In an emotional encounter at Allegiant Stadium, after the 33-16 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer was walking towards the exit, pointing at his shirt. The t-shirt was a tribute to Marshawn Kneeland, the Cowboys’ defensive end, who passed away on November 6th. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t shed a few tears when I put on this jersey for the first time,” said Schottenheimer, his voice choked with emotion. “But more than anything, I know Marshawn was watching us and we wanted to make him proud. And I think we did.” After the week off, the Cowboys gathered as a team and in smaller groups with grief counselors. They held a candlelight vigil for Kneeland. Upon returning to practice, several players felt it was good to be back on the field. The goal was to honor Kneeland with his game.
“Obviously, going out tonight and playing with the style he played with, the intensity, the effort, the finish, I’m very proud of the guys,” said quarterback Dak Prescott, who threw four touchdown passes. “This doesn’t put an end to this. We’re going to keep going, shining a light on Marshawn and carrying his legacy. And we need to play like this every week. He will always be with us.”
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys quarterbackPrescott wrote “A love” on the tape of his wrists, one of Kneeland’s favorite phrases. From the fans’ banners to a minute of silence before the game, there were constant reminders of Kneeland. In addition to the jerseys, the Cowboys wore a blue sticker with Kneeland’s number 94 on their helmets. His game jersey was placed in the locker room and behind the defensive bench during the game. Defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton wore a replica of Kneeland’s jersey with the number 94. The Cowboys will wear the jerseys featuring Kneeland’s image again next week against the Philadelphia Eagles, although some might choose to wear them for the rest of the season. The Raiders wore shirts during pre-game warmups with the phrase “Call an Audible” on the front and “988” on the back, representing the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.Prescott described the pre-game energy as professional. Schottenheimer mentioned that there was concentration as always while the music played. On the field, the defense offered one of its best performances, allowing only one touchdown and 236 yards. Raiders quarterback Geno Smith was pressured on 16 of 49 pass attempts. He was sacked four times and hit 18 times. Prescott’s four touchdown passes went to four different receivers: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, and tight end Jake Ferguson. Flournoy was one of Kneeland’s closest friends. His wife and Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, are also close. The couples used to go on double dates. After his touchdown, Flournoy briefly looked up, thoughtful.“You have to play through the pain. It’s part of the game. Not this, per se, but playing through pain is something that is part of the game,” said defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. “Just being able to compartmentalize and take that pain and use it. I can’t say that anyone would understand, people who don’t play football, but if you’ve been through something like this, then you know how it feels. You have to keep going and keep moving forward, just being able to repurpose that pain.”
Osa Odighizuwa, defensive tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders“Throughout the season we are going to play for him,” Flournoy said. “He was our teammate, our brother. Keep going, keep playing. Just knowing that he is here with us. He is gone, but he is not gone. He is still with us.”
Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys receiver
