Game 10: Redskins (5-4) at Cowboys (8-1)

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The Washington Redskins travel to Dallas for a 4pm ET game against the red hot Dallas Cowboys. This game may be a bloodbath, have you ever been beaten down cowboy style?

When making a pregame comparison between a good and bad team it is common to use the 'teams going in different directions' device. In the case of this game it is literally true. The Cowboys are 8-1 with only a loss to the Patriots. Tony Romo playing out of his mind, Terrell Owens and Hall of Fame are now in the same sentence and Wade Phillips and his aw shucks it's all just high school football outlook is suddenly refreshing and not retreading.

The Redskins meanwhile were just getting used to playing without cornerback Carlos Rogers when Sean Taylor twisted his knee last week against the Eagles. Without him in place Donovan McNabb tested the Redskins deep and the Eagles scored immediately. Sean will miss this game and a combination of Pierson Prioleau and Reed Doughty will take his place and the backside of that cover-2 scheme looks a lot softer.

But wait it gets worse. The Redskins receiving corps is struggling. Santana Moss has been slowed by groin and heel injuries and is questionable to play. Antwaan Randle El has a sore hamstring. James Thrash scored a high ankle sprain last week (op. cit.)and will probably miss this game leaving 68 year old Keenan McCardell as the team's healthiest receiver. The team is is such bad shape that it is possible that of all the receivers catching balls today none of them were on the roster week one.

In an odd twist though this week the Redskins got some good news on the receiver front. Brandon Lloyd was lost for the season so they brought in a guy off the street, immediately the team got better.

But really, who will make the critical mistake? Which player will get hurt? What red zone playcalls will be delayed or bungled? How many timeouts will the team waste? Will Joe Gibbs have to spend as much time defending his playcalls tomorrow as he does making them today?

Curly R aside: as hard as we have been on Shawn Springs over the past year plus what his family is going through publicly with father Ron Springs in a coma and not likely to recover is an incredible burden and we wish the family well and send good thoughts their way.

Looking at the bright side, Clinton Portis seems to be in a running rhythm, most of his yards go to the left and he has 333 rushing yards in the last two games. So between Jason calling his won plays in the no huddle and a resurgent running game what the hell maybe the Redskins can make a go of it. The Cowboys defensive secondary is banged up so if Jason Campbell can get one of the dudes with an eighty number to catch the ball then that would be good.

Defensively Andre Carter a beast and looking more like a good acquisition and if Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot aka Nicknamer can play well it will take some pressure off the deep safety. It would be nice to have Marcus Washington back.

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My take in 60 words or less: the Redskins must score a shitload of points to keep up, there is no way this game can be won with conservative running in the middle. I think the Cowboys might score 40 and win by three scores.

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It doesn't matter philosophical you get or how practically speaking the NFL head coach is a near impossible job, winning is what matters. Recognizing how close you are in losing doesn't mean anything if you are not closing the gap.


Washington Post preview, Redskins Gameday (PDF). Redskins roster, projected starters, injuries. Cowboys roster, TV coverage map, it looks like most of the country will be watching this one.


Other previews: Hogs Haven 5 Questions (great idea guys!), Anthony at Hog Heaven, Redskins AOL Fanhouse #1, #2, Bram Weinstein's Covering the Redskins, The Fun Bunch, Riggo's Rag; hey Lee, where the!@#$ is my !@#$ing" FYI?

Bonus preview reading material: DW at Riggo's Rag makes his own list of the top ten Cowboys A holes of all time. And Sportz Assassin at Redskins AOL Fanhouse gives us some background on why these two teams hate each other so much.


This is a gameday open thread.