Week 13 starts with a real playoff feeling in the NFC East! The Washington Redskins (5-6) travel to the Dallas Cowboys (5-6), for both teams any further slip-up is forbidden with regard to the last postseason hopes. The cowboys must continue to work without the blocked Ezekiel Elliott – but Washington is also suffering from numerous failures. Who will win the critical duel? DAZN broadcasts the firecracker live on Friday night from 2:25 a. m.!
One can no longer escape the general mood surrounding the cowboys: with three games in a row, in which the offense – as well as the defense – presented itself extremely weak and toothless, the criticism of Dak Presott is growing. Without Left Tackle, Tyron Smith and Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas’s previous rookie sensation is weakening. Especially pressure suddenly causes him more problems, even when Smith was on the pitch again.
The problems are, as so often, deeper than the first glance reveals. The passport protection has become more susceptible overall, the receivers – Dez Bryant will also be under special scrutiny against Josh Norman – and the play design won’t help Prescott much in most cases. Dallas completely loses any downfield element within his own pass, which is undoubtedly due to Prescott, but not only.
You just have to believe in yourself and know that they’re the same people who doubted me from the beginning,”said Dallas’ quarterback during the week,” Just because they’re right now because I had a bad game, they’re not right all the time “.
But even Prescott admits that the offense currently has problems regaining “intensity and energy”. As a result of the clear bankruptcy against the Chargers on Thanksgiving, he even revealed that the situation was “frustrating”:”You look around and see all the pro-bowlers and the talent in the team. I don’t know why this is happening.”
Running Back and Elliott replacement Alfred Morris speaks of a “snowball effect”:”So many things happen at the same time, resulting in a snowball effect that threw everything out of the track. That’s why we’re trying to rebalance now.”
Morris, an important factor in Robert Griffin III’s spectacular rookie season in Washington in front of a feeling of eternity, is not to blame: 4.8 yards per run against Atlanta, 5.4 yards per run against the Eagles and still 4 yards per run against the Chargers last week. Also the run-blocking is still on a very high level, so that you would make the error analysis also statistically too easy, if you only look at the Elliott failure.
Prescott, there are no two opinions, is going to be a particular focus against Washington. If Dallas loses, the playoff dreams are over – and after three bad games in a row Prescott now has to deliver a convincing match. He has to cope better with pressure, which an increasing Redskins pass rush will deliver, he has to be more courageous in passing, he has to be able to carry the offense more.
Otherwise he runs the risk of being quickly overshadowed by his counterpart on Thursday evening. Kirk Cousins, once again on the road with a one-year contract, plays a very good season and shows great qualities against lightning and pressure. The cowboys can put pressure on the quarterback, but they also have to do this to hide their problems in the secondary. Cousin’s stance against the pass rush will therefore be a decisive duel in this match.
Washington still has the highest number of Big Plays in the passing game, despite the fact that Terrelle Pryor, who is injured and will miss the rest of the season, was a flop and Jordan Reed just won’t fit. And even worse: Running Back Chris Thompson, who played a central role in the game plans, has finished the season prematurely due to injury. With Trent Williams, Washington’s dominant left tackle against Dallas could also fail again.
Cousin’s compassion for Prescott will be limited as far as the military hospital circumstances around him are concerned. Nevertheless, two receivers have excelled in Washington’s Offense this year: Josh Doctson (13 catches, 198 yards in the last four games) and slot receiver Jamison Crowder (27 catches, 412 yards in the last four games) dominate the Redskins’ passing game, and Crowder in particular should be able to cause problems for Dallas together with Tight End Vernon Davis.
Without the injured Sean Lee, who will also be out on Thursday, the Cowboys-Defense suffers enormously and is much more susceptible to the run as in the Underneath coverage. It doesn’t help that linebacker colleague Justin Durant also has to fit in and Anthony Hitchens is another linebacker. Cowboys fans may have to make do with Justin March-Lillard and Kyle Wilber in the landmark match against Washington.
That would not only be a huge boost for crowders, but Samaje Perine would also be able to scratch with her hooves. Washington’s rookie-running back is getting better and better after Rob Kelley’s injury and finally beat the Saints and Giants twice in a row to beat the 100 rushing yard mark.
From the guest’s point of view, however, the first thing we want to do on Thursday evening is to continue focusing on Dallas’ offensive problems:”We don’t want to be the one team against which everything will work out for them,”defensive Lineman Ziggy Hood warned,”We don’t want that to happen. We’ll do everything we can to keep the situation in Dallas frustrating.”
Dallas Cowboys (5-6) – Washington Redskins (5-6) (Fri, 2:25 a. m. live on DAZN)
The SPOX NFL betting game, Week 13:
Pascal
De Marco
114-62