While the Dallas Cowboys deal with the aftermath of a tough personal loss and plan for a tribute, they also have to prepare for a game. And here are the Cowboys' bold predictions for the Week 11 Monday Night Football clash against the Raiders.
The Cowboys enter with a record of 3-5-1 and will be playing their first game since the death of defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland. They will visit the Raiders, who have a record of 2-7.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott will throw 3 TD passes
This is going to be a game where the Cowboys' offense cuts loose and doesn’t stop until they’ve hit 45 points. Prescott should have a field day.
Coming off an embarrassing loss to the Cardinals and wanting to get off to a good start after the major trade deadline moves, the Cowboys should destroy the hapless Raiders.
It will set things back in order for Prescott, according to ESPN.
“Dak Prescott is in a little bit of a rut by his own standards,” Fields Yates said. “It would not surprise me at all if the Cowboys are able to move the football very effectively against the Raiders.”
Prescott is still having a standout season, and there are many reasons why he’ll hurt the Raiders, according to raiders.com.
“I think he has an underrated arm,” Eric Allen said. “And one of the things this veteran quarterback has been able to do is freeze guys with his eyes and where his head is. There’s not much … Dak Prescott can’t do with the football. Just a great leader. And he has really turned into a magnificent quarterback. Dak Prescott is playing some of the best football of his career.”
Cowboys defense will hold Ashton Jeanty under 40 yards rushing
There’s always a chance Jeany gets loose for one long run and maybe sneaks past 40 yards. But he will have a steady diet of 1 yard, minus 1, no gain, minus 1, 2 yards, etc.
With new defender Quinnen Williams in the mix, the Cowboys will chew the Raiders' run game up and spit it out. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he’s excited about what the team is putting on the field after the trades, according to dallascowboys.com.
Brian Schottenheimer, Dak Prescott, others ‘pumped' after Cowboys' trades
“It's exciting,” Schottenheimer said. “Kudos to Jerry and Stephen, Will, being aggressive but then smart. A couple of moves we made, you're getting guys not just for this year but beyond, which I think is great. I think it's two terrific players, but also terrific young men.”
It should be a different defensive line for the rest of the season.
“I think it's just going to add more playmaking ability to the d-line,” OSA Odighizuwa said. “Another bullet in the gun. Another bullet in the gun, another very strong and talented guy, so I think we'll be able to use him. I'm excited. Another guy that's going to help us win.”
The Raiders will have almost no chance when the Cowboys go to a five-man defensive line.
“I like it,” Odighizuwa said when asked about Dallas' usage of five-man fronts. “A lot of double teams are created when there's four down, so when you have five of us in there, it creates a lot more one-on-ones and a lot more opportunities for guys up front to make plays. So having a guy like [Williams] come in and then potentially being able to use more five-down stuff, that'll be awesome.”
WR CeeDee Lamb will have 100 yards and 2 scores
Let’s be real, this hasn’t been a great year for Lamb so far. But that will begin to change this week.
He has just one touchdown in six games. Plus, that touchdown was fluky as it came on a long pass where the defensive backs ran into each other, and Lamb jogged into the end zone.
Because of injury, Lamb only has eight games to avoid a career low in that department. But he will get there with a pair of scores kick-starting his late-season rush.
The Raiders won’t be able to cover him, according to Fantasy Pros.
“This week, against a weak Raiders secondary, Lamb should feast,” Ellis Johnson wrote. “The elite receiver is one of the safest plays in fantasy, and has the ability to win your week regardless of matchup.”
Playing inspired football to honor their fallen teammate, look for the Cowboys to roll away early and finish with a 38-14 win over the Raiders.
