Washington Redskins vs Dallas Cowboys: Skins Confirm They've Rebounded

The Washington Redskins came into their Week 3 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys as one of the biggest surprises of the young season.

And while they ended up losing to the Cowboys in Dallas on Monday, 18-16, the Redskins proved that their brand of football can produce this season.

The Redskins played a physical brand of football on Monday, and their defense looks like one of the up-and-comers in the NFL. Complete with the newly-drafted Ryan Kerrigan and signings Barry Cofield and Josh Wilson, the Redskins have only added to a defense that includes Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Orakpo.

Sure, the Cowboys had a good deal of miscues on Monday, particularly between quarterback Tony Romo and center Phil Costa. But the Redskins also played good football and it came down to a field goal in the final two minutes for the Cowboys to eke out the victory.

The Redskins' offense was also facing a much-improved Cowboys defense led by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, a defense that has become a handful with DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer and nose tackle Jay Ratliff.

I love what head coach Mike Shanahan has done with this team and he has the Redskins playing like a playoff team, even if they don't ultimately make the postseason. I wouldn't be surprised if the Redskins are in the hunt with the Cowboys and Detroit Lions for the second wild-card sport in the NFC when all is said and done.

The Redskins' loss on Monday undoubtedly hurt the team. Then again, not a whole lot of people saw it being this close. I have a feeling the Redskins have just begun surprising people this season, and will continue to improve with each passing week.