Dak Prescott passed for 268 yards and four touchdowns as Dallas dominated its spiraling attack. Las Vegas Raiders 33-16 Monday night in the Cowboys' first game since the death of cornerback Marshawn Niland.
24-year-old Niland died November 6. Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer and Cowboys players wore jerseys in honor of Niland and bowed their heads during a moment of silence before the game.
“It was a blessing for me to get on the field, that's where the healing happens for me,” said Prescott, whose brother Jace died in 2020. “We love Marshawn and will continue to shine his light. We are fortunate to carry his light forward.”
The Cowboys (4-5-1) played one of their best games of the season, keeping their playoff hopes alive. Dallas has lost three of four and faces games against Philadelphia, Kansas City and Detroit.
Las Vegas (2-8) continued its decline under Pete Carroll in his first year as head coach. The Raiders have lost four straight and eight of nine.
Prescott was accurate (except for missing a wide-open CeeDee Lamb for an easy touchdown) – completing 25 of 44 passes, snapping his four-game winless streak in prime time. His four TD passes tied a season high, matching his total from October 5 against the New York Jets.
He primarily threw the ball to George Pickens and Lamb. Pickens (nine catches, 144 yards, one touchdown) and Lamb (five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown) put up big numbers despite being benched by Schottenheimer for the Cowboys' opening drive. Javonte Williams provided balance for the Cowboys, rushing for 93 yards on 22 carries.
The Raiders had little balance, throwing for 32 passes and three runs in the first half alone (Geno Smith also rushed for seven yards). They became only the third team since at least 1991 to give up 30 or more hits and four or fewer runs in the first inning. The four rushing was also the second-most for the Raiders in the first half of the year, at least since that year; they had three tries against Atlanta in the 2008 game.
Las Vegas finished with 12 rushing attempts, tying for the 12th fewest rushing runs in franchise history. The air-to-air method didn't work: Smith finished 27 of 42 for 238 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The Cowboys' defense made sure Smith had little chance to convert the offense, sacking him four times, including 1.5 in the recent trade acquisition of Quinnen Williams. Dallas sent a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2026 second-round pick and defensive tackle Mazie Smith to the Jets for Williams.
Before the game, Cowboys players bowed their heads during a moment of silence in honor of their late teammate. Niland's photo was shown on the Allegant Stadium video boards.
Dallas players wore blue jerseys with Niland's name, years of his life – 2001-2025 – and the team's star logo under an image of his face. A sticker with his number, 94, was on the back of their helmets and will remain there for the rest of the season.
The team set up the stadium locker room for Niland and hung his jersey on a rack. Dallas was coming off a bye week, giving the team a little more time to cope with his death.
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In the US, call or text Mental Health America by calling 988 or chatting at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, support is available by calling Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 and MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind can be reached on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111.
