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Five Keys to Beating the RedSkins!!!!


            Ok Cowboys nation, we’ve had a few days to come down off the high of beating a terrible 49ers team. Don’t get me wrong the Cowboys needed a win last Sunday and it didn’t matter who it was against. What gets me, is the overreaction to the win. Before beating the 49ers the Cowboys had a struggling defense, the offensive line wasn’t looking good, and Zeke had taken a step back. After the win against the 49ers, the Cowboys have soared in power rankings, has the best offensive line in football, and the defense is now a work in progress; what a difference one game makes.
            The Dallas Cowboys have been inconsistent in this 2017 season. After six games, the offensive line appears to have gelled. I like Cooper at left guard over Chaz Green, because that is Cooper’s natural position and he is powerful player. This defense is and will continue to be a work in progress. Marinelli has his hands full with personnel rotations and secondary packages. I would love to see him run more man defense and allow these young playmakers to play. Bryon Jones is a playmaker; he should be able to play in the robber zone sometimes, so that he can get his hands on some passes over the middle. I don’t think they use Jones properly. My point is nothing has changed about where this team was to start the season.
            Dak and Dez still have to find a rhythm; Dez catching some contested passes would really help speed up this process. Scott Linehan still has to figure out ways to feature Beasly and get Switzer involved. The run game will continue to get better as they settle in on a starting five unit upfront. I hope they stick with Cooper at left guard! Its week six and Jeff Heath is still starting at strong safety. I know they won, but beating a terrible team doesn’t all of a sudden make everything right. I didin’t feel like the season was over going into the bye, but not much else has changed about the feeling of this team. They do have an excellent opportunity to gain some momentum on Sunday versus the Redskins. Here is how I think the Cowboys will beat the Redskins.

Test Norman Ribs!!!!!!



            I hate forcing Dez Bryant the ball but if the other team is going to disrespect him by putting a 70% Josh Norman on him, then you must attack. Dez is one of the most physical receivers in the game. Yes, cornerbacks have been holding him in check but it isn’t without getting a few bumps and bruises in the process.
            Norman likes to play Dez because he is able to put his hands on him. That’s going to be awfully hard to do with bad ribs. It’s hard to breathe when you have broken ribs, let alone fight with a 225 lbs wide receiver for 60 mins. If Norman is going to play, get Dez the ball short and make Norman come up to tackle him. Get Zeke the ball on the edge and see if Norman is willing to come up and make a tackle in space. I understand Norman is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. If he can’t cover Dez, or come up in run support against Zeke, the Redskins can’t stack the box and play the run.

Find Jason Witten


            The Redskins have a hard time defending tight ends. Zach Eartz has killed them twice, Gerald Everett had over 90 yards receiving against them. Travis Kelec torched this team. Witten isn’t the player he once was, but he still gets open. If the Redskins don’t want to cover him, then throw him the ball. The Skins will have their hands full with stopping the run, and that may leave one on one opportunities for Witten. Outside of Zack Brown, I don’t see anyone else taking Witten away (Norman will be on Dez). Get Witten involved and force the defense to stop him.

Attack DJ Swearinger!!!!!


            That dude is a liability in coverage! I like Swearinger’s toughness, and he is a solid tackler, but he can’t cover. He fell for two double moves in that game against Philly last week, and was late rotating a number of times. I expect Swearinger to play close to the line for run support but when he is in coverage throw at him.

Double A Gap blitzes


            Kirk Cousin’s has struggled with making adjustments to combat the double A Gap blitz his entire career. It’s easy to speed up Cousin’s clock because he wants to throw the ball short. He is a timing quarterback and those blitzes disrupt his timing thus forcing him to make bad throws, or throws that are short of the first down.
            This is an important key because the Cowboys don’t blitz much. When they do it’s usually off the edge with a defensive back. I love the theory of pressing Cousin’s even it’s from the outside. Occasionally that pressure should come right up the gut. Show two linebackers in the A Gaps and bring both of them.
            Another reason to blitz Cousin’s is because his offensive line is banged up. Trent Williams is playing with a torn ligament in his knee, Morgan Moses has two bad ankles, and Brandon Scheiff is playing with a torn ligament in his knee. Blitzing in the A Gaps will create one on one situation with the Cowboys edge rushers. I like their chances to beat Moses with bad ankles and Williams with a bad knee. The Reskins don’t run the ball great so play the run in rout to the quarterback.

Press and Play man!!!


            Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis are two good, young cornerbacks. No, I don’t think they’re shutdown corners but they are great athletes. The Redskins don’t have great wide receivers. Terrelle Pryor has been terrible this season. Josh Doctson can’t seem to win over the coach or the trust from his quarterback. Let the young defensive backs press these guys and make life difficult for them. Will they get beat, yes. They will also be in great position to make plays on those short timing routes that Cousin loves to throw. They can also get tip some passes up in the air and allow other defenders to pick off them off. Only good things will come from pressing these receivers. If the Cowboys sit back in that soft zone, Cousins will pick them apart and get into a rhythm. We saw him throw for 400 yards in that second game last season. He had two good wide receivers then. The Cowboys can’t afford to let Cousins get going. Disrupt the timing of the routes and make these wide receivers work.


            Chris Thompson leads the Skins in rushing and receiving. The focus should be on stopping him, but the Redskins see this struggling defense and think they can get right. Thompson will get his; he is that good a player. The Cowboys have to limit Davis and let Jones play on Reed. Jones does a great job against Jordan Reed.

            On offense stick with the run, get Beasley involved, and allow Dak to make plays. He showed last week that he will throw into tight windows; he just needs his receivers to start making more of those catches. Dak will be the difference in this game. He can do all the same things Wentz did against the Skins last week. I’m taking the Cowboys 24-17. 

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