Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins: Full Washington Game Preview

The Washington Redskins have hurdled their share of obstacles in their ascent to being a division leader, injuries chief among them.

With the rival Dallas Cowboys making the trek over to the nation's capital in Week 13, they'll have a new one to tackle.

Courtesy of their "newfound" success, after being overlooked all season long, the Redskins now have expectations to deal with. 

How will they handle them, on the national stage, no less?

Let's find out.

Here is the Week 13 preview for Washington.

Location: FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday

TV: ESPN

Week 12 Results and Recap

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Washington has much to celebrate following its long-awaited victory over the Giants.

NFC East Standings

Washington Redskins (5-6)

New York Giants (5-6)

Philadelphia Eagles (4-7)

Dallas Cowboys (3-8)

In Week 12, Washington brought an end to the New York Giants' dominance over it. Its 20-14 victory ended a five-game losing streak in the series.

Three interceptions by Eli Manning and a turnover-free showing from Kirk Cousins propelled the team to the win. 

As a result, the Redskins are now in a first-place tie atop the NFC East. And by virtue of a 2-1 record within the division—New York is 2-3—they currently hold the tiebreaker.

With three games remaining, Washington is very much in control of its fate in the divisional race.

News and Notes

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Schedule Favors Redskins in NFC East Race

Shocking doesn't begin to describe a Washington team that's both winless on the road and against winning opponents—not to mention under .500 itself—and still in first in the NFC East.

Believe it or not, though, if its remaining schedule holds to form, the team can actually win the division.

As CBSDC's Brian McNally noted, the Redskins' opponents have a combined winning percentage of .363 the rest of the way.

Their chief competitor, the Giants, on the other hand, has dates with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings—all playoff contenders. Even the perceived cupcakes remaining, the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, could be problematic. 

New York has to travel to Miami, and it's already suffered a blowout loss at the hands of Philly earlier this year.

It's an unfamiliar role, but at this point in time, the Redskins have to be looked at as the favorite to win the division.

Improvement on Turnover Front

Many projected it to be a problem spot the moment Cousins got the nod to be the starting quarterback. But as it turns out, turnovers haven't devastated the team as much as in past seasons.

If you recall, in 2014, Washington was 30th in turnover differential. 

As Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus detailed (h/t ESPN.com), Cousins' interception percentage has dropped from 4.4 to 2.6 percent in 2015.

His improvement doesn't put him among the league's upper-echelon quarterbacks. With this growth, though, the defense isn't put at such a disadvantage.

Speaking of which, with 17 takeaways, the team is just two off from last year's season total. In their past four home contests, all wins, the Redskins have forced eight turnovers.

The next step is translating these turnovers into points by the offense. But for the time being, the 19.5 points per game Washington is allowing during this stretch will suffice.

Injury Report

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Washington could surely use Robinson to slow down Witten.

S Trenton Robinson

A starter in seven of nine games, Trenton Robinson has been out of the lineup with a hamstring injury since Week 10.

He's listed as questionable on the team's injury report, leaving his status up in the air for this week. Even if he were to return, though, it's likely a bench role would await him with DeAngelo Hall and Kyshoen Jarrett now taking snaps opposite Dashon Goldson.

LB Keenan Robinson

Because of a shoulder injury, Keenan Robinson has missed the last three games and is currently listed as questionable. While he's tied with Will Compton for the team lead at linebacker in solo tackles, the Redskins haven't missed a beat in his absence.

In his place, Perry Riley Jr. registered two interceptions. This isn't to say, though, he won't be needed against Dallas. Robinson still stands as Washington's best cover linebacker. With a matchup with Jason Witten looming, the team will need his services.

Key Matchups

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Jackson has brought the deep ball back to Washington's offense.

WR DeSean Jackson vs. Dallas Secondary

DeSean Jackson's effect on the Washington passing game can't be understated. Since his return, he's tallied 12 receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

More importantly, he's brought the deep ball back into the offense's arsenal. In each of the past three weeks, Jackson has garnered a reception of 40-plus yards. All this is for a Redskins passing game with six such gains in 2015.

Absent balance on offense, Washington will struggle to sustain drives via its preferred method—short passing game—against the NFL's No. 7 pass defense.

This puts the onus on Jackson to continue delivering big plays.

Washington Offensive Line vs. Cowboys Pass Rush 

With 17 sacks allowed, the Redskins are one of the better teams in pass protection. At 20 sacks, Dallas' pass rush is on the other end of the spectrum. But this isn't due to a lack of talent.

Greg Hardy, off-field issues aside, is a premier pass-rusher. Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence, while raw, are high-end talents, with both having been selected in the second round. The trio has just 7.5 sacks combined, though.

To keep Cousins out of 3rd-and-long—where he has zero touchdowns to four interceptions, per ESPN.com—Washington's inexperienced offensive front will need to maintain its level of play and keep Dallas at this number.

Matchup X-Factor

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

The Redskins will lean on their front seven to stop the run and make Dallas one-dimensional.

Redskins X-Factor: Front Seven

Dez Bryant and Witten are star players in their own right, but minus Tony Romo, they become secondary players in the Dallas offense. 

In their place, the Cowboys offensive line and rushing attack take center stage. Inconsistency has run rampant in this area all season. And still, Dallas is 11th in the NFL in rushing.

Washington's front seven held its own in Week 12, holding New York to 84 rushing yards. But it's not as if the Giants (28th in NFL) were much of a running threat to begin with.

To ensure their stay atop the NFC East lasts longer than a week, the Redskins will have to outpace their production against the rush thus far—27th in league, at 126.6 yards per game—and make Matt Cassel shoulder the offensive load.

Prediction: Redskins 23, Cowboys 17

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

With nemesis Romo already down for the count, the Redskins will prevail Monday night.

Games on the road and quality opponents have been quite the obstacle for Washington in 2015. But with a home date against the NFC East's cellar-dwelling Cowboys, the Redskins need not concern themselves with either issue in Week 13.

A rarity in this series, Washington is the team this time with a decided edge at arguably the most important position, quarterback. Cousins has led the Skins to a 5-1 record at home behind 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

In comparison, Dallas is winless sans Tony Romo and 27th in passing offense.

Comfortable in knowing their secondary—one 300-yard passing game allowed—can handle the Cowboys' meager passing game, the Redskins will load up to stop the run and benefit from Cassel airing it out in the form of turnovers.

All injury statuses courtesy of CBSSports.com.