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.”
Chris is a writer specialising in football coverage with a keen interest in a multitude of sports. These include cycling, boxing, and tennis, although football is something that he has been involved in for many years as both a supporter and, more recently, a writer.
Over the years, Chris has provided written content for the food, tourism and events industries with his own website named Artisan Traveller that was operational pre-pandemic. Since 2024, he has worked with Shepshed Dynamo Football Club as a match reporter, covering almost every game of the 2024/5 season. This has included an exciting jump into post-match interviews, written programme articles, and live score updates on internet radio station Non-League Connect.
Iron Mike would go on to win the WBA heavyweight title against James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith and then secure the IBF belt by defeating Tony Tucker to become undisputed champion at just 21 years of age.
The golden age of heavyweight boxing that Tyson competed in came with its fair share of heavy-hitters. He shared the ring with the best of them, including Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and Larry Holmes. A knockout streak of 19 in a row crowned the beginning of Iron Mike’s career as the Brooklyn-born fighter would storm his way into the record books and take over the heavyweight scene before a shock knockout defeat at the hands of James ‘Buster’ Douglas in Tokyo.
In an interview with CNN, Tyson reflected on his past opponents and recalled the power in Ruddock’s gloves, stating: “Yes, Ray Ruddock … You’re talking about when you were like whoa. When you get hit, it doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s just numb. You just hear the bell ringing — bong.”
Tyson made a brief return to the ring in November last year, facing YouTuber Jake Paul in an exhibition bout at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Paul defeated Tyson by unanimous decision after a contest lasting eight rounds. Iron Mike’s time in the boxing ring is not quite at an end either, as he will step through the ropes once again in spring 2026 to face Floyd Mayweather Jr in another exhibition match with a venue yet to be confirmed.
The days of facing opponents with the power of Donovan Ruddock are thankfully gone for Tyson as he enjoys semi-retirement from the fight game while focusing on his business Carma HoldCo, specialising in cannabis products and advocating for legalisation of marijuana. The lure of the glitz and glamour surrounding the big nights remains irresistible still for the former champion, as boxing hasn’t quite seen the end of Iron Mike Tyson just yet.