Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins: NFL Week 13 Picks
By Erik Lambert
Dec 28, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss (89) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys strong safety Barry Church (42) during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Two teams with losing records won’t get most of the attention in week 13, but it’s always interesting when the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins meet. Besides, there are still playoff implications for this matchup. So who gets the win?
Backdrop:
History has taught people to expect the unexpected when it comes to the Cowboys and Redskins rivalry. Great teams from both sides have been upset by bad teams from the other in the past. It seems like almost every year they split the season series. Washington probably hopes that doesn’t happen this year.
They are in command of the NFC East coming off a huge win over the Giants. A chance exists for them to create some distance by beating Dallas. They are at home where they’re 5-1 this season and Tony Romo appears done for the year. If they blow this game it will be devastating, and perhaps keep hope alive for the all-but-dead Cowboys.
Matchup To Watch:
Cowboys O-Line vs. Redskins D-Line
Usually it’s a matchup of two players but in this case it’s two units. Dallas has one of the strong offensive lines in the business and its calling card is being able to run the football. Even without star DeMarco Murray, they’ve managed to place in the top 10 in rushing for most of the season. One can bet they know that going into Monday Night.
As effective as the Redskins defense has been against the pass this year, their defensive front has struggled to contain opponents on the ground, allowing 126.6 yards per game. The best and perhaps only way Dallas will win this game is if they establish the ground attack, control the clock and take the crowd out of it. That is something Washington can’t allow.
Key Stat:
Without Romo, the Cowboys have been abysmal throwing the football. Matt Cassel and Brandon Weeden have helped their passing attack sink to 27th in the league. If they aren’t able to run the football, they’ll have to throw into the teeth of a much-improved Redskins secondary that picked off Eli Manning three times a week ago and ranks 13th overall.
Prediction: Redskins win 21-13
As they’ve done all season, the Cowboys will show up game in the early going, maybe even holding the lead at one point. However, sooner or later the absence of a healthy Romo is going to tell. The Redskins won’t make it pretty but Kirk Cousins will make just enough plays to get the team the win.