The Dallas Cowboys have won their first game since the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.
LAS VEGAS(AP) — Dak Prescott passed for 268 yards and four touchdowns, and Dallas dominated the spiraling Las Vegas Raiders 33-16 on Monday night in the Cowboys’ first game since the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.
The 24-year-old Kneeland was found dead on Nov. 6 of an apparent suicide. Coach Brian Schottenheimer and Cowboys players wore shirts honoring Kneeland, and they bowed their heads during a moment of silence before the game.
The Cowboys (4-5-1) then played one of their best games of the season to keep alive their slim playoff hopes. Dallas had lost three of four and has games coming up against Philadelphia, Kansas City and Detroit.
Las Vegas (2-8) continued its downward slide under first-year coach Pete Carroll. The Raiders have lost four straight and eight of nine.
Prescott was precise — minus a miss of a wide-open CeeDee Lamb for an easy touchdown — completing 25 of 44 passes to snap his four-game winless streak (0-3-1) in prime-time games. His four TD passes tied a season high, matching his total from Oct. 5 against the New York Jets.
He threw primarily to George Pickens and Lamb. Pickens (nine catches, 144 yards, one touchdown) and Lamb (five receptions for 66 yards and a TD) produced big numbers despite Schottenheimer benching them for the Cowboys’ first drive.
Javonte Williams provided the Cowboys with balance by rushing for 93 yards on 22 carries.
The Raiders had little balance, going with 32 called pass plays and three runs — Geno Smith also scrambled for 7 yards — in the first half alone. They became only the third team since at least 1991 with 30 or more dropbacks and four or few runs in a first half. The four rushes were also the Raiders’ second fewest in a first half since at least that year; they had three runs against Atlanta in a 2008 game.
Las Vegas finished with 12 rushes, tied for the 12th fewest in franchise history.
The air-it-out approach didn’t work, with Smith finishing 27 of 42 for 238 yards with a touchdown and interception.
The Cowboys’ defense made sure Smith had few chances to execute the offense, sacking him four times, including 1 1/2 by recent trade acquisition Quinnen Williams. Dallas sent the Jets a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2026 second-rounder and defensive tackle Mazi Smith for Williams.
Cowboys: S Donovan Wilson (knee) returned after missing two previous games. … LB DeMarvion Overshown made his season debut and CB Shavon Revel played in his first NFL game. Both had season-ending knee injuries last year, with Revel getting hurt while playing at East Carolina.
Cowboys: Host the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles in an NFC East matchup on Sunday.
Raiders: Host Cleveland on Sunday.
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