Redskins vs Cowboys: 10 Keys to the Game for Dallas

Despite struggling against a two-win Browns team last week, the Dallas Cowboys have balanced their record at 5-5. Now their season hangs in the balance as they host the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving Day.

You don’t need me to remind you that a win will move them to within a half-game of the first-place New York Giants. And you don’t need me to remind you that the Giants, who have been struggling as of late, have to play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. If the Packers win that game, the Giants and the Cowboys will be tied for first place.

So you don’t need me to tell you that this is an absolute must-win game for the Cowboys.

It’s worth noting that Tony Romo has never lost a home game in November and that the Cowboys are 7-3 in their last 10 Thanksgiving Day games (28-15 all-time).

Here are 10 keys to beating the Redskins and keeping their playoffs hopes alive.  

Win the Turnover Battle

It goes without saying that protecting the ball is the key to winning every game. It’s especially important in this game.

The Cowboys have one of the worst turnover differentials in the NFL at minus-nine. The Redskins have one of the best at plus-10. That unsettling stat could be the difference.

The good news is that Romo hasn’t thrown an interception in three straight games. He not only needs to extend that streak, he also needs to hang on to the ball when under pressure. He had a fumble against the Browns last week that could have been a game-ender. There’s no question that his pass protection is going to break down. The key is knowing when to be creative and knowing when to take the sack. 

Rob Ryan’s defense also needs to be creative. That highly-regarded secondary has the second fewest interceptions in the league with four, and his defense as a whole has forced only nine fumbles. Those stats need to improve, especially when you’re faced with an offense that ranks eighth in yards per game and 10th in points per game

Exploit the Redskins Secondary

The Redskins are ranked 29^th against the pass, allowing 289 yards per game. They’ve allowed more touchdowns to quarterbacks than all but two other teams. Romo needs attack this dilapidated secondary early and often.

Thankfully, Dez Bryant has been playing like the lights-out wide receiver he was drafted to be. He should have no trouble getting open and forcing yards after the catch. I would expect him to have a huge game, along with Miles Austin.

Spread the Ball Around

Part of exploiting a bad secondary is getting multiple receivers involved. And that goes beyond just wide receivers. That means running backs and tight ends.

Felix Jones will most likely be limited or not play altogether, and with as bad as the offensive line has been, Romo needs to have a check-down available on every play. The Redskins will most likely blitz often in an attempt to pick up where the Browns left off last week (seven sacks). Romo should be prepared to take advantage of the Redskins' aggressiveness by changing the play at the line of scrimmage to things like screen passes and short dump-offs.   

Getting Jason Witten involved goes without saying. But it’s possible he will have a quiet day while helping out Doug Free (more on that later), which means Cole Beasley and Dwayne Harris could see an increase in playing time. That’s a good thing. The more speed the Cowboys can field, the better off they’ll be at scorching this secondary.  

If Jason Garrett can keep the Redskins defense on its heals by spreading the ball around, he’ll be able to work in more two-tight end formations, giving Romo extra blockers and allowing Bryant and Austin more time to work down the field. That, in essence, should be the focus of the offense.

Contain RG3

It may sound foolish to suggest that making RG3, who just burned the Eagles with four touchdown passes, beat you with his arm rather than his feet is a good strategy. But that’s exactly what they need to do. They need to force him to throw into the best part of their defense.

More importantly, they need to get defenders in his face and force him to pass under pressure. What makes this especially difficult is that RG3 is great at throwing on the run. So they’ll need to get pressure from multiple angles and take him down before he has a chance at a play down the field.

Isolate Ryan Kerrigan

Kerrigan is a pass-rush specialist who is credited by Pro Football Focus with 28 quarterback hurries (first among all 3-4 outside linebackers). This represents a major problem for the Cowboys and right tackle Doug Free.

Free has struggled mightily this season and is going to need a lot of help sealing up his side of the line. That’s where Jason Witten comes in. Witten will have to help by chipping Kerrigan before releasing and double-teaming him when run blocking.

That strategy could effectively take Romo’s favorite target out of the game. The good news is that London Fletcher may not play Thursday, which means Kerrigan is the biggest threat to the quarterback. If the Cowboys can keep him out of the backfield, Romo should have no trouble getting the ball out of his hands before the pressure gets to him.  

Don’t Force the Run

Usually one of the first bullet points of any offensive strategy is, “don’t abandon the run." This may be the first time ever you’ll hear someone recommending the opposite.

Let’s take a minute to evaluate the Cowboys' running back situation. DeMarco Murray is out; we know that. Felix Jones is hurt and may not be available for this game. That leaves Lance Dunbar and Phillip Tanner to shoulder the load.

