Jaydon Blue, Trikweze Bridges, Hakeem Adeniji, and Jonathan Mingo. Bridges is notable, as he had become a starter in recent weeks, but Revel’s return made him a viable candidate for the healthy scratch here. As for the Raiders, it’s a more straightforward clean bill of health. None of the players they listed on their injury report this week are inactive for this one. See More: Dallas Cowboys Injuries

Pete Carroll is known for his defense. While he never called plays as the Seahawks head coach, Carroll was the mastermind behind the Legion of Boom defense, which brilliantly adapted Monte Kiffin’s Tampa 2 scheme to the modern day league. Aided by generational talents like Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner, and others, Carroll built […] Pete Carroll is known for his defense. While he never called plays as the Seahawks head coach, Carroll was the mastermind behind the Legion of Boom defense, which brilliantly adapted Monte Kiffin’s Tampa 2 scheme to the modern day league. Aided by generational talents like Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner, and others, Carroll built a dominant team on the strength of his defense. So when the 74-year old coach came out of quasi-retirement to coach the Raiders, fans of the silver and black felt they knew what to expect on defense. Then Carroll threw them a curveball, opting to retain defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who had previously never worked alongside Carroll. The move made Graham a rarity, as he’s now survived through two different coaching staff upheavals. Initially brought in by Josh McDaniels, Graham was retained when interim head coach Antonio Pierce got the full time job. And when Pierce was replaced by Carroll, Graham looked to be on his way out until the surprise decision. Graham cut his teeth in the school of a very different defensive wiz in Bill Belichick. He spent seven seasons as an assistant for the Patriots, and later spent a year as the Dolphins defensive coordinator under Brian Flores, also a Belichick acolyte. He also had stints as a coordinator for Joe Judge’s Giants and, as mentioned, McDaniels’ Raiders, with both Judge and McDaniels also hailing from the Belichick coaching tree. That background informs much of Graham’s own philosophy, which is to truly be multiple. Lots of defensive coaches talk about being multiple and tailoring their scheme to fit their personnel, but Graham has proven to be fairly agnostic when it comes to specific tendencies as a play-caller. The one calling card for Graham that has remained constant is his schematic complexity, or rather, the appearance of complexity. Graham has oscillated between being blitz-heavy and not, zone-heavy and not, and changes up just about everything else you could think of. But his defenses always make it intellectually challenging for the offense, whether it’s disguised coverages or simulated pressures or well-timed blitzes. Graham’s MO on a fundamental level is to keep you guessing at every turn. That’s very different from Carroll’s approach, which effectively boiled down to alternating between Cover 1 and Cover 3 and picking their moments to blitz. Carroll’s philosophy was similar to that of Matt Eberflus, himself a Tampa 2 disciple, in that he wants his players to do less thinking and more flying around the field. Graham spoke to that influence from Carroll earlier this year, revealing how his new head coach is trying to simplify things defensively. “If one thing I’ve learned from Coach, it’s to make sure to simplify the message and just keep giving it to them. It doesn’t have to be 20 buzz words, or some big paragraph or anything. We’ve got to play with great effort. We’re building the foundation for being a physical team. We’ve got to play smart. “So, those are the things in terms of what we want the defense to look like, and then make the offense earn it. No easy plays, we’ve got to take away seams, got to take away posts. Can’t let them run the ball around the edge.” So far this season, it’s been a mixed bag. The Raiders are 19th in EPA/play allowed, 16th in success rate, and 11th in defensive DVOA. They’re 30th in pressure rate despite having Maxx Crosby on the defensive line, and the only defense giving up more yards of separation at the catch is, well, the Cowboys. That said, the Raiders are also one of the best in the league in limiting yards after the catch, and they’re third in both percent of runs stuffed and in yards before contact per attempt. Of course, it doesn’t help that they’re usually playing under severe pressure due to a Raiders offense that’s been near the bottom of the league in virtually every metric. Put another way, the Raiders have held their opponent to 20 or fewer points in four of their five games this year. They’ve twice given up 40 points, both times coming on the road. In short, this is a defense that has flashed promise but they’re unproven against the league’s elite offenses. It’s been a minute since the Cowboys offense looked elite, but we know they have the weapons and the potential to eat up a defense like this one. Graham will surely throw the kitchen sink at Dak Prescott, but it may not be enough. