The 3-5-1 Dallas Cowboys come out of the bye week with no time to spare. Their highly disappointing start the season has all but vanquished their postseason hopes. Only two NFC teams have fewer wins than Dallas heading into the week, meaning the Cowboys need to go on a serious winning streak down the stretch to keep any hope alive.
Working in their favor is a series of trade acquisitions and injury returns. With Shavon Revel, DeMarvion Overshown, Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson all making their Cowboys’ debuts in Week 11, things could look decidedly different on defense this week. They need to, because the Cowboys defense enters the contest ranked No. 31 in EPA allowed.
It’s a test for the coaching staff as the Cowboys take on the 2-7 Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are a team Dallas has no business losing to, yet they’re a team that boasts enough weapons and enough mismatches to be mighty interesting on Monday Night Football. Cowboys coaches will be tasked with getting the team on track for the first time this season, all while inserting new players and opening up new competitions.
Overshown’s roles
DeMarvion Overshown appeared to be a budding star before a nasty knee injury derailed his career late last season. Now, fully recovered, he looks to pick up where he left off and that could be in a variety of roles across the defense.
On paper, Overshown is a weakside linebacker (WILL), who instantly replaces the struggling Kenneth Murray in the starting lineup. But based on film from last season, Overshown is also a special edge player and moveable chess piece capable of rushing the passer better than anyone still on the team.
Snap counts and responsibilities will need to be managed as Overshown makes his way back onto the field, but even in a possible part time capacity it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys deploy their most special weapon.
Right tackle rotation
The Cowboys have had a right tackle problem all season long and based on statements from head coach Brian Schottenheimer, it’s a problem he’s determined to address. Terence Steele has not become the pass protector Dallas was hoping he’d become when they signed him to that five-year, $82,500,000 deal back in 2023.
Brian Schottenheimer noted there will be an open competition at right tackle.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 13, 2025
Of the 60 OTs who have played at least 50 percent of the snaps in 2025, Steele grades in the bottom 10 in pass protection grade. At a cap charge of over $18 million next season, the time for finding alternate solutions is now and second-year player Nate Thomas appears to be the primary competition.
Thomas has recently struggled every bit as much as Steele, but since he’s just 24-years-old and playing on his rookie deal, he comes with a far more attractive price and a far more attractive upside than his counterpart. This is a position battle with both players likely to receive snaps against the Raiders in Week 11.
Defensive alignment
The Cowboys defense has found a little bit of success when they’ve gone big in playing an odd-man front. With five players on the line, Dallas has been able to improve as a run defense and disguise looks as a pass rush. The addition of a third starting defensive tackle makes a compelling case for more of those looks down the stretch because it’s a way of getting the top linemen on the field at the same time.
Quinnen Williams + Kenny Clark + Osa Odighizuwa.
let’s just say Jadeveon Clowney’s facial expression says it all in this image. #Cowboyspic.twitter.com/7Ok2EXsQyJ
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) November 14, 2025
No one is expecting a total commitment one way or the other, but there’s a strong case to be made Dallas needs to mix things up and something like this could have a profound impact on not just the rest of the 2025 season, but the direction in 2026.
Things to look for are how many players line up on the line of scrimmage and what these personnel groups look like. Matt Eberflus has the pieces to play with, so it’s on him to make it work.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Trench changes among 3 critical things to watch in Cowboys-Raiders
