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For any team mired with a 3-5-1 record past the midpoint of the season (hello, Dallas Cowboys), eyes can start to turn toward next season, and Dallas is starting to look different after the trade deadline.
On the list of things that have gone right this year, start with receiver George Pickens, and an NFL insider says the Cowboys should consider a franchise tag to keep him with Dallas next year.
New acquisition Quinnen Williams has matters well set up to make a big debut against an injury-riddled Las Vegas Raiders team on Monday Night Football, and Dak Prescott also has a matchup on paper that could lead to a big game.
Here is some Dallas Cowboys news as their Monday Night showdown with equally bad Las Vegas looms.
George Pickens
Dallas’ off-season pickup of receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a third-round pick, considered as a rental at the time (he’s in the last year of his rookie deal), has gone so well Dallas that the Cowboys are looking at ways they can keep him to pair alongside star CeeDee Lamb.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler just came out with his 2026 free agent rankings and Pickens is fourth, behind Cincinnati edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones.
“The Pickens experiment in Dallas has gone swimmingly,” Fowler writes. “He is pacing for 1,400-plus yards and more than 10 touchdowns as the ideal counterpart to CeeDee Lamb. His immense talent — and the number of teams starved for receiver help — will drive his value.”
Then Fowler threw in this: “The franchise tag — which would be around $29 million — could be a backup option for Dallas.”
That report has taken off, as Dallas would clearly be interested in retaining Pickens. If a team puts the franchise tag on a player, that is a one-year deal.
Quinnen Williams
The Dallas Cowboys big deadline trade acquisition is about to make his Dallas debut and it could be set up well for him. The Las Vegas Raiders‘ offensive line, which has been poor all season, is losing its best lineman, Jackson Power-Johnson. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, he is likely to go on injured reserve due to an ankle sprain.
Left tackle, Kolton Miller, meanwhile, has been out since Week 4 with an ankle injury. This should be an auspicious debut for Williams.
2000 Dallas Cowboys
The 2000 Dallas Cowboys were the first really forgettable team after their run in the mid-1990s. That squad was the first after Michael Irvin retired and was the last for Troy Aikman, whose concussions were adding up.
It also was the debut of the ill-fated Dave Campo era, as Dallas went 5-11.
Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl wins
The Cowboys won Super Bowls in 1971 (VI), 1977 (XII), 1992 (XXVII), 1993 (XXVIII) and 1995 (XXX).
Dallas Cowboys merch
Dallas official pro shop, the home of a large assortment of merchandise, is here.
Marshawn Kneeland: Micah Parsons, Emmitt Smith react
The tributes continue to pour in for Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, who tragically died last week. All teams honored him with a moment of silence for last weekend’s games, and Kneeland’s former teammate Micah Parsons was especially moved during the moment of silence before the Green Bay-Philadelphia Monday Night Football game.
Parsons went to his knees and was clearly emotional for a player he spoke well about in the days before the game, saying “I was extremely shocked. I was extremely hurt by the news. I just gotta pray he finds his peace and what he was looking for; how he felt in that moment, you just really don’t know.”
Former Cowboy legend Emmitt Smith said this:
“Let me paint a picture for you. You’re going into a locker room that you’re very familiar with, and you have a guy that you saw for weeks, months,” Smith said. “And that locker is empty. He’s no longer there. Not because he got traded, not because he got cut. He’s no longer there because he’s no longer living. That’s a hard thing to deal with.
“We talk about mental toughness. We talk about mental and emotional stress and strain. This is what you’re asking these athletes to go through. You’re asking them to bury their feelings — bury their feelings so they can get prepared to go back to battle. And it’s going to be a challenging time.”
Dallas Cowboys playoff odds
Depending on the source, Dallas’ playoff odds range from 5% to 7%.
Besides being 3-5-1, the schedule gets considerably tougher after this Monday game against the Raiders, as their five after that are the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers.
All but the reigning AFC champion Chiefs are in contention for a No. 1 seed.
At any rate, Fox Sports gives Dallas a +4000 chance (40-1) of winning the NFC East and a +30000 (300-1) of winning the Super Bowl.
Dak Prescott
The Cowboys’ quarterback has come to earth a bit in the last two games after putting up big numbers, but he’s expected to get back on track this week against a struggling Las Vegas Raiders defense.
Sports Illustrated’s fantasy football rankings have Prescott 6th in the league this week.
Sixth, in fact, is where Prescott ranks in NFL passing yards with 2,319.
Did the Dallas Cowboys win yesterday?
No, but they haven’t lost in a week and a half. They have not played since losing to the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 3, 27-17.
Dallas Cowboys record
The Dallas Cowboys are 3-5-1 just past the midpoint of their 17-game season as they head to Las Vegas to play the Raiders on Monday Night Football. Kick is at 6:20 p.m. MT/7:20 p.m. CT.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.