Washington Football Team Week 7 Preview: vs. Cowboys
Washington fell to last place in the league’s worst division after handing the Giants their first win. It was a close game, but losing to a winless team never feels good. Any remaining thoughts about competing for the division title should be discarded. The focus should now be on player development and a good draft pick.
Having said that, it is Dallas week, and I will be damned if I ever want less than a disgracing blowout victory over our most hated rival. Players and coaches feel the same way and should be giving a total effort to win this Sunday. Here is what it will take.
Week 7 Preview: vs. Cowboys
Three Things to Watch For:
1. Riverboat Ron. The gambling man showed up big time last Sunday. He called a handful of fourth down attempts and made a big decision to go for two to win instead of kicking an extra point for overtime. These decisions seem to be dividing the fanbase, but in my opinion, they are necessary. Given the team’s talent level, coaches will have to take some risks and get a little lucky to pull out victories. Coach Rivera’s decision to go for two did not pan out (mostly because of a bad play call and Allen’s indecisiveness), but he will probably have to gamble early and often to take down the Cowboys.
2. Kyle Allen’s third tryout. Allen was supposed to give Washington their best chance to win games. But after an ugly loss to the Rams (which he only played half of) and a sloppy effort against the winless Giants, it is hard to say he makes the team competitive. With a bye week coming up, a poor showing from Allen could make the coaches think about starting Haskins again to get more tape, or even giving some starts Alex Smith to see if he could be an option for next season.
3. Kendall Fuller’s continued dominance. Few of Washington’s free agent pickups have made a real splash, but cornerback Kendall Fuller has been outstanding in his return. He is tied for the league lead in interceptions, despite missing the first two weeks, and has shut down the receivers he lines up against. Dallas has three great wideouts between Cooper, Gallup, and Lamb. Fuller will have to erase one of them and maybe even snag a fifth pick to slow the Cowboys offense.
Key Matchup:
Daron Payne vs. Ezekiel Elliot.
Andy Dalton was badly off target throwing against the Cardinals on Monday night, and a Cowboys win will probably require a strong run game from Zeke. Meanwhile, Daron Payne had one of the best games of his young career against the Giants. He reset the line of scrimmage and bullied interior linemen on his way to five tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass deflection. Payne’s ability to collapse the pocket will close running lanes for Zeke and set up the rest of the defensive line to make plays. The Cowboy’s offensive line, which has been elite for years, is badly injured and will be starting several backups. It is a prime opportunity for Washington’s defensive line to assert their ability and shut down the run.
Injuries to Monitor:
At Wednesday’s practice, the following players sat out: TE Logan Thomas, CB Ronald Darby, OL Saahdiq Charles, WR Isaiah Wright, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, and DE James Smith-Williams. DE Chase Young and LB Kevin Pierre-Louis were limited.
Thomas and Darby’s status for Sunday is unclear, and as starters their absence would be significant. Pass-catchers will be scarce because Wright and Gandy-Golden are doubtful to play. Watch for an appearance from Robert Foster, a new WR that was signed off Green Bay’s practice squad. Charles saw his first game action at left guard last week but got injured early. It will probably force a struggling Wes Martin back into the starting lineup.
Young is still dealing with a nagging groin issue and Pierre-Louis has a sore shoulder, but they should both be good to start on defense on Sunday.
Game in Summary:
No matter the context, I always want to crush the arrogant Cowboys. There are a few factors in our favor this week. First, the Cowboys defense is historically bad this season, allowing over 36 points a game. That offers promise for a low-scoring squad like Washington. Second, they are playing without their starting QB. Their backup, Dalton, looked terrible against the Cardinals and threw two picks. Their high-powered offense may be stuck in low gear. Third, reports swirled this week that Cowboys players are frustrated with under-prepared coaches. Internal discord may distract them from this game.
I think it will be a close, hard-fought matchup. Washington will be able to score more than usual but will also struggle to contain the star skill players on Dallas’ offense. Ultimately, I think our defense puts the team on its back and forces a couple big turnovers. Washington scores the most points it has this season and heads to the bye week with a win over our rivals.
