Cowboys at Redskins, 8:15 ET Sunday
By John Keim & Jean-Jacques Taylor
For Sporting News
Why to watch: Because of George Allen and Tom Landry and Clint Longley and Harvey Martin and Dexter Manley. In other words, because this is a long-standing rivalry that matches any in the NFL. Players in Washington know that if they only win two games in a season, as long as they're against the Cowboys, it's OK. Considering the Redskins have won five of the last seven in this series -- including a 26-24 win in Dallas earlier this season -- Washington fans are feeling good.
And when both teams are fighting for playoff position, which is the case this season, the rivalry is even more intense. Because the Redskins won the first meeting, a loss would essentially drop the Cowboys three games behind them (because of tiebreakers) with six to play.
So no team needs a win more than the Cowboys, who have lost three of their last four after entering the season as Super Bowl favorites. Quarterback Tony Romo is expected to return after missing three of those games because of a broken pinkie finger. In his absence, the Cowboys scored a combined 41 points.
Dallas also could get corner Terence Newman back -- the secondary has been as big a problem as quarterback play during this bad stretch.
There's also star power in this Sunday night matchup: Romo ... Terrell Owens ... DeMarcus Ware ... Clinton Portis ... Santana Moss. While Owens did not hurt Washington in the first game, Moss had his fourth 100-yard receiving day against Dallas since joining the Redskins in 2005.
Cowboys Keys For Success
1. Contain Santana Moss. No receiver has dominated the Cowboys like Moss in recent memory. He had eight catches for 145 yards in the Redskins' 26-24 win in Week 4, and he has a string of three-straight 100-yard games against Dallas. Equally impressive, he has caught 25 of 36 passes directed his way in those games, and has not caught fewer than eight passes. He's also had a 159-yard game against the Cowboys. Moss has outstanding speed, which means he's a tough matchup for Anthony Henry. And when Terence Newman covers him, he's so good at finding soft spots in zone that he's difficult to contain. Dallas has allowed four 100-yard receivers this year. If Moss becomes No.5, it will be difficult for Dallas to win.
2. Get Marion Barber going. The Redskins own Barber. He hasn't scored a touchdown in four games against Washington, and has not gained more than 45 yards in five games against them since the start of the 2006 season. He's averaging 29.0 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry against Washington. That's not nearly good enough to get it done. Barber is a runner who punishes defensive players for tackling him, which means the more carries he gets, the more effective he becomes. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has to make sure he gets him the ball and doesn't get frustrated and go away from him, even if the yards don't come easy in the first 10 carries.
3. Don't give up points on the first drive. The Cowboys have allowed points on their opponents' first drive in four consecutive games, a trend that needs to stop if the Cowboys are going to get on a roll and get into the playoffs. The trend is an indication that the defensive coaching staff is not doing enough during the week because teams are doing a better job of game-planning. The Cowboys' staff is making adjustments, but the early struggles on defense are forcing them to play from behind. The Cowboys can be tackling better. To that end, Wade Phillips has had his team tackle on Wednesdays and Thursdays, instead of just one day a week.
Redskins Keys For Success
1. Keep �em guessing. Redskins coach Jim Zorn did a masterful job of keeping the Cowboys off-balance in the first game, enabling Portis to rush for 121 yards and the offense to gain a total of 381. They need more of the same to keep the Cowboys' pass rush, specifically Ware, from pressuring QB Jason Campbell. They need to set the tone early.
2. Attack downfield. Moss has averaged 114 yards receiving in six games against Dallas since joining the Redskins. The Redskins have won four of those games. Moss' ability to get downfield -- and it hasn't mattered who is covering him -- has also helped the Redskins running game by forcing Dallas to use mostly seven men in the box.
3. Stop Barber. With all the weapons the Cowboys have, and with Romo back, the Redskins must try to make the Dallas offense one-dimensional. If Dallas is able to generate a ground game with Marion Barber, it will be a long day for Washington. The Redskins have stopped him in previous games as their linebackers consistently went unblocked and filled gaps. If Barber gets going, then Owens, fellow wideout Roy Williams and tight end Jason Witten become more dangerous.
The Bottom Line
Dallas is desperate, and the Redskins have not played well of late. They were physically handled by Pittsburgh and looked sloppy in wins over Cleveland and Detroit -- after losing to St. Louis. However, they match up well against Dallas because they can run the ball on the Cowboys and because they have the secondary to match their receivers. As long as Campbell avoids mistakes, the Redskins will be able to move the ball on this defense. The Redskins have had success vs. Owens and Barber in the past.
