Dallas Cowboys linebacker Shemar James reacts after scoring a safety against the Las Vegas Raiders. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cowboys top-5 rated players from Week 11 dominated by defenders

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Nov 18, 2025 3:42 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys are full of confidence following a dominant win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11. Dak Prescott and the offense were back on track, but the real excitement is due to the performance of their revamped defense.

Dallas had Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson on the field for the first time since their NFL trade deadline moves, and they were joined by four players returning from injury. The revamped defense held the Raiders to 16 points, recorded four sacks, one interception, and one safety.

The performance of their defense was easy to see when Pro Football Focus released its grades from the game, as four of the top five Dallas players were defenders.

While wide receiver George Pickens led the way overall, Dallas had two defensive linemen, a linebacker, and a cornerback as all three levels rose to the challenge on Monday Night Football.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

George Pickens, WR, 93.1
Osa Odighizuwa, DT, 90.6
Quinnen Williams, DT, 90.2
DaRon Bland, CB, 80.6
Shemar James, LB, 79.1

Defensive line play set the tone for the Dallas Cowboys

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Cowboys had plenty of reinforcements in this one, but it was the defensive line that set the tone.

Williams, Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark were all three dominant at the line of scrimmage for the Cowboys in this win. Not only did they lead the way with three of the four sacks, but they help shut down Ashton Jeanty.

The rookie running back had just seven yards on six attempts, while the Raiders recorded 27 yards on 12 rushing attempts. It was the kind of performance Dallas envisioned when they bulked up their interior, and they hope to build on that success as they head into the toughest part of the schedule.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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