Dallas Cowboys (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) vs. Washington Redskins (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS)
Week 2 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, September 18, 2016 at 1PM EST
Where: FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
TV: Fox
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Betting Odds: DAL +2.5/WAS -2.5
Over/Under Total: 45
The Dallas Cowboys make the trip northeast to face the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field on Sunday in week two NFC East action. Dallas, with their season in trouble with more QB issues, made a good game of it against the New York Giants in their opener and even held a 4th-quarter lead, before getting nosed at the wire, 20-19. They look to avoid an 0-2 start on Sunday against yet another divisional rival in the Redskins. But Washington is in no position to loaf about after a 38-16 loss at home to open the season on Monday Night Football against the Steelers. For the defending division champ to open the season with two straight home losses would be a major disappointment.
The Cowboys had some good things to take away from their week one loss. A loss is a loss, especially when you lose a lead in the final quarter. But at the same time, holding the powerful Giants' offense to 20 points with long stretches of keeping them from scoring was impressive. And if not for Terrance Williams failing to get out-of-bounds on the last play of the game, they could have had a shot at a long go-ahead FG. They were depending on a lot of things to go right, with rookies at QB and RB and the results were mixed. The rookie QB-RB duo had some rough spots, with Dak Prescott given a lot more attempts than expected, going 25-for-45 with 227 yards, along with no TDs, but also no picks. Ezekiel Elliott scored his first NFL touchdown, but was largely ineffective with 51 yards on 20 carries.
Things could get better for the Dallas offense. Dak Prescott showed a lot of talent in the preseason and it's wrong to expect a rookie QB who is starting unexpectedly to hit the ground running. He could get better and it will help when they turn Dez Bryant loose, as he was held back in the opener after being banged up in the preseason. Prescott was able to hit old reliable tight end Jason Witten 9 times, while connecting with Cole Beasley on 8 passes. RB Alfred Morris had a few nice runs in his Dallas debut. Add in a top-notch offensive line and you can see some things that could aid a young quarterback. The tools are there and we'll see if Prescott can make it happen.
Again, holding the Giants and Eli Manning to 20 points was somewhat of a feat for the Cowboys' defense. Manning was held to just 207 yards, with a versatile cast of receivers all kept in check for the most part. The Giants ran the ball with some success against this defense, but this season you'll see a Giants' offense that can really turn it loose. They never really came close to doing that against the Cowboys. Sean Lee was dominant and all over the field. Corners Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick, and Morris Claiborne all made a lot of good plays, while Barry Church chipped in with some nice production, as well.
Dallas has won their last three meetings at FedEx Field against the Redskins. Last season, they won with Matt Cassel behind center. It's just that they seem to play the Redskins extra tough on the road. And if they want to do so again this week, they could use another solid all-around performance from the defense. And the fact that they gave solid resistance to Manning and his versatile cast of ball-catchers bodes well against a team that does a lot of those same things in the Redskins.
The Redskins were really flat on MNF. They were against a Steelers team that is high-powered, but they couldn't get a key stop to save their lives. Bashaud Breeland had a pick, but was otherwise exploited through the air, especially by Antonio Brown. That can happen, but they gave up huge performances in the air with Roethlisberger going over 300 yards and the oldest running back n the league DeAngelo Williams running for 143 yards. When faced with a chance to make a stop, the "D" gave up 9-for-14 on third down attempts. Big-time free agent signing Josh Norman wasn't a factor and the defense seemed uninspired.
Kirk Cousins threw for 329 yards, but had no TD throws, threw two picks, and saw his offense account for two touchdowns on the night. He was able to tap into his vast receiving crew, with DeSean Jackson over 100 yards, with Jordan Reed, Jamison Crowder, and Pierre Garcon all chiming in with some catches. They only ran the ball 12 times for 55 yards. All in all, it was not a vintage performance against a Steelers defense that might be improved, but isn't exactly premier. Needless to say, they are banking on a spike in production this week, but they might have their hands full. The Dallas "D" looked pretty tough in week one.
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At one point in the game, the Redskins led 6-0. They stripped the ball from Big Ben deep in Steelers' territory, with Ryan Kerrigan applying the sack and securing the ball, but he had the ball knocked loose, allowing the Steelers to recover. By the end of the 38-16 game, that was a distant memory, but it shows how fickle the game can be. The defense let the Redskins down later in the game when they narrowed it to 24-16, as Pittsburgh almost immediately hit the scoreboard again. There seems to be some force-field keeping the Redskins from winning at home on MNF, as they've bizarrely lost 15 of their last 16 in that spot. And as we approach week two, we should remember that there are a lot of one-game windows that paint a team in a bad light. There can be some strange week one results that you don't want to read into too much.
The short week would be more of a concern later in the season. Early on. It shouldn't be much of a problem, with the Redskins remaining home to take on their division rivals. Both teams are 0-1 and hungering for a win. This line has a slight "sucker" feel to it, as the spread of Washington by only 2.5 is like the book is begging you to take the 'Skins. I'm not so sure it's time to abandon ship with the Redskins just yet. I see their offense having a better time of it, while the defense deals with Prescott better than they did Roethlisberger. I'm going with the home team.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Washington Redskins minus 2.5 points. Did you know... that you could be wagering on the Dallas vs. Washington game at discounted odds? There's a better than good chance that you're laying -110 odds (or more) with your book. Stop overpaying TODAY by making the switch to 5Dimes Sportsbook! You will be so glad that you did!