I’m all for seeing just how much depth the Cowboys have and getting to know the new guys, but there is one major problem: the offensive line.

Both centers are hurt, so right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau has been filling in (and did a fine job against the Browns), which means Derrick Dockery is playing right guard. Free, as mentioned, has been terrible. Left tackle Tyron Smith suffered an ankle sprain, and it’s unclear whether or not he’ll be able to play. This isn’t setting up well for a pair of inexperienced running backs.

Furthermore, the Redskins defense has been top 10 against the run all season, ranking seventh in yards allowed.

I’m not saying the Cowboys should pass on every down, but it’s obvious that running the ball isn’t one of their current strengths, nor is stopping it a weakness for their opponent. There’s no reason to force it.

Take Alfred Morris out of the Game

I don’t mean take him out as in injure him. I mean, bottle him up and don’t allow him to get to the second level.

Morris has been the surprise rookie of the season. He’s rumbled for 869 yards with a 4.7 yards-per-carry average and five touchdowns. In a system where we’re never sure who Mike Shanahan is going to elect to lead his rushing attack, it seems Morris has sealed up that job better than anyone expected.

What makes him so impressive is that he is seldom tackled by the first defender to reach him. He has the fourth-most yards after contact (PFF). In fact, 65 percent of his 869 yards have come after being hit.

If the Cowboys can take him out of the game, they’ll remove a big part the Redskins playbook. In order to do so, they’ll need have solid tackling and not let him get past the first defender. 

Screens Are Your Friend

I’ve already mentioned that Romo needs to be ready to audible to screen plays when the Redskins are showing a heavy blitz. But this goes beyond just this game.

The Cowboys don’t run enough screens in general. You may think that’s because the offensive line is one of the worst in football. I would argue that a bad line is all the more reason to call screens.

Basically, if pass protection is a problem (and it definitely is), let Romo suck that blitz up the field and dump the ball off to a wide receiver or a running back. Put your offensive linemen into motion rather than watch them get pushed backwards. Set up the defense with two-tight end formations and pull John Phillips across the line pre-snap to put a block on a cornerback. Imagine what Dez Bryant can do with a couple of blockers and an open field.

A little deception and creativity certainly wouldn’t hurt the Cowboys' stagnant offense.

Play Tight but Aggressive Defense

The Cowboys are going to see a multitude of different looks on Thursday. RG3 runs the read option incredibly well and has the accuracy to throw the long ball when needed.

The key to slowing this offense down is not being fooled by play-action. That’s a lot easier said than done. RG3 runs more play-action than any other quarterback in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, out of 227 dropbacks 85 have been play-action. That makes blitzing especially dangerous.

The Redskins run everything from end-arounds, to wishbone and inverted wishbone looks, to the pistol formation. They like to keep a crowded backfield and try to disguise the runner, all by utilizing play-action as a means to confuse the coverage.

It’s very difficult to game-plan for this type of offense. They have a great offensive line, a good combination of running backs and a playbook full of deception. In Week 8, they ran a play-fake to Evan Royster and handed the ball off to Josh Morgan on what looked to be an end-around. But just as the Steelers defense changed direction, Morgan threw the ball 35 yards down the field to RG3.

That play wasn’t successful as Griffin was called for offensive pass interference, but it gives you an idea of what to expect. (He was also laid out on that play, and I doubt Shanahan is going to take any more risks by turning his franchise QB into a wide receiver.)

The best thing the Cowboys can do is try to hit RG3 on every play. Even if he’s just handing the ball off. That will force the Redskins to play straight, and it takes the creativity out of their playbook.

The linebackers will need to find that delicate balance of showing patience and making quick decisions. Sometimes they’ll have to guess. Let’s just hope they guess right.

Win the Battle of Field Position

Special teams is an often-overlooked phase of football. You don’t need me to be Captain Obvious and explain to you how much more dangerous RG3 gets the closer he is to the end zone. The best way to prevent that situation is by giving him a long field to work with.

It starts with punter Brian Moorman keeping it away from the Redskins and pinning them deep when called upon, and it ends with making good tackles without penalties.

On the other side of the ball, it looks like the Cowboys have found an excellent punt returner in Dwayne Harris. He was named Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 10 and has averaged 17.8 yards per return since taking over for Dez Bryant. If he can continue his success on Thursday by giving Romo a short field, the Cowboys will be in great shape for a victory.

It’s also worth noting that kicker Dan Bailey won Special Teams Player of the Week last week. That’s back-to-back weeks for the Cowboys. Good things are happening.