Dallas Cowboys (3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS) vs. Washington Redskins (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS)
Week 8 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, October 29, 2017 at 4:25PM EST
Where: FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
TV: Fox
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: DAL -2.5/WAS +2.5
Over/Under Total: 50.5
The Dallas Cowboys come into FedEx Field to take on the Washington Redskins in NFC East action on Sunday. The Cowboys were one of the few teams this season to have used a bye week to get some things figured out, as they smashed the 49ers, 40-10, in a big road win that gets them to .500 at 3-3. They can now look at it as a fresh start after some uneven moments this season. They now take on a division foe they beat twice last season in the Redskins. On MNF, the Redskins fell to the Eagles for the second time this season, losing 34-24. They've now lost two of three and need to start finding some consistency starting now.
Granted, the win came against a Niners team that is still trying to figure things out, but it is also a winless 49ers team that had lost five straight by three or fewer points and the Cowboys wasted no time in dominating them and winning by 30. We've stopped trying to guess what will happen with Ezekiel Elliott, but we'll assume he's a go again until we hear different. He was huge on Sunday, with a big assist going to a defense that hasn't been all that stalwart in recent weeks.
The Dallas offense looked more like it did last season on Sunday. Dak Prescott threw for three touchdowns and ran in another one, as he smoothly ran the offense. Elliott was big on the ground with 147 yards and two touchdowns, while also hauling in a short Prescott pass and taking it 72 yards for a score. The run-game was vital, with Rod Smith adding 61 yards. TE Jason Witten was productive and made a really tough catch on an 18-yard TD throw from Prescott. The offense really hasn't been that bad this season, scoring at least 28 points in their last 4 games. It's the other side of the ball that has been the issue. They were a lot better on Sunday.
The bye week seemed to help a Dallas defense that went into the break having given up 35 points in both of their last two games. Having David Irving back helps and he has been getting after the quarterback, as has Tyrone Crawford and DeMarcus Lawrence. Anthony Hitchens being back in the mix is big and the linebacker was very active on Sunday. Sean Lee is also a force in the middle. Getting Hitchens and Irving re-cemented into this offense seemed to pay off, albeit against a roughshod San Fran offense. We should get better idea of there this group really stands this week. The secondary played well on Sunday, but should be tested to a larger degree this week.
The Redskins haven't really seemed to hit their stride and losing their second game of the year to the division-leader in the Eagles, both losses being of the double-digit variety, counts as a negative development. Their offense has been fairly one-dimensional, with not much of a run-game. Their defense has been fairly exploitable over the past several weeks. Making it worse is they don't seem to play better as the game progresses. Despite good play in some areas on both sides of the ball, they have been incomplete and they need to get it together before things get away from them.
Statistically, Kirk Cousins wasn't bad on MNF, throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns on 30-for-40 passing. But to watch him is to understand him and in the big games when the Redskins really need a win, he seems to find a way to not get it done. Sometimes, they have trouble converting production into actual points. They have a vast weapon of aerial targets, none of whom seem to be able to get on a roll. Old tight end Vernon Davis has been their most-consistent producer as of late. Terrelle Pryor is awfully-inconsistent for a supposed number-one receiver and he had two catches for 14 yards on MNF. Jamison Crowder has disappeared, while Jordan Reed has been mostly missing, despite coming to life against the Eagles with 8 catches, two of them being for touchdowns. And with a run-game that is inconsistent and usually not a huge factor, we see a Redskins offense that seems to be without a clear identity.
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The Redskins defense is having a lot of issues. Against the pass, they haven't been very good and it might get worse. It's as if everyone two-deep at corner is banged up, including Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland. The middle is pretty tough with Mason Foster, Zach Brown, and Ryan Kerrigan. They've also been stout against the run, led up-front by Ziggy Hood and Matt Ioannidis. But the overall ability of this defense to make big plays has been hampered by their personnel issues in the secondary. And the defense we saw on MNF doesn't figure to thrive against a Dallas offense that seemed to see things click into gear last week.
The Redskins are a team that can look bad for a few weeks and then snap out of it suddenly. At home in a must-win spot against a division rival could be one of those times. There are a lot of weapons on offense and that can always surface at a given time. But Dallas getting some guys back on defense seemed to make a difference last week, with their offense looking like last season's group. I see more of the same this week, as the Cowboys get the road cover. I'm taking the Cowboys.
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