The Las Vegas Raiders have had a brutal 2-7 start to the season. While they could easily be 5-4, and maybe even 6-3, the Raiders have simply not figured out how to win close games. They keep getting in their own way, as just a few key mistakes have stood in the way of them having a winning record.
Las Vegas is coming off of back-to-back games that they could've, and likely should've, won. They will have a chance to rebound on Monday Night Football in Week 11 as they take on a Dallas Cowboys team that, although not an easy opponent, has underachieved and sits at 3-5-1.
Dallas has one of the league's worst defenses, which the Raiders desperately need to take advantage of. But the Cowboys have been kept afloat by a juggernaut offense, and while Dak Prescott and the passing attack get most of the shine, the Raiders' key to victory lies elsewhere.
The Raiders must slow down the Cowboys' run game to pull off upset
Patrick Graham and the defense will have their hands full dealing with a Cowboys offense that ranks fourth in the NFL in both scoring and total yards gained. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are often considered the stars, but Dallas has been a surprisingly balanced unit in 2025.
They currently rank 3rd in total passing yards and 13th in rushing yards. Las Vegas' key to picking up its third win of the season, however, will be slowing down Dallas' rushing attack. It has been a tale of two seasons for the Cowboys, and there has been a clear blueprint to beating them.
In their three wins, the Cowboys have averaged 155.7 rushing yards per game, finishing with at least 135 rushing yards in each contest. In their five losses and one tie, however, Dallas is averaging just 103.2 yards per game and has finished with 123 yards or less in each outing.
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Slowing down Javonte Williams, their bellcow running back who has finished with at least 118 yards from scrimmage in each of the Cowboys' three wins, will be pivotal for the Raiders' defense. Hopefully, they are emphasizing this just as much as they are the passing game.
While Williams ranks 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards per game and rushing touchdowns, he has failed to eclipse 100 yards from scrimmage in any of Dallas' five losses. Williams did finish with exactly 100 yards from scrimmage in the lone tie, which could not be a more perfect encapsulation of this point.
If Las Vegas can slow down Williams and the ground game, their chances of pulling off an upset significantly increase. Luckily, the Raiders' run defense is strong, as they rank 14th in the league and have allowed their opponents to finish with more than 100 rushing yards just three times.