After a much-needed bye week, the Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1) are back in action on Monday night as they face off against the struggling Las Vegas Raiders (2-7).
Before the two teams square off, here are three
bold predictions for this week’s matchup.
1) Dallas’ new-look defense forces Geno Smith into his fourth multi-interception game of the season
2025 has been a nightmare for veteran quarterback Geno Smith. When the Raiders traded for the 35-year-old signal caller this past March, they believed he could be the missing piece on their offense to propel them into playoff contention.
The idea made sense on the surface. Smith was coming off three very productive seasons in Seattle in which he threw 71 touchdown passes and posted a passer rating of 95.5. Unfortunately for both Smith and the Raiders, the veteran has not come close to replicating that production this season.
On the year, Smith has thrown 13 interceptions, second most in the entire league, and has a passer rating of 81.4, 14 points lower than his worst full season with Seattle. The veteran is also 26th in QBR (39.3) and True Passer Rating (88.5) while registering just two money throws (0.2% rate) in nine games.
If the Cowboys’ defense can put some pressure on Smith, there is a very good chance he will give them plenty of chances to take the ball away. The 35-year-old hasn’t had a multi-interception game since October 5th, but that will change on Monday night.
Dallas’ new-look defense does, in fact, put Smith under consistent pressure, forcing him into some bad throws. For the first time this season, the Cowboys’ defense records a multi-interception game as they take advantage of Smith’s recklessness.
2) Javonte Williams continues his excellent year, recording his third 100-yard game of the season
After starting off the year very solid in defending the run, the script has flipped on the Raiders’ defense the past four weeks. In their last three games, Las Vegas’ opponents have recorded 387 total rushing yards, an average of 129 a game.
Over that three-game span, the Raiders rank 28th in the league in defensive rush EPA (0.156) and 31st in defensive rush success rate against. (54.7%) The Cowboys should be able to take advantage of a struggling Raiders’ rush defense in this week’s matchup.
Cowboys’ running back Javonte Williams has feasted against teams with struggling run defenses this year, and that trend will continue on Monday night. Williams’ physicality in the run game causes big-time problems for Las Vegas’ defense, as Dallas’ running back records his third 100-yard game of the season.
3) Cowboys win big, registering their second win by two or more touchdowns on the year
Despite Dallas being favored by only 3.5 points, there are plenty of reasons to believe the Cowboys will have a favorable matchup on Monday night. Las Vegas’ inability to protect the football and consistently move the ball on offense should play into the hands of a new-look Cowboys defense with plenty to prove.
While the Raiders have done a decent job defending the pass, their recent struggles stopping the run should lead to Dallas’s offense having success in both phases.
The Cowboys need a big win to get some confidence before their three-game gauntlet they are about to enter, and they get just that on Monday night. Dallas wins by two touchdowns, keeping their bleak playoff hopes alive for at least one more week.
