The Dallas Cowboys spent 11 days mourning defensive end Marshawn Kneeland before Monday night’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dallas then dominated the spiraling Raiders for 60 minutes and paid homage to Kneeland.
In the Cowboys’ first game since Kneeland’s death, Dak Prescott passed for 268 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-16 victory over Las Vegas.
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (97) leaves the field holding Marshawn Kneeland’s jersey.
Kneeland, 24, was found dead on November 6th. Manager Brian Schottenheimer and Cowboys players wore shirts honoring Nyland and bowed their heads during a moment of silence before the game.
The Cowboys (4-5-1) played one of their best games of the season to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Dallas has lost three of four games and has upcoming games against Philadelphia, Kansas City and Detroit.
“They wanted to honor him, but we’re not done honoring him yet,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s been a part of our family forever. But it’s been tough. I mean, the last 11 days have been really tough. I’m proud of them, because the way they played today, they played Marshawn’s style of play.”
“As you can imagine, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cry when I first put the shirt on. But more than anything, I know Marshawn was looking down on us. We wanted to make him proud and I think we did that.”
Owner Jerry Jones praised Schottenheimer’s leadership through dark times.
“In a way, games like this against the Raiders are good therapy to come back and compete,” Jones said. “They know how much Marshawn loved to compete, how much he loved the Cowboys. And for me, it’s just about saying, ‘This is for you, Marshawn.’
Las Vegas (2-8) continued to struggle under first-year coach Pete Carroll. The Raiders have lost four straight and eight of nine games.
Prescott was accurate — save for a mistake by wide-open CeeDee Lamb that allowed an easy touchdown — completing 25 of 44 passes to end a four-game winless streak (0-3-1) in prime-time games. His four TD passes tied a season high, tying his total against the New York Jets on October 5th.
He pitched primarily to George Pickens and the Rams. Pickens (9 catches, 144 yards, 1 TD) and Lamb (5 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD) put up big numbers despite Schottenheimer being benched on the Cowboys’ first drive.
Javonte Williams brought balance to the Cowboys with 93 yards rushing on 22 carries.
The Raiders had little balance in the first half alone, with 32 pass play calls and three runs (Geno Smith also scrambled for 7 yards). This marks the third team since at least 1991 to have at least 30 dropbacks and give up four or fewer runs in the first half. The four rushes were the second fewest in a first half for the Raiders since at least that year. He scored three goals against Atlanta in 2008.
“It was a bunch of play-action passes. I really wanted to see us do that,” Carroll said. “There was only one person to look at. It was me who was influencing the game plan. (Offensive coordinator) Chip (Kelly) and I knew what was going on, but we were trying to see if we could keep making big plays. We were getting them. Then we just stalled in the red zone.”
“I’m not really interested in pleasing people with a combination of run and pass. I’m trying to move the football.”
Las Vegas finished with 12 rushes, tied for 12th fewest in franchise history. Ashton Giunty, taken with the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft to fuel one of the worst rushing games in NFL history, ran just six times for seven yards before being stopped in the end zone by a safety in the fourth quarter. In the first half alone, he had two successful carries and gained 10 yards.
“It’s up to the guys upstairs, so take whatever I get,” Janty said of the play call.
The air-it-out approach didn’t work, and Smith finished 27 of 42 for 238 yards, including a touchdown and an interception.
The Cowboys’ defense gave Smith little opportunity to run the offense, sacking him four times, including 1 1/2 by recently traded Quinnen Williams. Dallas sent the Jets a 2027 first-round draft pick and a 2026 second-round pick for Williams, defensive tackle Maji Smith.
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