The roller coaster football team known as the Dallas Cowboys continues its’ ride through the season.
The last couple of weeks have been rough. Dem Boyz’ trotted into the bye week sporting a two-game losing streak to pair with a 3-5-1 record. With an explosive offense, a turnstile-like defense & the trade deadline looming, questions were in abundance:
Can the defense be fixed? Are the Cowboys buying or selling? Should George Pickens, with his stock as high as it’s ever been, be traded?
Well, we have our answer.
Coming off a loss to the Cardinals on November 3rd, Jerry Jay started his deadline day salvo by acquiring help for the linebacker room, bringing over Bengals LB Logan Wilson in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Wilson was benched earlier in the season as Cincinnati wanted to get more of its youth on the field. The 29-year-old former third round pick finishes his Bengals stint having started 65 of 76 games played, accruing 11 interceptions, 19 tackles for loss, 25 passes defended & 317 solo tackles.
A step in the right direction maybe, especially with the impending return of budding star DeMarvion Overshown, but would that be enough to solve the Boys’ woes on that side of the ball?
Don’t look now, guys, but that whistling sound you hear is an 83-year-old billionaire diving off the top rope with a splash move many didn’t think he had in his arsenal.
As moves were being made across the association, the biggest of them all, to that point, came crashing across screens everywhere. The Indianapolis Colts were trading two first round picks in exchange for All Pro corner Sauce Gardner.
The fire sale had begun, & just as pundits were picking their jaws up, the Jets jettisoned another All Pro.
This time? It was DT Quinnen Williams.
This time? It was to an NFC East team NOT named the Eagles.
This time? It was to the Dallas Cowboys.
The third overall pick in the 2019 draft, 6’3, 303lb, Williams has been a force to be reckoned with in the pros. In his first six seasons, Q racked up three Pro Bowl nods & an All-Pro in 2022 where he recorded 12 sacks from the interior.
Jerry mentioned always having the option to package some of the picks gained from sending (say it with me Jerry) Micah up north with other capital to get a game changer & that’s just what he did. Now, armed with a defensive line that includes Kenny Clark, Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, Marshawn Kneeland & rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku, that should at the least provide a nice improvement in the run defense & help open things up for the second-level guys to make plays.
Overshown & this year’s third round corner Shavon Revel were both cleared to return in Week 11, further bolstering the unit as the team geared up for a Monday Night Showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders
Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be all excitement & giddiness coming out of the bye.
Deadline day was November 4th, & on the 6th the team, & the world, would be leveled with tragedy.
The aforementioned Marshawn Kneeland, 24, had reportedly passed away. His job was football. Outside of that, & more importantly, the talented big guy was an expecting father with his girlfriend, a brother, a son & a friend. (My sincerest condolences to Marshawn’s family & friends).
In the blink of an eye, optimism & hope was replaced with grief & pain. Games come & go. Rings can be won & lost. You go on to battle another day on the field. People, however, cannot be replaced. Knowing this, the team pulled together, starting the Marshawn Kneeland Foundation, aimed at honoring the late Kneeland by ensuring his girlfriend & child are taken care of.
Heading into Monday Night, the players honored their fallen brother by donning warm up shirts with his face on them, 94 patches on their helmets (Marshawn wore #94) & making a vow to each other to stay together & play for each other through this time.
They’d respond on the field by handing the opposing Raiders a 33-16 defeat. Dak Prescott completed 25 of 33 passes for 268 yards & 4 touchdowns. Pickens & Lamb were their usual electric selves, amassing 14 catches, 210 yards & 2 endzone trips. Javonte Williams ran hard as usual to the tune of 93 yards on 22 carries (4.2ypc).
What was noticeable, however, was the performance of the new look defense.
The Raiders offense only ran 7 less plays than the Cowboys, yet Dallas has over 7 more minutes of possession.
QB Geno Smith led Vegas in rushing with 14 yards on 4 carries as rookie Ashton Jeanty struggled with opportunity & offensive line help, having 12 total touches & splitting them evenly between the run & the pass game. These would only lead to 34 yards.
Brock Bowers led the team in receiving with 72 yards on 7 catches. The Boys also forced an interception off of a tipped pass from Smith. So yes, it’s the Raiders who, after Monday Night’s loss, dropped to 2-8.
Yes, it’s the Raiders who seemingly can only rely on superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby on defense to make an impact.
Yes, it’s the Raiders who are led by the QB tied with Miami signal caller Tua Tagovailoa for the most interceptions in the league heading into Week 12 (13).
Yes, it’s all of those things & then some.
But it could also be the Cowboys.
The next two games see the team host the Eagles & the Chiefs before heading to Detroit for a Thursday night showdown against the Lions. A gauntlet of a stretch no doubt, & one that will tell the tale of the Cowboys’ second half.
It could be the start of a run for a team that has been galvanized by loss combined with an influx of talent both via trade & via return from injury that signals belief in the roster.
It could be the start of a run to the postseason dance.
It could be the start of something………magical.