Scoring prediction: Cowboys 24 - Redskins 27
For Sporting News
Why to watch: Because of George Allen and Tom Landry and Clint Longley and Harvey Martin and Dexter Manley. In other words, because this is a long-standing rivalry that matches any in the NFL. Players in Washington know that if they only win two games in a season, as long as they're against the Cowboys, it's OK. Considering the Redskins have won five of the last seven in this series -- including a 26-24 win in Dallas earlier this season -- Washington fans are feeling good.
And when both teams are fighting for playoff position, which is the case this season, the rivalry is even more intense. Because the Redskins won the first meeting, a loss would essentially drop the Cowboys three games behind them (because of tiebreakers) with six to play.
So no team needs a win more than the Cowboys, who have lost three of their last four after entering the season as Super Bowl favorites. Quarterback Tony Romo is expected to return after missing three of those games because of a broken pinkie finger. In his absence, the Cowboys scored a combined 41 points.
Dallas also could get corner Terence Newman back -- the secondary has been as big a problem as quarterback play during this bad stretch.
There's also star power in this Sunday night matchup: Romo ... Terrell Owens ... DeMarcus Ware ... Clinton Portis ... Santana Moss. While Owens did not hurt Washington in the first game, Moss had his fourth 100-yard receiving day against Dallas since joining the Redskins in 2005.
Cowboys Keys For Success
1. Contain Santana Moss. No receiver has dominated the Cowboys like Moss in recent memory. He had eight catches for 145 yards in the Redskins' 26-24 win in Week 4, and he has a string of three-straight 100-yard games against Dallas. Equally impressive, he has caught 25 of 36 passes directed his way in those games, and has not caught fewer than eight passes. He's also had a 159-yard game against the Cowboys. Moss has outstanding speed, which means he's a tough matchup for Anthony Henry. And when Terence Newman covers him, he's so good at finding soft spots in zone that he's difficult to contain. Dallas has allowed four 100-yard receivers this year. If Moss becomes No.5, it will be difficult for Dallas to win.
2. Get Marion Barber going. The Redskins own Barber. He hasn't scored a touchdown in four games against Washington, and has not gained more than 45 yards in five games against them since the start of the 2006 season. He's averaging 29.0 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry against Washington. That's not nearly good enough to get it done. Barber is a runner who punishes defensive players for tackling him, which means the more carries he gets, the more effective he becomes. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has to make sure he gets him the ball and doesn't get frustrated and go away from him, even if the yards don't come easy in the first 10 carries.
3. Don't give up points on the first drive. The Cowboys have allowed points on their opponents' first drive in four consecutive games, a trend that needs to stop if the Cowboys are going to get on a roll and get into the playoffs. The trend is an indication that the defensive coaching staff is not doing enough during the week because teams are doing a better job of game-planning. The Cowboys' staff is making adjustments, but the early struggles on defense are forcing them to play from behind. The Cowboys can be tackling better. To that end, Wade Phillips has had his team tackle on Wednesdays and Thursdays, instead of just one day a week.
Redskins Keys For Success
1. Keep �em guessing. Redskins coach Jim Zorn did a masterful job of keeping the Cowboys off-balance in the first game, enabling Portis to rush for 121 yards and the offense to gain a total of 381. They need more of the same to keep the Cowboys' pass rush, specifically Ware, from pressuring QB Jason Campbell. They need to set the tone early.
2. Attack downfield. Moss has averaged 114 yards receiving in six games against Dallas since joining the Redskins. The Redskins have won four of those games. Moss' ability to get downfield -- and it hasn't mattered who is covering him -- has also helped the Redskins running game by forcing Dallas to use mostly seven men in the box.
3. Stop Barber. With all the weapons the Cowboys have, and with Romo back, the Redskins must try to make the Dallas offense one-dimensional. If Dallas is able to generate a ground game with Marion Barber, it will be a long day for Washington. The Redskins have stopped him in previous games as their linebackers consistently went unblocked and filled gaps. If Barber gets going, then Owens, fellow wideout Roy Williams and tight end Jason Witten become more dangerous.
The Bottom Line
Dallas is desperate, and the Redskins have not played well of late. They were physically handled by Pittsburgh and looked sloppy in wins over Cleveland and Detroit -- after losing to St. Louis. However, they match up well against Dallas because they can run the ball on the Cowboys and because they have the secondary to match their receivers. As long as Campbell avoids mistakes, the Redskins will be able to move the ball on this defense. The Redskins have had success vs. Owens and Barber in the past.
Scoring prediction: Cowboys 24 - Redskins 27
posted by The Gryphon at 8:56 AM
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