Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Redskins: 8 Keys to a MNF Win for Tony Romo

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Tony Romo does not lack for attention. He has managed to be the top quarterback story in the NFL for each of the first two weeks. Week 1, he was football genius-in-motion for three quarters until suddenly transforming himself into a goat. It was horrifying.

A media storm ensued.

Week 2, he was the heroic warrior, playing through serious injury and pain to lead his team to victory.

A media storm ensued.

Tony has single-handedly taken publicity for the world's highest profile franchise to an all-new level. And he has done this early in a year when none of the football media gurus were giving Dallas a chance.

Pretty impressive, but this week Tony needs help, and lots of it.

I am listing a full eight keys to this game, because the Cowboys will need to be proficient on multiple fronts to grab the W on MNF.

Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray Must Explode into the Secondary

Must Get Loose
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I don't care how they do it. Screen passes, draws, traps, cut-backs, attacking the perimeter, shovel pass, power running, sweeps.....just get it done.  The Redskins defensive line is vulnerable (see my previous article), and the Cowboys offensive line needs to produce here.

They need to slow down the pass rush, take pressure off of Romo and create some manageable second and third downs.

Get Dez Bryant Going Early

Get Dez Going
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In the last matchup between these two teams, Dallas hung 33 points on the Redskins without Dez Bryant, without Tony Romo and with Miles Austin only catching three passes for 38 yards.

The Redskins put so much effort into shutting down Austin, that things opened up for the other receivers. Eight different Cowboys caught balls that night. Heck, even Sam Hurd caught four passes.

If Dallas can hurt the Redskins with Dez Bryant early, Romo will get everyone into the act. Only this year, "everyone" is a little faster than last year. How so? Check out the next slide.

Cowboys Must Use Their Speed to Defeat the Redskins

Get It to Dez in Space, Let Him Do the Rest
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Name a Cowboys receiver who is 6'2", 200 pounds and runs a 4.38 40 yard dash.

No, it's not Dez Bryant.  Dez is 6'2" and 220 pounds, and he runs about a 4.5, although he is faster in full pads than many "speedsters" because he has a great combination of strength, speed and explosiveness.

Laurent Robinson, acquired from the Chargers and active for Monday night, runs the 4.38.

While we are on 40 times,  DeMarco Murray runs a 4.41 and Felix Jones runs a 4.37.

The Philadelphia Eagles' offensive philosophy could be boiled down to this: acquire athletes with great speed, get them on the field and get them the ball in space by any means necessary. This is what makes them so dangerous.

The Cowboys need to take this same approach. Speed kills.

Keep Jason Witten Rolling

Lets Roll
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Jason Witten is off to a great year. In the last matchup with the Redskins at Cowboys Stadium, Witten caught 10 for 140. I look for him to have another big night.

Duane Harris Needs to Make Plays

Duane Harris is a talented rookie who hasn't gotten much attention so far, but he has taken over the kick return duties for Dez Bryant, and has done a fine job.

There should be some opportunities on Monday night for him to make some plays, and the Cowboys will need them. The last thing Dallas can afford is to get behind in the field position battle with a wounded quarterback.

Harris needs to shine under the Monday night lights and give his team short fields to work with.

Anthony Spencer and Jason Hatcher Need to Keep It Up

Spencer on the Attack
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The Dallas Cowboys lead the league in sacks thus far, averaging five per game.

Spencer and Hatcher each have two sacks to go with DeMarcus Ware's four. Ratliff has one, as does Danny McCray.

I take it as a given that Ware will keep on bringing it. If Spencer and Hatcher can continue their production, its going to be a long night for Rex Grossman.

Terrance Newman Needs to Pick Up Where He Left off

Lost in the shuffle of the dismal Cowboys season last year was the fact that Terrance Newman had five interceptions. Not bad for a guy that people keep claiming is past his prime.

Newman is finally back from a long groin injury rehab, and takes the field Monday night for the first time this year.

The Cowboys defense needs a strong showing from Newman if they are going to limit the big play ability of the Redskins offense.

Keep Romo Upright

Keep Him On His Feet
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This one isn't just about this game, but the next several games as well.

If the O-line can't keep Romo protected from the Redskins, it doesn't look good for the next game against the Lions, or the one after that, against the Patriots.

Thus far, the O-line has been better at pass blocking than run blocking (Romo's ribs not withstanding).

On Monday night, they need to improve in both areas to keep Romo on his feet and time of possession in the Cowboys' favor.

I see the Cowboys getting it done Monday night. I think they will accomplish enough of these eight keys to soundly defeat the Redskins.

But the main reason I like their chances is an intangible I'll explain on the next slide.

The Cowboys Are Warriors

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The Cowboys-Redskins rivalry in the last few years has been about a Cowboys team with superior talent that didn't always have as much stomach for the fight as the Redskins.

That's not to say the Cowboys didn't compete, its just that the Redskins would come in as underdogs, with a chip on their shoulder, and fight tooth and nail for 60 minutes.

Sometimes the Cowboys were caught off guard and they came up a little short.

I don't see it going down that way this year. The Cowboys have a fighter at just about every position.

Jason Garret likes to attack. Rob Ryan likes to attack. Dez Bryant attacks. Miles Austin attacks. Tony Romo attacks even with a punctured lung. Ware, Spencer, Ratliff, Hatcher, Jones, Murray, Witten—all these guys will fight you till the final whistle.

It'll be cage match on Monday night for sure. But this year the Cowboys have the fight to go with the talent.

Cowboys 31      Redskins 17