The bye week has come to a close, and it’s once again a game week for our Dallas Cowboys. With Dallas sitting at 3-5-1, this week’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders is a must-win if the Cowboys want
any shot at staying in contention for a postseason spot.
With over a week off to assess their issues, the Cowboys will likely make some changes in this week’s matchup. With that thought in mind, here are two players Dallas should use more against the Raiders.
1) WR KaVontae Turpin
2025 got off to a very good start for 29-year-old KaVontae Turpin. Fresh off signing a three-year contract extension in the offseason, Dallas got Turpin involved in the offense right away. Through Dallas’ first four regular-season games, Turpin totaled 11 receptions for 159 yards and six rushes for 23 yards.
While the numbers were not necessarily eye-popping, it was clear the Cowboys had a plan to involve Turpin more heavily on offense and were finding creative ways to get the ball in his hands. After Dallas’ Week 4 matchup against the Packers, Turpin’s season has turned upside down.
Injuries forced Turpin to miss Dallas’ next two games, and since he returned to the field in Week 7 against the Commanders, the 29-year-old hasn’t had much of a role in the offense. Over the Cowboys’ last three games, Turpin has totaled just four receptions for 25 yards while rushing the ball just one time for three yards.
Drops in the passing game have certainly been a factor in Turpin’s lack of production, but Dallas’s inability to use him in the same creative ways they did to start the season has been equally as impactful. With the rare speed that Turpin possesses, there is no reason he shouldn’t be touching the ball at least four or five times a game, like he did in three of Dallas’ first four matchups of the season.
Downfield passes are clearly not Turpin’s strong suit, so the Cowboys need to get back to giving him the ball quickly in the intermediate passing game so he can use his speed to make defenders miss. With a lack of production at the running back spot behind Javonte Williams, Dallas should also consider giving Turpin three or four carries a game.
After a bye week, the Cowboys should come out with some offensive creativity against the Raiders, with KaVontae Turpin playing a significant role.
2) CB Caelen Carson
After a nightmare rookie year, second-year cornerback Caelen Carson’s sophomore season in the league got off to another rough start. The Wake Forrest product suffered a knee injury at the start of camp that forced him to miss Dallas’ first eight regular-season games.
Carson finally saw the field in the Cowboys’ last matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, playing 28 defensive snaps. The 23-year-old was targeted just once in his season debut and did not allow a single reception.
Carson clearly has potential, and with the way Dallas’s cornerback group has performed this season, he should get plenty of chances to put that potential on display in the second half of the year. Outside of Daron Bland, Carson should have as good a case as any other cornerback on Dallas’ roster to claim a starting job.
With things needing a clear shakeup on the defensive side of the ball, Dallas should insert Carson as one of their starting outside corners this week against Las Vegas.
