The Dallas Cowboys' defense has been a sight for sore eyes during the 2025 NFL season. Between injuries, underperformance, and questionable decisions by defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, it has been all bad for this unit. But the trade deadline and bye week came bearing gifts for the Cowboys.
Not only did they acquire star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson, but they'll also get DeMarvion Overshown, Shavon Revel, Malik Hooker, and Donovan Wilson back from injury in time to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football in Week 11.
Cowboys fans were already anticipating a major advantage for the Dallas defense on the interior, as second-year stud guard Jackson Powers-Johnson recently landed on IR for Las Vegas. But things may be much, much worse for the Raiders than Dallas even imagined.
Cowboys' DT group should dominate shorthanded Raiders interior OL
With Powers-Johnson out, Las Vegas is likely to start Alex Cappa at right guard, who is now a has-been, if he ever truly was. But starting left guard Dylan Parham also went down in the Raiders' last game, and it seems like their backup plan, which wasn't great to begin with, got foiled on Tuesday.
Caleb Rogers, a third-round rookie for Las Vegas, accidentally revealed in a locker room interview that he is starting in primetime against the Cowboys. Whether he was meant to share this or not is neither here nor there, and obviously, this is subject to change.
But Rogers has not even been active for a game this year. In fact, he's been a healthy scratch in each of the Raiders' nine contests. He must have some talent if Las Vegas wagered a Day 2 pick on him, but he must also have some serious shortcomings if he can't even suit up on game day.
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For a Cowboys defensive tackle group that boasted strong players like Kenny Clark, Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas, the Raiders were going to have their hands full anyway, even before the injuries. Now, however, potentially down two guards, and with Dallas adding Williams, it may get ugly.
It is unknown just how much Williams will play in his debut for America's Team, but by gametime, he will have had nearly two weeks to get acquainted with his teammates and learned Eberflus' system in preparation for this matchup.
If Las Vegas truly plans to trot out a rookie guard with no playing experience in front of a national audience, against a group of bruising Cowboys interior defenders, no less, then the Raiders will reap what they sow. Dallas is already licking its chops at the very idea of this.