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams will make his official Dallas Cowboys debut in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Linebackers Logan Wilson and DeMarvion Overshown, as well as this year’s third-round draft pick CB Shavon Revel, are also expected to make their season debut in some form or fashion this week. Each one of these […] Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams will make his official Dallas Cowboys debut in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Linebackers Logan Wilson and DeMarvion Overshown, as well as this year’s third-round draft pick CB Shavon Revel, are also expected to make their season debut in some form or fashion this week. Each one of these new additions are expected to improve the Dallas Cowboys defense, which is been one of the worst, if not the worst, units in the league so far this season. While each one of these players brings some much-needed excitement to the defensive side of the ball for the Cowboys, DT Williams stands out the most as someone who will make the biggest difference. Williams was the third overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2019 NFL Draft. Since entering the league he’s been a three-time Pro Bowler (2022-2024) and a First-team All-Pro (2022). The Cowboys haven’t had this caliber of player in the middle of their defensive line in quite some time, and he should make his presence known immediately when he sits up against the Raiders this week. Blocking the Cowboys new DT may be one of the bigger problems the Raiders face this week. Both starting guards, Dylan Parham and Jackson Powers-Johnson, are banged up, and Powers-Johnson could be done for the season after recently being placed on injured reserve. Because of that, the Raiders third-round draft pick this year, Caleb Rogers, could make his rookie debut as an injury fill-in. Rogers has been inactive for every game so far this season. Making his rookie debut against a defensive tackle of Williams’ caliber is less than ideal, especially considering how bad Geno Smith and the offense has played so far this season. All this is likely bad news for the Raiders, while it’s a situation that Williams and the rest of the Cowboys defense is probably relishing. Williams has a real chance at being a game-wrecker this week against the Raiders banged up interior on offensive line. This should particularly be concerning to Smith, who has currently thrown the second-most interceptions (12) and has been sacked 27 times (fourth-most). With Williams wreaking havoc from the interior, Smith is bound to make a mistake or two adding to his INT or sack total. This is an intriguing matchup that would be worth monitoring to see how it all plays out when these two teams square off against one another on Monday Night Football. Williams has a real shot of altering the game in the Cowboys favor almost all by himself this week against him banged up Raiders OL. But, everyone else around him should benefit as well. If Williams is as dominant as we believe he will be this week, it should send a positive ripple effect throughout the rest of the defense. Dallas’ new-look defense has a real shot of improving things dramatically on that side of the ball and their new All-Pro DT is probably someone who will lead the charge. It’s going to be really interesting to see exactly what kind of player the Cowboys acquired prior to the trade deadline. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

When the Raiders made the move this offseason to hire Pete Carroll as their head coach, all heads turned towards the offense. Carroll, one of just three coaches in football history to win a college national title and a Super Bowl, is renowned for his defense but has always been reliant on a good offensive […] When the Raiders made the move this offseason to hire Pete Carroll as their head coach, all heads turned towards the offense. Carroll, one of just three coaches in football history to win a college national title and a Super Bowl, is renowned for his defense but has always been reliant on a good offensive coordinator to carry that side of the ball. Not to mention the Raiders were severely lacking in offensive talent. Quarterback was a major question mark and, outside of rookie phenom Brock Bowers, the skill players were scarce, to put it lightly. But they had high draft picks and cap space, enough of both to beef up the roster. Carroll made a great hire, snagging Chip Kelly fresh off the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes to run his offense in Sin City. Kelly’s previous stints in the NFL ended in disaster, but his skill as an offensive play-caller wasn’t the reason for that. The Raiders also built up some ballers for Kelly. First, they traded for Geno Smith, reuniting the quarterback with the head coach