The Dallas Cowboys don't have a winning record this season, even after a Monday night blowout of the Las Vegas Raiders, 33-16, but don't blame Dak Prescott.
Like Joe Burrow last season, Prescott is having an MVP-level season but his team's record will give him almost no shot of winning the award. The Cowboys got four touchdown passes from Prescott and outclassed the Raiders in the road win. Two of those touchdown passes went to George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, who werebenched on the first series of the game due to a decision by head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
The Cowboys were playing their first game since thedeath of teammate Marshawn Kneeland on Nov. 6. Schottenheimer wore a shirt with Kneeland's likeness on it during the game. The Cowboys had a Kneeland No. 94 jersey on their sideline. They also wore No. 94 decals on the back of their helmets. It was an emotional night and the Cowboys played well amid their grief over Kneeland's death, which was an apparent suicide.
Dak Prescott after Cowboys' first game since losing teammate Marshawn Kneeland: "It was a blessing to be out here. This is where healing happens for me."pic.twitter.com/9ruYz8vi9J
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein)November 18, 2025
The Cowboys went three-and-out on that first series without their two star receivers. They cruised after that.
Prescott got into a groove, which he has been in most of the season. The Cowboys' defense hasn't done its job to support the offense often this season, but it easily solved the Raiders on Monday night.
The Cowboys are 4-5-1, and there might be another round of big dreams of jumping back into the playoff race. If they have any postseason hopes, they rest on Prescott continuing to play all season at this level.
DAK 4 TDS, 4 DIFFERENT RECEIVERS 🔥Cowboys up BIG in Vegas 😤(via@NFL)pic.twitter.com/iSF02gsL3Q
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)November 18, 2025
Dak Prescott leads the way
Prescott has been good for most of the season, often having to make up for a defense that has given up way too many points. But football is a team sport, and he can't do it all.
Nights like Monday make it clear that Prescott is still one of the better quarterbacks in the league, and blaming him for the team's record is misguided. He was sharp all night, aside from an errant pass in the final minutes on a fourth down to Lamb that would have been his fifth touchdown pass of the night. But by that point the Cowboys didn't need it.
Dallas had a 24-9 lead by halftime. A third-quarter touchdown pass to Ryan Flournoy put Dallas ahead 31-9.
The Cowboys' defense was not going to let the Raiders back into it. The Raiders have a miserable offense this season, but Dallas' newest addition on defense helped them look even worse.
Quinnen Williams has strong debut
The Cowboys made a curious move before the trade deadline. Despite not being in the middle of the playoff race, they dealt a first-round draft pick, a second-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the New York Jets for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The Cowboys had to feel good about the deal after seeing Williams on Monday night.
Williams had 1.5 sacks and was a disruptive presence. He might not make anyone completely forget about Micah Parsons, but he had a good game and it probably wasn't a coincidence that the Cowboys' defense played perhaps its best game of the season.
The Cowboys still have a long way to go to in the playoff race. At 4-5-1 they have a chance, but might need to win six of their last seven in a deep NFC to get a wild-card spot. Up next: the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2).
At some point critics will mistakenly point the finger at Prescott for not doing enough. The truth is, if the Cowboys don't make the playoffs it's because the team failed Prescott, not the other way around.
Jason Owens
Cowboys ice game with another sack
That's a fitting to an impressive win for the Cowboys.
Osa Odighizuwa sacked Geno Smith on fourth down, and the Cowboys can kneel down on a 33-16 win. A porous Cowboys defensive front fortified by the addition of Quinnen Williams and the return of DeMarvion Overshown and Malik Hooker from injury got pressure all night in the Raiders backfield and tallied four sacks.
Dak Prescott, meanwhile, threw four touchdowns to four different receivers, including George Pickens, who carved up the Las Vegas secondary for 9 catches, 144 yards and 1 touchdown.
They did it against a bad Raiders team that's made plenty of other opponents look good. But this is the type of win the Cowboys were looking for coming out of a bye and the NFL trade deadline.
Jason Owens
Cowboys burn clock, but miss easy TD on CeeDee Lamb drop
CeeDee Lamb just dropped an easy touchdown on a fourth-and-2 pass near the goal line, and the Cowboys have turned the ball over on downs.
But, more importantly, they burned 7:43 off the game clock to mostly salt the game away. Dallas has a 3-possession lead (33-16) with 3:56 remaining, and the Raiders are backed up next to their own end zone.
Jason Owens
Raiders give ball back with safety
Welp.
The Raiders had their best chance to get back into the game, then immediately blew it. A false start inside the 3-yard line on first down pushed them back close to the 1. Then the Cowboys stopped Ashton Jeanty in the end zone for a safety.
The Raiders attempted an onside kick after the safety that failed. And the Cowboys have the ball inside the Las Vegas 40 with a 33-16 lead and 11:37 left.
Barring monumental mistakes by the Cowboys, that should just about do it.
Denied by Donovan ❌@DonovanEze6 forces the safety!
