The Dallas Cowboys took down the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night and have now climbed back into the win column following two straight losses.

Dallas took control early and led 24-9 at halftime before finishing with a 33-16 victory.

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The Cowboys have now put together a 4-5-1 record in the 2025 regular season and are looking to continue this winning streak as a difficult schedule looms over the next three weeks.

While the playoff potential for the team remains in question, there are still valuable takeaways from the Week 11 win.

Here are two key takeaways from the Cowboys’ win over the Raiders:

Defense Shows Life With New Faces

The Cowboys entered this week with one of the worst defenses in the NFL, ranking near the bottom of every statistical category.

Dallas clearly made an effort to address these struggles during the NFL trade deadline, acquiring defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson in exchange for draft capital, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.

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Additionally, the team saw the return of linebacker Demarvion Overshown and cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., who had missed the entire season to this point due to injuries.

In total, Dallas had six new starters on defense, resulting in a noticeable shift in the team’s performance.

Although the Raiders have been one of the worst offenses this season, scoring only 15.5 points per game and averaging just 269 yards, the Cowboys’ defense looked much improved in its first week with the full unit.

Dallas had previously allowed bad or mediocre offenses, such as the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and Carolina Panthers, to perform well above their standards.

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That was not the case in Week 11.

The Cowboys allowed the Raiders to finish this matchup with just 236 total yards and 16 points, with America’s Team also collecting four sacks, one interception, and a safety.

Moving forward, the Cowboys are unlikely to become one of the most dominant defensive units in the NFL, but the team did show significant growth and could become a solid defense for the rest of the season.

Passing Game Once Again Finds Rhythm

The biggest offensive development in this Cowboys victory was the passing attack, which once again found its stride after two straight disappointing weeks.

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During Weeks 9 and 10, the Cowboys struggled to find a rhythm in the air, with quarterback Dak Prescott collecting 438 passing yards but only one touchdown to go along with three interceptions.

These struggles did not persist in Week 11.

Prescott collected an impressive 268 passing yards while throwing for four touchdowns to four different pass catchers.

In a similar manner to the Raiders’ offense, Las Vegas has boasted one of the worst defenses in the NFL, including a lackluster secondary that has allowed many teams to put up gaudy numbers this season.

However, picking apart a poor defensive unit is the job of a strong offense, which is exactly what the Cowboys did in Week 11.

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The Cowboys have one of the most impressive passing attacks in the NFL, an aspect of the team that will be desperately needed as Dallas enters an incredibly difficult stretch of games.

Following Week 11, Dallas ranks first in the NFL with 258.7 passing yards per game, while Prescott ranks fifth in the league with 2,587 passing yards and second in the NFL with 21 passing touchdowns while completing 69% of his passing attempts.

Dallas is now set to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and Detroit Lions in three consecutive weeks.

While none of these teams are considered among the best passing defenses in the NFL, all three have strong overall defenses complemented by impressive offensive units.

Dallas will likely need to keep up these offensive performances and put up impressive numbers in each game to keep the season alive.