who first brought him to the Seahawks. Then they drafted superstar running back Ashton Jeanty sixth overall and later selected two receivers and two offensive linemen. At the time, it seemed like a brilliant plan. Kelly is known for his run schemes. He’s typically built his offenses around the zone run, going back to his Oregon days, but Kelly has always incorporated a wide variety of schemes into his rushing attack. He’ll use gap schemes, pull linemen, run counter, inside or outside, and everything in between. The option – read option and RPO – has also been a staple of Kelly’s offenses over the years. The two main components for a Kelly offense to thrive are a quarterback who can stay in rhythm with the game plan – as opposed to an improviser who tries to make something out of nothing – and a running back (or committee of backs) who can hit the home run frequently. Smith fits the bill of the former; over his three full seasons as the Seahawks starter, Smith led the entire league in completion percentage over expected (CPOE). He was quick, precise, and rarely upended the play that was called. Meanwhile, in his final year at Boise State, Jeanty led the nation in runs of 10+ yards with 63; the runner up had 54. Combine those two with Bowers, who’s effectively a wide receiver in a tight end’s body, and it was easy to envision offensive success for the Raiders. At a bare minimum, the trio of Smith, Jeanty, and Bowers in a Chip Kelly offense presented a fairly high floor. They’ve torn up the floor in Las Vegas and plummeted to the basement. Coming into this week, the Raiders rank 29th in yards per play and 31st in points per game. They’re also 31st in EPA/play, 29th in success rate, and 30th in offensive DVOA. Smith has been horrible, currently second in the league in both interceptions and turnover-worthy play rate. He’s the only starting quarterback with more picks than touchdowns, and he’s 22nd in CPOE. Believe it or not, the run game has been even worse. Jeanty is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry, tied for 26th in the league, and only two backs have more fumbles on the year. However, it’s not an indictment of the former Heisman runner up. The Raiders are averaging just 0.86 yards before contact per attempt, and they have the highest rate of runs getting stuffed this year. Jeanty is actually 12th in yards after contact per attempt and 10th in runs of 10+ yards. He’s still the home run hitter he was in college, but the proverbial ball isn’t making it to the batter’s box in the first place most of the time. Throw in the fact that Bowers missed a stretch of games with an injury and it’s easy to understand why this offense has been so bad. Enter the Dallas defense. Matt Eberflus and his unit have been a get-right game for struggling offenses all year long, and nobody needs it more than the Raiders. That said, the Cowboys have several shiny new toys, namely Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson. They’re going along with DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel, both of whom are expected to make their return from injury this week. The showdown between the Cowboys defense and Raiders offense will finally answer the age old question of what happens when a very movable object meets a force that doesn’t understand the concept of a stop. The Cowboys at least have the added benefit of four (essentially) new players on their side, but they remain an unknown commodity until further notice. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

Gut Feeling: Cowboys-Raiders staff predictions – Staff- DallasCowboys.com Some predictions for the game. Nick: The Cowboys needed a bye week in the worst way. Now, they need a football game just as bad. Taking absolutely nothing away from the tragic events that have occurred in the last 10 days, the Cowboys must figure out a way […] Gut Feeling: Cowboys-Raiders staff predictions – Staff- DallasCowboys.com Some predictions for the game. Nick: The Cowboys needed a bye week in the worst way. Now, they need a football game just as bad. Taking absolutely nothing away from the tragic events that have occurred in the last 10 days, the Cowboys must figure out a way to be mentally stronger than ever before. I have always been convinced that games are won and loss during the week. Sure, both teams will be hyped at game time under the bright Monday night lights. But are they prepared? Have they done everything necessary to be at their best?That’s always the question to ask but for the Cowboys this week, you have to wonder just how ready they’re going to be. This will be a huge test for Brian Schottenheimer and his staff but something tells me they’re not only going to be ready to play, but prepared to play as well. Hopefully, the combination of the extra emotions, coupled with the new faces and returning players on defense, and the fact this week’s opponent is near the bottom the league, I think the Cowboys will play well and be in control from start to finish. I’ll