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Highlights of the Cowboys’ 7-6 victory over the Redskins

Sunday Night Football Open Thread

Use this thread to discuss tonight’s game:

Philly @ Chicago…Go Bears!

The Cowboys Escape the Redskins Death Embrace, 7-6

Just win, baby. 

Dallas worked out Al Davis’ motto today, relying on a late, nine-play, 60 yard drive to push them ahead of the game Redskins 7 to 6.  Tony Romo’s 10 yard pass to Patrick Crayton with 2:50 left let the Cowboys Nation exhale after a frustrating afternoon where nothing offensively seemed to work.

Quick Notes:

Romo was 7 of 8 on that drive. 

Jason Garrett didn’t call a single run.  We can debate the reasons.  Perhaps he didn’t want to take his erratic-throwing QB out of his delicate rhythm.  Whatever the case, it worked. 

Miles Austin, Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton made plays.  Roy Williams?  I think we can officially declare him a divo. 

The defense again surrendered yards, but proved stingy with points. They played 60 minutes and every one counted.

The Doug Free experiment looks okay, one week in.  The Dallas run mix, which was heavy in the first half, saw more runs called to his side than to Flozell Adams‘

I think you can see the problems with a ball-control offense.  The line takes too many flags.  You can’t rely on 10 to 12 play drives because a hold or an procedure will arise somewhere in the mix.  Having Marion Barber fumble at the 12 didn’t help.

It’s time for Joe DeCamillis to float the prospect of David Buehler as the lone kicker.  Nick Folk has been off all year.  He was missing kicks in preseason and has consistently missed this year.  He again missed a sub-40 attempt today. 

This is the way Washington plays.  They drag teams down into the mud and rubber dirt with them.  Dallas won.  For all the ugliness, they’re 2-1 after one tour through the East.  That’s big. 

Take a shower.  Have another stiff drink and start thinking about Thanksgiving.  Dallas escaped like this in Kansas City and regained its offensive mojo.  The team had no time to take a breath and relax but may find its bearings again.

More tonight.

Cowboys vs. Redskins: Gameday Open Thread IV 11/22/09

New open thread for the Cowboys vs. Redskins game.

Cowboys vs. Redskins: Gameday Open Thread IV 11/22/09

New open thread for the Cowboys vs. Redskins game.

Cowboys vs. Redskins: Gameday Open Thread III 11/22/09

New open thread for the Cowboys vs. Redskins game.

Cowboys vs. Redskins: Gameday Open Thread III 11/22/09

New open thread for the Cowboys vs. Redskins game.

Cowboys vs. Redskins: Gameday Open Thread II 11/22/09

New open thread for the Cowboys vs. Redskins game.

Cowboys vs. Redskins: Gameday Open Thread 11/22/09

Open Thread

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins
Sunday, Nov. 22nd, 2009
1:00 PM EST, TV: FOX
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

This is an open thread for game chat.

A look back at the Rivalry and how it started.

A look back at the Rivalry and how it started.

Week Eleven: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

It’s Saturday, so it’s time to talk some fantasy football! Not only is this a huge week for the Cowboys as they host the rival Redskins, but it is also an enormously important week for fantasy football.

Bye weeks are over, many of us may be smelling fantasy playoffs, and next week is the trade deadline for many leagues.

Make the jump for the Week 11 Fantasy Focus.

QB Tony Romo - Romo owners found some relief last week when the Dallas quarterback refused to let the team be shut out. His garbage-time TD pass to Roy Williams helped to ease the pain of having the Packers‘ defense completely dictate the day. It was just one of those games for the Cowboys’ offense. If a receiver was open, Romo just barely missed him. If he was on target, the ball would be dropped or a Packers’ defender would make a better play on it. Nevertheless, offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, stuck with his QB and his aggressive style of play-calling. That should show you that the Cowboys have a ton of faith in their signal caller.

This week, Romo and company are up against the NFL’s number one pass defense in the Redskins. The argument can be made that the 162.7 YPG they are giving up in that department is a result of playing a weak schedule. Against the Broncos last week, some huge plays were given up to Kyle Orton and Brandon Marshall. Romo and his WRs will look to exploit the same weaknesses, although it is unclear whether CB Carlos Rodgers will be benched in favor of Fred Smoot.

After being dominated by the Packers’ blitzers, look for the Cowboys’ offense to regroup and get back to basics. Romo and Garrett should then be able to find gaps and create mismatches in the overrated Redskins’ secondary.

RBs Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice - 5 carries for 26 yards for Barber last week. Nobody is happy with those numbers. When he did have the ball, he looked strong running it. He should have at least double the amount of carries this week. The Cowboys can still pull him out for pass-protection because of his thumb, but the fracture only looks to bother him there.

Felix Jones looks a mere shadow of his explosive-self since injuring his knee in Week 3. It’s a bit of a mystery each week on how much the team will use him. He did see a good amount of action against the Packers, but the game was such that the RBs totalled only 11 carries with Felix getting 3 of those. It would be best to take a wait-and-see approach with him.

Tashard Choice is being integrated more into the offense through the “Razorback” formation, as well as his 3rd-down duties. His fantasy success depends so greatly on Barber and Jones that it’s tough to predict how much of an impact he will have. Until the Cowboys get their running game back on track, sit him if you have a better option.

WRs Miles Austin - