1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
Washington Redskins | 0 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 23 |
After blowing a chance to win the game with just over four minutes left in the game, Kirk Cousins and his offense took the field for one last shot with 1:04 left on the clock and 90 yards to go. Thanks to yet another horrible offensive line penalty, leading to a 10 second run off, and an over thrown Hail Mary attempt, they blew it again.
There is plenty of blame to go around in what was a winnable game. Kirk Cousins continued to look sloppy, finishing the game with a 60% completion rate and an ugly end zone interception. His timing was off, and he often threw the ball short and low, missing his receivers. His interception in the end zone was an ugly one. Cousins was telegraphing his throw to Pierre Garcon so intently that he never saw Barry Church coming across from his right. Even on the last play of the game, Cousins overthrew his targets, not even giving his players a chance to make a jump play.
The play calling failed to impress, either. While the team didn't completely abandon the run, and Chris Thompson had a big pick up on the ground during the final drive of the game, Matt Jones had only 13 carries to add to Thompson's 2, which put the team's pass:run ratio at 3:1. In the red zone, the team ran back to back fades to Jordan Reed and Josh Doctson, and the Cowboys' defense knew exactly how to cover them.
Against the burgundy and gold's defense, rookie Dak Prescott put up nearly 300 yards and completed over two thirds of his passes, though the Redskins did manage to sack him four times for 14 yards. Much of the focus going into this game was whether or not Washington would move Josh Norman around the field after leaving Bashaud Breeland out to handle Antonio Brown on his own last week. At the end of the first half, the Redskins finally began moving Norman, but Breeland's confidence looked more or less shot. You have to wonder how Barry and his team will handle the young corner moving forward. He needs to be tested, but you also can't leave him hanging and let a corner back with great potential continue to fall apart.
Speaking of falling apart, the defense continued to struggle with stopping the run, giving up 100+ yards on the ground. Rookie Ezekiel Elliot had two fumbles, but players saw him put up 83 yards, and fans also saw something they didn't want to see this year: Alfred Morris in the end zone. In the fourth quarter, Morris scored on a short run through a gaping hole up the middle, and his bat swinging celebration returned to FedEx Field.
By the numbers: Cousins (28/46, 364 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks), Jones (13 carries, 61 yards), Reed (5 receptions, 70 yards), Doctson (1 reception, 57 yards), Phillips (1 recovered fumble), Trent Murphy, (1.5 sacks), Dustin Hopkins (3/3, long of 36)