take the Cowboys running away with a 38-21 win. Kyle Youmans: I keep hearing the phrase “get right game” tossed around this week when it comes to the Cowboys-Raiders matchup on Monday night. I don’t like that term for multiple reasons, but mostly because Las Vegas could be saying the exact same thing about playing the Cowboys at home despite a 2-7 start. Coming off the bye week, playing with a more talented roster on paper, and with an entirely new look on the defensive side of the ball, this Cowboys team should play a spirited brand of football this week. They’ll control the line of scrimmage against a Raiders team that has struggled in that regard at times, and they’ll win this game in a big way. Cowboys 33-20. A look at some important aspects of the game. 1) Can the Cowboys offense fix their recent slump? The Cowboys have been able to run up the scoreboard with Dak Prescott under center this season. However, the last two games for the Dallas offense have not been up to par. During the team’s last two losses, the Cowboys are averaging 20.5 points per game, compared to 31.7 points per game in their first seven games. The return of CeeDee Lamb, who missed three games due to an ankle injury, has been an adjustment for Prescott and the rest of the Cowboys offense. But the production of George Pickens in his first season in Dallas has created a conversation of the Cowboys having the best wide receiver duo in the NFL. Pickens is averaging 84.9 receiving yards, while Lamb’s contributing 81.8 yards per game. The Cowboys WR duo are two of seven wideouts to average 80-plus receiving yards per game this season. Prescott could be leaning on Lamb and Pickens throughout the night against a struggling Raiders defense. […] 3) Which defense will force turnovers on Monday night? Monday’s game will be the first time newly acquired Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson take the field. After trading Micah Parsons to Green Bay, the Cowboys defense entering Week 11 ranks 31st in points allowed per game (30.8) and total yards allowed per game (397.4). Dallas hopes its newest additions can stop the run and disrupt opposing quarterbacks. As for the Raiders, Maxx Crosby has been the consistent piece for the Silver & Black defense. Crosby leads the team with 13 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits and five sacks. Only Myles Garrett (17) and Brian Burns (15) have more tackles for loss than Crosby this season. The defensive unit that can create one or two turnovers on Monday night for its squad may be the one walking out of Las Vegas with a win. As Dallas Cowboys eye key returns, veteran DT will miss Monday night Raiders showdown – Calvin Watkins, DMN The Cowboys defensive tackle position is undergoing change. During a Saturday morning conference call, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said defensive tackle Solomon Thomas will miss Monday’s game at Las Vegas with a calf injury. Schottenheimer noted Thomas, a Coppell native, is still trying to play, but the veteran hasn’t practiced all week. “We’re still a number of hours away from game time,” Schottenheimer said. The Cowboys officially ruled Thomas out for Week 11 in their latest practice report. Thomas has played nine games, starting the last contest, a loss against Arizona on Nov. 3. He’s part of a defensive line rotation with Kenny Clark, Osa Odighizuwa and Jay Toia in the interior. The addition of defensive tackle Quinnen Williams via trade before the deadline and the chance of injured defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey returning from injury this week will bolster the group. Williams hasn’t played in two weeks because, before the trade, the New York Jets were in the middle of their bye week when he was acquired by Dallas. Williams is projected to start with Clark, and if the Cowboys go in a five-man front, Odighizuwa will join that group in that alignment. Raiders, Cowboys eager for brighter days after facing adversity – Tyler Morning Telegraph This primetime matchup is a little bit of a letdown from expectations. When the NFL schedule makers revealed the Week 11 Monday Night Football matchup (7:15 p.m., TV: ESPN) in mid-May, it’s safe to say they were expecting both the host Las Vegas Raiders and visiting Dallas Cowboys to be in a much better predicament than they are

