Reeling from tragedy, the Cowboys seek a strong second-half start against a struggling Raiders squad.
Coming off their bye week, the Dallas Cowboys are likely ready to just get back to football after what was anything but a restful off week. After dealing with an unimaginable loss after the death of Marshawn Kneeland, an actual football game will likely be welcomed as both a needed distraction and an opportunity to honor their late teammate.
On the field, their game against the Las Vegas Raiders presents an opportunity to get back on track against a weak opponent. After losing their third straight game in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos 10-7, the team sits at an abysmal 2-7 with losses in seven of their last eight games.
Led by offseason acquisition Geno Smith at quarterback and a rookie top 10 pick in running back Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders were expected to at least be competent on offense. Instead, they’ve struggled so much that they traded wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars and sit second to last in the league at 15.4 points per game.
The lone bright spot on offense is tight end Brock Bowers, whose 85.3 PFF grade leads all players at his position. Even he’s had a bumpy season though, having missed three games due to injury before the team’s 30-29 Week 9 loss to, ironically, the Jaguars.
They’re better defensively, although that bar is on the floor of the Vegas strip of course. Still, their 24.4 points given up per game ranks a not terrible No. 21 in the league. Due in large part to the struggles of the team around him, defensive end Maxx Crosby hasn’t been playing up to his typical level, ranking No. 27 at his position with an overall grade of 75.5.
On the Cowboys side of things, the offense is hoping to get back on track after averaging only 20.5 points per game the last two weeks before the bye. It’ll be interesting to see if the team has schemed up a way to get both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens involved in a consistent way.
Defensively, the on field story will be all about new friends Logan Wilson, who came over in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals, and Quinnen Williams, who came over from the New York Jets. While their own performances will be fun to track, I’d encourage fans to also keep track of who’s snaps they’re taking away at their respective positions.
At 3-5-1, the rest of this season is likely to be about two things: evaluating the roster for next year, and honoring a fallen teammate and friend. And while wins and losses are secondary in both respects, this seems like a great chance for the Cowboys to get this second half started on the right foot against a struggling opponent.