The Cowboys are about to arrive in Las Vegas with two major stories dominating the headlines ahead of "Monday Night Football.''
LAS VEGAS - The Dallas Cowboys are going to welcome a host of "new" players to the defense on Monday night to face the Las Vegas Raiders. ... while continuing to say goodbye to a beloved young teammate.
The latest on the Cowboys' two biggest news items of the week, via the thoughts of team owner Jerry Jones ... as we arrive here in Las Vegas for Week 11 ...
JERRY ON THE TRADES New signings Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson are set to make their debuts. And also linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and rookie Shavon Revel Jr., are expected to see the field on Monday night.
And that has Jones rather excited for what the defense could now look like.
“Well, I'm excited when I really look at the impact of six players that can interject themselves into the 25, 26, 27 players that are active in a game,” Jones said via 105.3 The Fan. “Because they're going in at meaningful places in our defense. Especially they're at meaningful places where we really have had some issues. So, there's no question we're going to be improved.”
When it comes to Overshown and Revel Jr., a snap count is likely forthcoming given the nature of their injuries, but for Williams and Wilson, the new pair on the block could be full-go for coordinator Matt Eberflus.
With Dallas' season teetering on the brink at 3-5-1, a win here in Las Vegas is a must, and with a handful of new and returning players, this defense, which has been routinely torched week in and week out, might just begin to straighten itself out.
Well, that's the hope anyway.
And we won't have to wait long to see if the returning players can give the uptick in production that this team needs if it is to go on an unlikely run to the postseason.
JERRY ON THE TRAGEDY The Cowboys are doing their best to "not forget, but move forward" after what has been such a trying week with Marshawn Kneeland's passing still raw to everyone.
Jones offered his answer to what his support system is like regarding the handling of tragic news.
And he also had such a powerful message for those who are going through a tough time right now.
"The main thing is I want to say right now is you're not doing anything, if you don't have down times,” he said. "You don't have troubling times and you don't have times that you don't see your way out. That is a part of life. It makes the good times better really.
"It's always made me want to, especially young people, especially kids, would tell them it's never so serious or never so non-rehabilitating, whatever the incident is, that their sun's not going to come up."
Now his team has to sort of park the thoughts of what has transpired over the past week and get ready for a football game.
But Jerry thinks that going out and playing might actually be a good thing for the locker room.
"I think being involved competitively, like the players were talking about, it's actually therapeutic to get out here and practice this week and actually play," Jerry said. "I get that because you're lucky, you can put your mind on something else.”
In truth, it is going to be incredibly tough to try and keep football at the forefront of their minds, but maybe that is what this team - and you as a fan - need right now ...
A chance to focus your mind on something else, even if only for a few hours.