The Dallas Cowboys are well-rested and revamped after the bye week as they look to make a good showing for the second half of the 2025 season. This week, they head to Allegiant Stadium for the first time officially (they did play a preseason game there last year) to take on the 2-7 Las Vegas […] The Dallas Cowboys are well-rested and revamped after the bye week as they look to make a good showing for the second half of the 2025 season. This week, they head to Allegiant Stadium for the first time officially (they did play a preseason game there last year) to take on the 2-7 Las Vegas Raiders. This might be the easiest game left on the schedule; however, that might not mean much, considering their last game was also against a two-win team on Monday night, and we know how that ended up. While the playoff race is a distant thought right now, the Cowboys are just looking to play some good football. There are reasons to be excited about the future as they have taken measures to improve the team, but will we see any of those improvements on Monday night? Here are five things to watch when the Cowboys test their luck in Vegas. 1. The new guys This game will feature the debut of a few new players the Cowboys have acquired via the trade deadline or who have been on the shelf all season due to injury. Former Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams will garner most of our attention as he is the most talented interior lineman this team has had in a long time. Former Bengal, Logan Wilson, was also acquired at the trade deadline and should help improve the linebacker position. Speaking of linebackers, we should also be treated to the long-awaited return of DeMarvion Overshown, who went down late last year with a knee injury. Before he got hurt, he was flashing star potential, and inquiring minds want to know if this young talent can return to form. And finally, we could also see the pro debut of rookie cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., who has spent all season recovering from a knee injury he suffered last year. That’s a lot of new players to keep our interest on Monday night! 2. Containing Ashton During the draft, many fans were hoping that Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty would fall to pick 12 and that the Cowboys would select him. We will never know if that would have been their pick if he were available because the Raiders snatched him up with the sixth overall pick. Jeanty entered the league with the expectations of being the next best thing at running back, as he was sensational during his final year in college, but oddly, things haven’t gone all that well at the pro level. He only has 547 rushing yards this season (61 yards per game), which ranks him 17th in the league. He’s not even the highest rushing rookie, as that honor goes to former Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins, who is ahead of him by 14 rushing yards despite playing in one fewer game. Jeanty only has one game this year where he exceeded 75 yards on the ground, and that came against the Bears, where he had his best performance of the year, finishing with 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Every other team has been able to keep the star rookie in check. But the Cowboys aren’t like other teams. They have shown that they struggle to stop the run this season, currently ranked in the bottom five, allowing 143 yards per game, and they tend to let things get out of hand. They allowed 216 rushing yards to the Panthers in Week 6 and then 179 yards to the Broncos in Week 8. Hopefully, with the new additions arriving, specifically Williams, the Cowboys’ defense will produce a better showing against the run. 3. Getting the O back on track The Cowboys’ defense is always the center of our concern, but things haven’t gone all that great on the other side of the ball in recent games. After a four-game stretch with at least 27 points, including two 40+ performances, the offense has scored 24 or fewer points in each of the last two games. In their last game against the Cardinals, the offense only found the end zone once. That type of performance just won’t cut it, and makes things especially difficult when the defense isn’t performing. Monday night needs to be a get-right game for the Cowboys’ offense. Their offensive line is back to full strength, and they have both their star receivers back in the lineup. The Raiders’ defense is solid, but they’re exploitable. They are middle of the road in both rushing yards (107, ranked 14th) and passing yards (214, ranked 16th) allowed per game. The Cowboys’ offense must get back on track, put points on the board, and create a positive game script to help their defense. 4. Double dose of tight ends The Raiders don’t have many offensive weapons, which is why they are the second-worst team in the league in points scored. They just traded away their top wide receiver, Jakobi Meyers, to the Jaguars, leaving Tre Tucker and the recently added Tyler Lockett to handle the wide receiving responsibilities. Tucker had a big game in Week 3 vs. the Commanders, where he caught eight passes for 145 yards and scored three touchdowns, but outside of that, he’s been rather quiet. The veteran Lockett has been quiet all year, which ultimately led to his release in Tennessee. What Vegas lacks in wide receivers, they make up for at the tight end position, employing a two-tight-end set with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. Everyone knows about Bowers, who was the 13th overall pick last year and had almost 1,200 receiving yards his rookie season. Inevitably, he’s going to be a challenge for the Cowboys’ defense. But they