NFL Monday Night Football Schedule & Predictions: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys [Poll]
It's a huge NFC East showdown as the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins will play each other on Monday Night Football at 8:30 p.m. EST Monday.
The Cowboys and Redskins have one of the longest and most storied rivalries in NFL history, from Roger Staubach to Joe Theismann all the way to Emmitt Smith and Joe Gibbs. Even though the Cowboys are the far superior team, these two franchises usually play each other down to the wire.
Latin Post previews this NFC East match-up and predicts a winner. We also invite you to vote in our fan poll:
Dallas Cowboys (6-1)
The Dallas Cowboys have been terrific so far with just one loss this season in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. DeMarco Murray leads the league's No. 1 rushing attack with an incredible 913 yards and seven touchdowns. The offensive line, led by left tackle Tyron Smith, is starting to resemble the '90s Cowboys line, led by Larry Allen.
Quarterback Tony Romo is playing great, as well, with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. Romo is also completing nearly 70 percent of his passes, and his passer rating is an outstanding 104.7. Romo is getting plenty of protection from his offensive line, and he is also able to make plays with his feet extending plays. There's no secret who Romo's favorite targets are: Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Bryant and Witten offer contrasting attributes that can beat defenses long and short. Terrance Williams has been a very reliable No. 3 target this season with a team-leading six touchdowns.
The defense is somewhat better than last season but not great. The biggest reason the defense isn't giving up as many yards or points is because of the effective rushing game. With Murray rushing for more than 100 yards every game, the Cowboys defense can get a lot of rest on the sidelines.
Washington Redskins (2-5)
It's been a terrible first half of the season for the Washington Redskins. Their only two victories this season have come against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 and Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans. It's unlikely they can carry the momentum from last week's win, but a game against their NFC East rivals could be a good start.
Quarterback Robert Griffin III is still resting from his leg injury, and that position has been terrible all season long. Kirk Cousins has been extremely inconsistent with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. Cousins does have an 86.4 passer rating, but missed throws and inability to read defenses got him pulled last week. Colt McCoy is now the starting quarterback.
McCoy had a tremendous career-playing for the Texas Longhorns. Last week against the Titans, McCoy completed 11 of 12 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. We'll see if McCoy can keep his job with a good performance against the Cowboys.
The biggest bright spot on this team is running back Alfred Morris. The young back has 440 yards on the ground and three touchdowns so far. Although Morris was a sixth-round draft pick, he has proven almost everyone wrong, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first two seasons. The Cowboys will have their hands full with DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, as well.
Schedule, Where to Watch
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins will play each other on Monday Night Football at 8:30 p.m. EST. The game will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and televised on ESPN. Live game stream can be found here.
Predictions
The Redskins are coming off a win, but the Cowboys are riding a six-game win streak. Murray, Romo, Bryant and Witten have created a very balanced attack with an elite offensive line. McCoy did win his last game, but still has a lot more to prove. Expect Jason Witten to have a big game at home on Monday night against this below average Redskins defense.
Cowboys win 31-17
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