The Las Vegas Raiders will look to get back in the win column and attempt to end their 2025 NFL season on a positive note when they face the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Night Football” in Week 11.
Dallas’ Achilles heel this season has been its defense, but before the NFL trade deadline, the Cowboys added players like Logan Wilson and Quinnen Williams. As a result, the Raiders will face a new-look group.
Ahead of the game on November 17, Las Vegas running back Ashton Jeanty spoke with reporters and was asked about facing the Cowboys’ defensive unit, as he will be looking to take advantage of any holes in their run defense.
“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.”
Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty Talks Quinnen Williams
Williams’ arrival in Dallas will have a significant impact on Jeanty and the Raiders’ ability to establish the run game against the Cowboys. Although Jeanty spoke about the defense as a whole, he was asked about Williams, who will look to stuff the opposing team’s run game.
“Just 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 interesting to see how the new additions impact the defense. However, there’s a possibility that Jeanty has a major game against Dallas. The Cowboys are in the bottom 10 in rushing yards allowed (1,287), per Pro Football Reference. Moreover, they are in the bottom 10 in rushing touchdowns allowed (11) and in rushing yards per attempt (4.8).
Raiders Will Not Have Key Player for the Foreseeable Future
Despite the Cowboys’ ability to give up yards in the run game, Las Vegas might not be able to take advantage of this weakness due to a missing piece in their offensive line. The Raiders were finding success on the ground in Week 10 until starting right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson exited the game.
After his departure, Las Vegas struggled to maintain its running game. Following the contest, head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that Powers-Johnson had sustained a significant ankle injury and would be sidelined for “a while.”
Now, the situation appears more serious than initially thought. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Powers-Johnson is being placed on Injured Reserve, potentially ending his season.
It’s still unclear what exactly occurred, but the Raiders are hoping Powers-Johnson’s Achilles tendon is unharmed. He’s faced challenges this season, yet he could be the team’s top run-blocking offensive lineman.
Additionally, he’s a young player who needs valuable reps even if the Raiders are having a losing season. Losing him is a major setback for an offensive line already missing starting left tackle Kolton Miller for the remainder of the season.
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