The Raiders followed up their touchdown by forcing a three-and-out on defense. They have the ball back following a punt and trail 31-16 with 11:43 remaining.
But they've got a long way to go. They'll start at their own 3-yard line after an ill-advised punt return near the goal line by Tre Tucker lost 3 yards.
Jason Owens
Raiders finally find end zone
The Raiders have found the end zone.
Tre Tucker took a screen pass from Geno Smith and powered through multiple Cowboys defenders into the end zone for a 6-yard score. The touchdown is the first of the night for Las Vegas, which cuts its deficit to 31-16 early in the fourth quarter.
There's little to suggest they can mount a comeback, but there is plenty of time left on the clock.
Tre Tucker crosses the goal line for a Las Vegas TD
The Cowboys quarterback just threw his fourth touchdown of the night to a fourth different receiver — this one to second-year receiver Ryan Flournoy. George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson have the others.
This one's officially a laugher. Dallas leads 31-9 in the third quarter and is in full control.
It's more of the same to start the third quarter. The Raiders picked up 4 yards on their first possession and punted after a 3-and-out. The Cowboys have a chance to pile on and burn some clock.
Jason Owens
Raiders start 2nd half with ball, big hole
The Raiders have the ball first to start the third quarter. There's little from this game to indicate that they can mount a comeback.
Jason Owens
Halftime: Cowboys 24, Raiders 9
This one is all Cowboys. The Dallas offense is rolling. And its defense upgraded by the addition of Quinnen Williams and the return of DeMarvion Overshown and Malik hooker looks dramatically improved.
Dak Prescott has three touchdown passes. And the Dallas defense is getting consistent backfield pressure. The Cowboys have three sacks and an interception of Geno Smith. The result at halftime is a 24-9 Cowboys lead.
Cowboys: 253 yards on 7.4 yards per play Raiders: 167 yards on 4.8 yards per play
Jason Owens
Raiders settle for FG, cut Dallas lead to 24-9 before halftime
The Raiders drove 50 yards to the Dallas 20, but got no further. They settled for Daniel Carlson's third field goal of the night to cut the Dallas lead to 24-9 just before halftime.
Jason Owens
It's George Pickens' turn
Whatever Brian Schottenheimer was thinking in benching CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens to start the game, it appears to have worked.
Lamb scored the first Dallas touchdown of the game. Now Pickens is in the end zone with a 37-yard catch-and-run from Dak Prescott through the Las Vegas defense. The Cowboys are rolling and hold a 24-6 lead late in the first half.
The Raiders were driving, but Geno Smith threw a downfield pass into traffic targeting Brock Bowers. Instead it bounced of the hand of linebacker Kenneth Murray and into the grasp of safety Markquese Bell.
The upgraded Dallas defense now has three sacks and a forced turnover before halftime. And the Cowboys can extend their 17-6 lead before halftime.
Cowboys roll the dice this time, get into end zone
After settling for a field goal on fourth-and-3, the Cowboys rolled the dice on their next fourth-down decision, this one on fourth-and-1 at the Las Vegas 5.
The gamble paid off. Dak Prescott found Jake Ferguson in the end zone for a touchdown, and the Cowboys have extended their lead to 17-6.
Dallas is getting what it wants on offense, and its upgraded defense is getting pressure in the Las Vegas backfield. This one could get out of hand quickly.
Las Vegas got little on its first drive of the second quarter and punted back to Dallas after the third Cowboys sack of the night. This time it was Quinnen Williams, the star pickup of the NFL trade deadline. Dallas continues to get pressure with its new-look defensive front.
The Cowboys have a chance to seize control of the game against an inferior Raiders team while holding a 10-6 lead.
We still don't know why CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens for were sidelined for the first Dallas drive. But they've both been active since.
Dak Prescott targeted Pickens in the end zone from the Las Vegas 18, but he caught the ball out of bounds. On the next play, Prescott found Lamb inbounds in the end zone for the first touchdown of the game. The Cowboys lead, 10-6 early in the second quarter.
That's now two Cowboys sacks in three Raiders possessions.
This time, James Houston sacked Geno Smith on third down to force fourth-and-20 and a field goal attempt. Daniel Carlson was good from 45 yards to give the Raiders a 6-3 lead.
With trade deadline acquisition Quinnen Williams and DeMarvion Overshown back from injury, the Dallas defense is getting pressure on the Raiders with a revamped front seven.
Cowboys go conservative, answer with game-tying FG
The Cowboys failed to convert on third-and-3 and declined to go for it from the Las Vegas 32.
Instead, they settled for a 50-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey in a somewhat stunning display of conservatism from head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Dallas has one of the best offenses in football, and they had short yardage well past midfield.
The game's tied at 3 late in the first quarter.
Jason Owens
Raiders settle for FG after starting at Dallas 15
The Raiders didn't do much with their good fortune. After a turnover gave them the ball at the Dallas 15, they lost 2 yards and settled for a field goal.
Kenny Clark sacked Geno Smith on first down to put the Raiders behind the chains. Las Vegas leads 3-0 midway through the first quarter.
