Traditional NFC East rivals Washington and Dallas had matching 3-3 records going into the first of their annual pair of contests. The game at FedEx Field was played entirely during a driving rainstorm, forcing The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott and Redskins Kirk Cousins to throw wet footballs. What Dallas had that their opponent didn’t, was Ezekiel Elliott. The controversial running back had 150 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries, per NFL.com's game. A federal hearing, scheduled for Monday, will determine the status of a suspension Elliott received for abuse charges earlier this year.
The Cowboys are hoping that this performance wasn’t Elliott’s last.
Kirk Cousins was protected by four inexperienced offensive linemen, as that group has been plagued by injuries. While the QB did throw for 239 yards per NFL game center, sacks and risky passes were frequent. The duress was underscored with less than a minute left in the game when a hurried Cousins threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Redskins Coach Jay Gruden was seen shaking the hand of Cousins by FOX’s cameras, thanking the signal caller for playing well under the circumstances. The Redskins have the talent to put this loss behind them but will pray for everyone to stay healthy and the offensive line to regroup.
Kirk’s courage
Kirk Cousins had to carry the load in the Dallas game. With injuries to starting offensive linemen Spencer Long, Trent Williams, Brandon Scherff, and Ty Nsekhe, the ‘Skins were forced to go very green up front. Left Tackle Tyler Catalina made his NFL debut in Sunday’s game per the Washington Post.
Right Guard Arie Kouandjio has been a member of the Redskins for three days, according to the WaPo article.
The Redskins offensive front prompted FOX analyst Troy Aikman to quip, “these guys don’t even know the offense,” during the networks broadcast of the game. Cousins was able to accrue 239 passing yards, but was sacked four times and regularly threw passes that were deflected. The lack of offensive line quality caused the running game to suffer, as running backs Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson combined for only 37 yards on the ground.
The hope is that Trent Williams and Spencer Long will mend quickly, or the season could get out of hand.
Cowboys offense plays solid, relies on field goal kicking
Dallas gashed the Redskins D with the rushing of Ezekiel Elliott, who had 150 yards on 33 carries. If a Monday hearing reinstates his suspension, Dallas may be forced to park that car. Losing Elliott would take away a nice dynamic in the Cowboy offense. Dak Prescott was able to hit some nifty passes, completing 14/22 for 143 yards. Dez Bryant had four of these grabs for 36 yards. Perhaps the hero of the game for Dallas would be veteran placekicker Mike Nugent. Several times the ‘Boys found themselves deep in Redskin territory, and Nugent, in his first game as a Cowboy, popped four field goals.
Having a clutch kicker like Nugent in place of the injured Dan Bailey is nice for Dallas' Offense.
Going forward
Dallas will meet the 5-2 Kansas City Chiefs at home next week, in a matchup that could very well be a Super Bowl preview. Washington plays the Seattle Seahawks on the road, a team that is leading the NFC West. The Cowboys and Redskins meet again on November 30. Both teams are chasing the only once beaten Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.
(All Stats Courtesy NFL.com).
