The Dallas Cowboys went into Sin City and took the Las Vegas Raiders behind the woodshed Monday night, earning a decisive 33-16 win.
They improved their record to a modest 4-5-1 in the process. It was an impressive showing on both sides of the ball, with the defense stepping up to match the production that the offense has been delivering for most of the season.
The Cowboys' D had a lot of new faces that were new to town or got healthy over the bye week, and looked like a completely different unit. Still, many fans are not completely sold on whether this bunch is capable of matching the same type of stinginess moving forward.
Cowboys' schedule gets much tougher starting in Week 12 vs. the Eagles
With new Cowboys trade acquisitions Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson making their mark Monday night, along with the return of LB Demarion Overshown from a serious knee injury last season, there was a pep in their step that fans have yet to see.
There was also the emotional boost of playing for fallen teammate Marshawn Kneeland, whose memory is still very much with them.
But looking ahead at the Cowboys' schedule over the next three weeks, things are about to get much more difficult than the Geno Smith-led Raiders and their porous offensive line.
Starting Sunday, the Cowboys have a series of games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and Detroit Lions.
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Each presents a unique challenge as the Eagles look to bully their way through Dallas, while Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will look to out-scheme the Cowboys with weapons like Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce, and Xavier Worthy, and the Lions have All-Pro threats at every skill position helmed by an aggressive head coach in Dan Campbell.
That is a significant step-up in competition, and as good as the Cowboys looked Monday night, they still have to prove that they can go head-to-head with some of the best the NFL has to offer - all of whom will be looking to solidify their playoff position.
Can the Cowboys' defense improve enough to give Dak Prescott and the offense a shot to beat these tough teams coming up? The good news is that, except for Trevon Diggs, the unit is finally healthy and Matt Eberflus has more bullets at his disposal to put a more consistent product on the field as the Cowboys look to sneak into a wild-card spot.
If the defense still looks better after the next three games and the team can claim a win or two during this stretch, then Cowboy fans will have a lot more faith in the team as the schedule lightens up in December.