Dominant Cowboys win is yet another reminder of the uncomfortable George Pickens truth Dallas faces

The Dallas Cowboys came back from their break like a very different team. And it all started with the defense. Led by recently-acquired DT Quinnen Williams, the Cowboys dominated the Las Vegas Raiders throughout a 33-16 win.

There's a lot to take away from the big outing but let's start with the three big ones.

Quinnen Williams brings back pass rushing to the Cowboys

To be fair, he wasn't the only one generating pressures on the field—and the Raiders' is one of the worst offensive lines in the league—but Williams wasted no time showing the NFL world why the Cowboys gave up as much as they did to trade for him. It was almost like his presence alone raised the bar for everyone on that defensive line.

The Cowboys hit Geno Smith 11 times, five of which were all Williams, who also recorded 1.5 sacks. You would have to go back over 20 years in team history to find a defensive tackle as talented as Williams.

George Pickens is a $35M+ receiver

There's no denying it now. It's the uncomfortable truth about George Pickens, but the truth nonetheless. If the Cowboys want Pickens to stay around long-term, they'll have to pay him near the top of the market. At least closer than they probably expected to when they traded for him.

Since arriving at Dallas, he has proven he's a legit WR1, and Monday's 144-yard performance was another reminder of it. In only 10 games as a Cowboy, Pickens has shown he's more than the contested catch, prototypical X receiver everyone described him as at Pittsburgh.

His knack for yards after the catch can be what separates him from good receivers and places him in the great category.

Other defensive standouts

I can't believe defense is such a big theme after seeing what we saw for the first nine games of the season. Among other players, here's a quick list of standouts on that side of the ball:

• Donovan Ezeiruaku: How about his safety versus the run? He's the best DE on the Cowboys. No questions asked.
• Kenny Clark: Sure, Williams is exciting but did you see Clark knocking the center backwards to make the run stop? Clark can be even better now that Williams is around.
• DaRon Bland might not have had a perfect game but he made plays all across he defense in distinct roles to stop the Raiders' top playmakers. Even against Brock Bowers, he refused to give up the one last yard for him to move the chains.

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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.