Special Preview: NFL, Week 14
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Football Team
Cowboys: They were looking to run away with the division at one point. After losing in week one, they were able to reel off seven straight victories before hitting a bump in the road. In the month of November, they lost three of their four games. As I was watching them on Thursday night in New Orleans last week, I left the game unimpressed, to be honest with you. Offensively, there were way too many three-and-outs for my liking. I often refer to third down as the crucial downs because it gives you more life as an offense when you are able to move the chains. Even with getting DeMarcus Lawrence back on defense, the Saints were able to push the football down the field pretty effectively. What pulled the Cowboys through were the four turnovers they forced. At 8-4, they have a two-game lead although they’ve taken a dip in production. At this point, I feel this team should move on from Ezekiel Elliott. When he’s healthy, you see the force he is within the offense. That’s just it, he can’t stay healthy. At this point, resting him before playoff time does seem to be the most logical idea at this point because you don’t want him to further injure himself. Continue to use Tony Pollard if you want to run the football. On Sunday, they will travel to Maryland for a divisional showdown.
Washington: I remember referring to them as one of the bigger disappointments in the NFL this season. They won the division last year and were a playoff team in 2020. I’m not sure what it was. However, I noticed some inconsistencies within their entire team. Now, they’ve been winners of their last four games. It’s funny because the other day on the radio, I joked around when breaking down the NFC playoff picture and said nobody appears to want to be a wild card team in the conference because things tend to fluctuate weekly. What’s been the turnaround for the Washington Football Team you ask? I can answer that for you. I see more effort all around in all phases of the football game. The offense is clicking and Antonio Gibson continues to show why the offense must travel through him at all times. Magic happens. Next, how about Taylor Heinicke? They don’t need much or too little from him. He battles his way through and puts them in the best position to win. None of this winning is possible without the influence of Ron Rivera. He’s one of my favorite coaches to discuss and I often say if I were to play for him, I’d run through a wall for him. Coach is a true leader of men and I’ve never heard a single negative thing about him. I admire how he’s kept his team focused even without Chase Young who tore his ACL. They’re back home on Sunday with a rival coming to town.
Cowboys X-Factor: Tony Pollard– If they are going to attempt to run the ball, this is the only answer. With Zeke unhealthy, he’s been their more consistent answer in the ground game. When you continue to feed Tony the football, he can wear down a defense. The speed he brings also sparks up the Cowboys’ offense and he can also help and take pressure off Dak Prescott. He’s truly their only hope at providing balance on the offensive side.
Washington X-Factor: Daron Payne– I was a fan of his game while he was in college. Now, he’s one of the key contributors to an active defensive line in the NFL. It’s the ability to shed blockers and still get himself to the football that stands out to me. Daron is also their best run stopper and clogs those lanes in the middle of the trenches. He’s a problem when he’s unattended.
Final Thoughts: Two months ago, the Cowboys were running away with this division. They were rolling and nothing appeared to get in their way. Now, they’re in a divisional showdown with a team that’s rolling at a nice time. What’s impressed me about Washington is how they’re still playing quality defense without Chase. I see this game coming down to whether the Cowboys can consistently create pressure up front on Taylor Heinicke. Washington however shouldn’t have a problem trying to limit the Dallas offensive line and when you make them one-dimensional, they falter. This comes down to who can impact the other team’s quarterback more with pressure.
Prediction: Cowboys 26, Washington 24
