Game 10: Redskins (6-3) vs. Cowboys (5-4)

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Out of the box: band three of the Redskins 2008 schedule opens with the grudge match as the Dallas Cowboys travel to Washington for the Redskins' second consecutive national game, this one on Sunday night at 8:30pm ET. Both teams are coming off the bye, the NFC Beast is super competitive this year and tonight is a pivotal game for both teams. Who wants it more?

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The story so far: after the Invasion of the Ticket Snatchers two weeks ago against the Steelers the Redskins took some needed and well deserved time off, five whole days with nothing for the players and lots of time to fix the frigging equipment. And did the coaches have plenty to talk about: a struggling offense, a dropoff in generating turnovers (expecially Carlos Rogers op. cit.) and a fairly weak punting game.

So while the players were relaxing and hanging out with fans and doing interviews with bloggers, Redskins management checked out former Falcons and more recently former Raiders cornerback DeAngelo Hall then signed him. Curly R has not weighed in on this signing, have no fear we will this week, DeAngelo has had some impressive career numbers, is not expected to figure too heavily in the game plan, sorry TO. Unfortunately it meant the release of a popular player, cornerback Leigh Torrence. Reed Doughty, third year safety on injured reserve, made some money on that move. Again. The question about DeAngelo hall appears to be, is he a prick, or a huge prick?

The rest of the story is simple: the Redskins have injuries, so do the Cowboys. The Rivalry is back and there is a lot of incentive for these teams not to like each other.

And in other news, some guy named Todd Collins is still on this team. And what's with the moneyball guy?

One other thing, for the life of me I cannot figure out why a visiting team with a worse record whose quarterback missed the last three games is favored by one and a half points. The Redskins are getting no love this week, I saw the CBS pregame coverage today, all four Dan Marino, Phil Simms, Shannon Sharpe and Norman Esiason all picked Dallas. What gives? Is the new conventional wisdom really that the Redskins are going to fade in the back half of the schedule?

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Curly R aside: there is a thing called The Barrier that separates people who play football, or more specifically are playing football in the NFL right now, from people who do not. Basically the axiom is that no matter what you see on the outside one cannot know what is going on in the inside with teams and players, and no matter how close a former player or coach that now is in the media is to the actual NFL game, if you are not in the league, you are outside The Barrier.

And moving from playing or coaching to covering, writing or talking about football is a logical step, not only because it can be lucrative but also because football is what many of these people know best. And yes, Washington has a high concentration of former Redskins players working in the media, there is nothing wrong with that, I think it is a tribute to how seriously Washingtonians take their football. John Riggins, Brian Mitchell, Rick Doc Walker, Ken Harvey, LaVar Arrington.

So maybe I am part of the problem, well on my side of The Barrier when I say wah fucking wah to current players who wish former players would temper their coverage and attitudes and keep things sunny. When we write and talk about stuff we are not attacking the player/coach/team specifically (usually that is), we are critiquing the outcomes. Only going 19-0 every year can defuse criticism and oh by the way the thing that makes current players defensive about their or their team's performance is the same thing that makes former players not give a shit about excuses like you don't know what's going on in our locker room.

Curly R aside continues: help me square this logic problem: Leigh Torrence was the worst cornerback regularly to take the field. Justin Tryon is not good enough to get on the field. The Redskins cut Leigh Torrence to sign DeAngelo Hall. Unless being a 2008 draft pick makes you untouchable except punters (op. cit.), I cannot figure this one.

Curly R aside still continues: can we just say we did the burgundy on burgundy uniforms and just not do it again? I get that the players and the organization enjoyed the change up, it just did not work, that was not the Redskins on the field.

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Oppo research: ok so every legitimate outlet, the NFL itself for example, picked the Cowboys to win the NFC Beast and now they are 5-4, still one game over and a game back of second place. So why is everybody freaking out? Maybe it is because this team is very talented yet fragile as a freaking champagne flute and about to come apart like a cheap suit? Dallas will be playing with urgency, even though we Redskins fans love the team, Washington is outperforming and Dallas is underperforming, Washington is still playing with house money.

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Trainer's table: with left tackle Chris Samuels, cornerback Shawn Springs and defensive end Jason Taylor all set to come back from game(s) off, it was a bit startling and disappointing to hear a week after the Steelers game (op. cit.) that Clinton Portis had a knee injury, one that could cost him some games, a sprained and partially torn medial collateral ligament. Clinton did not practice all week and the team is basically waiting and hoping, things got more optimistic on both Clinton and Ladell as the week went on but it is still up in the air.

Complicating matters is that the Redskins solid number two tailback Ladell Betts is still not 100 percent after his knee injury. Even here on game day the Redskins offensive backfield

Props to the Redskins athletic training staff, I guess, there have been a lot of hamstring injuries the last two seasons.

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Gameplan: we are firmly in the you are what you are zone, it has been half a season and these teams have had plenty of time to scout one another out. On offense the Redskins have to muster some kind of run game with Clinton Portis a (doubtful) game time decision and Ladell Betts not at one hundred percent coming back from his knee injury in game six against the Rams. Chris Samuels back at left tackle should help that though Shaun Alexander has not shown the full toolkit yet and Rock Cartwright and Mike Sellers are desperation tailbacks at this point. If Santana Moss cannot get into a rhythm and stretch the Dallas defense then look for shorties all night to Chris Cooley and Antwaan Randle El, because the rookie receivers are not getting it done (op. cit.). Shorter Ben: it is all on Jason Campbell tonight, and he knows there is a payday just around the corner if he can keep it going.

On defense there are two components: do what you did last time and fluster Terrell Owens. Shawn Springs is back and will be matched up on TO all night, allowing Carlos Rogers to cover the number two on any given play. Taking away that Dallas passing game not only hobbles their offense but who knows, maybe tonight will be the night TO has the world class freak out. The other component to the defense is get to Tony Romo. The Redskins have not had great luck pressuring the passer this season, preferring to drop players back in coverage. Tony is back from a broken wittle pinkie finger and with the stressful media environment surrounding the Cowboys right now, maybe London Fletcher and Marcus Washington can get in Tony's head.

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My take in 60 words or less: the Redskins went into Texas Stadium and gave the Cowboys a bloody nose. Both these teams know what it takes to beat the other. Game on.

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Washington Post / AP preview, Gameday (PDF), the Zorn Zone. Injury report for both teams, Redskins projected starters. SkinsCast weather, it is going to be around 40 degrees at Redskins Stadium. It is a national game on NBC, everyone will see it.


This is a gameday open thread.



NFL helmets from here.