NFL Overreactions Week 11
USAT’s Prince Grimes breaks down the biggest storylines from NFL Week 11.
Sports Seriously
The Dallas Cowboys looked like a new team in its Monday Night Football win over Las Vegas, partly because they revamped their roster during the bye week and partly because the best way to get better is to play someone worse, which Dallas did against the Raiders.
Dallas had four defensive players make their season debuts and that went well. A struggling player they have had all season, Kenny Clark, looked better playing alongside recent pick-up Quinnen Williams.
Here is what the Cowboys are up to.
Dallas Cowboys new players
Dallas’ two trade deadline acquisitions, Logan Wilson and Quinnen Williams, both had strong games and two other players, DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel Jr., made season debuts in the Cowboys’ 33-16 drubbing of the Las Vegas Raiders and it all went fairly well.
Williams, the most expensive pick-up on the team in terms of costing Dallas a first- and second-round draft pick, had 1 1/2 sacks, four tackles and five quarterback hits while freeing up fellow defensive tackles Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa. The three tackles combined for three sacks and nine quarterback hits.
Wilson had two tackles and, by the eye test, looked like an upgrade from what Dallas had before.
Overshown and Revel each had one tackle, and Overshown’s was for a loss. Overshown is in his third year of an injury-plagued career and is coming back from a knee that was completely torn up last year.
Shavon Revel Jr.
Revel Jr. is a rookie cornerback who tore his knee last year at East Carolina. He was considered a potential first-round draft pick but fell to the third round after his injury.
He made his Cowboys debut Monday night and made one tackle.
Damone Clark
The Dallas Cowboys cut the fourth-year pro Damone Clark after a career where he started 17 games. He was inactive for the Monday night game against the Raiders and was waived the next day. He was one of three Cowboys cut Tuesday, along with center Wesley French and tight end John Stephens.
Coach Brian Schottenheimer told Clark this, per the Dallas Morning News: I told him your career is just getting started. Sometimes change is good. I really believe that. It’s not bull (expletive) … he means a lot to me and this gives Damone a chance to find a new home.”
Clark had 14 tackles this year.
Kenny Clark
The former three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle was the player Dallas acquired in the Micah Parsons trade and has been up and down this year. He was up in the game against the Raiders, recording half a sack and three quarterback hits.
He seemed to be a better fit alongside Williams.
Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl wins
The Cowboys won Super Bowls in 1971 (VI), 1977 (XII), 1992 (XXVII), 1993 (XXVIII) and 1995 (XXX).
Dallas Cowboys stats wins and losses
The Dallas Cowboys are 4-5-1 this season, in second place in the NFC East.
NFC East standings
Dallas Cowboys 4-5-1
Washington Commanders 3-8
New York Giants 2-9
Dallas Cowboys No. 94
The No. 94 jersey belonged to Marshawn Kneeland, who died two weeks ago. The Cowboys honored him with a 94 sticker on their helmets and by wearing T-shirts in pregame warmups featuring Kneeland’s face. They left his jersey hanging in their locker room.
They will continue to wear the helmet sticker the rest of this year.
Dallas Cowboys next game
The Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 23. The game will be on FOX.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Dallas hosts the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day. The 2:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. CT kick will be on CBS. That, of course, has fueled speculation that Taylor Swift will be in attendance to watch her fiancé, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Jerry Jones said if Swift shows, she “would have an elaborate seat for her should she attend the game.” He has been complimentary in the past of the attention she has brought to the NFL.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.