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(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders‘ offense will be facing a new-look Dallas Cowboys defense in Week 11. After struggling against the Denver Broncos, the Silver and Black’s offense will attempt to get back on track against one of the league’s worst defenses.
However, the Cowboys did make a couple of moves to improve the unit at the NFL trade deadline. Dallas acquired Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets and former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson.
As a result, the Cowboys are hoping these additions can make their group at least respectable. Ahead of the game on “Monday Night Football,” Raiders quarterback Geno Smith spoke about facing the Cowboys’ defense with their new additions.
“I mean, you start with what the Cowboys do in their scheme,” Smith told reporters on November 13 when talking about facing the new faces on the Dallas defense. “They’ve got a lot of other players that we’ve got to make sure that we have an eye out for.
“But yeah, Logan Wilson, they just acquired Quinnen Williams, a guy who I’ve played against a bunch and a great defensive tackle in this league. He’s been a perennial All-Pro, perennial Pro Bowler.
“For those guys, of course, I’m going to watch the Cowboys, but I’m also going to go back and watch what they’ve done in the past and just try to see how they can fit into the scheme. Again, we’ll have to see on game day what it is, but I think we have a good idea of what they’ll be in.”
Along with Smith, another player on the Raiders offense who will be looking to take advantage of the Dallas defense is Ashton Jeanty.
“Yeah, [the Cowboys] got some great players,” Jeanty said on November 11. “They just added Quinnen Williams in the interior. So, I’m sure that’ll level up their front. And, just a good all-around team. But,
there’s definitely places where we can attack them and make great plays…
“[Williams is] another guy in the interior to be disruptive. I mean, he’s a game wrecker. So, we got to be ready for him. We just prepping kind of for whoever’s going to be out there. Obviously they’ve made some changes, so we’ll just prepare for that.”
It will be intriguing to see how the new additions affect the defense. Still, Jeanty could have a standout performance against Dallas. The Cowboys rank in the bottom 10 in rushing yards allowed (1,287), according to
Pro Football Reference. They also sit in the bottom 10 for rushing touchdowns allowed (11) and rushing yards per attempt (4.8).
While the Cowboys are hopeful that their defense can improve, they’ll be leaning on their offense to secure a win over the Raiders. Dallas have several weapons that should concern Las Vegas, and ahead of the game on November 17, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll was asked about facing the opposition’s offense.
“[Prescott has] got terrific receivers around him,” Carroll said on the latest edition of “1 on 1” that was published November 11. “They’re continuing to build this offensive line. They’re big and they like him. Javonte [Williams has] given them an aggressive running game. So, he’s got what he needs. That offense is one of the top-ranked offenses in the NFL. Their defense has really been their concern this year.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of a rough stretch after the 2025 season started out so great. They began the year with a record of 4-1, but now the group is 5-4 after going 1-3 in their last four games. The franchise’s lead in the AFC North has dwindled down to just one game, and it is hard to imagine the Steelers are going to be able to hang onto the lead in the division with the Baltimore Ravens surging and the Cincinnati Bengals still within reach while Joe Burrow returns to practice. Tensions are clearly rising in Pittsburgh, but the group is going to have to manage that in order to get back in the win column.
There was obvious frustration on the field during Pittsburgh’s most recent game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. The offense had just three points throughout most of the game, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers let his emotions be seen as there were multiple shots of him being disappointed with himself, or of him getting frustrated with teammates.
NFL insider Mike Garafolo spoke about this on Thursday during an episode of Good Morning Football, and he shared that things might not be on solid ground in Pittsburgh at the moment.
“Something’s bothering me with the Steelers right now,” Garafolo said. “Aaron Rodgers’ reactions to his own teammates, to maybe himself, I don’t know. There’s been a lot of this. I don’t love it, right? He strongly hinted that this could be his last NFL season. He hasn’t really closed the door or solidified that. I’m not gonna pretend like I know what’s going on in his head, but this leads me to believe the whole thing’s just not on solid ground right now.”
Everyone always overreacts whenever Rodgers acts in certain ways because the media has always attempted to paint him to be the villain, especially during the latter parts of his career with the New York Jets. He has been a great teammate and leader with the Steelers, but Garafolo pointed out that the veteran’s reactions on Sunday night were notable, and not in a good way.
The national media jumps at every opportunity to paint Rodgers in a bad light it seems. It is not the best look in the world to be yelling at teammates on the field and whatnot, but that is what comes with playing football, especially quarterback. He is a 41-year old who won the league’s MVP Award four times. It’s hard to imagine his younger teammates take too much offense when he criticizes their play or voices his displeasure with a miscommunication.
Rodgers has earned the right to act the way he does on the field, but it probably doesn’t come off as well during games when he is struggling. That was the case on Sunday night as the quarterback missed plenty of throws, which could be a reason things might be shaky in the locker room.
Garafolo also spoke about whether or not Rodgers would be retiring in 2026 or returning to play. He is only on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh, so he would technically be a free agent again during the offseason. However, if he decided to play again, hopefully he would want to return to Pittsburgh. Garafolo spoke as if that pending decision was also causing issues, but that wouldn’t make any sense as the entire organization and the entire roster knew that the 2025 season could probably be Rodgers’ last.
Pittsburgh will look to get back in the win column against a poor defense on Sunday as the team faces the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11.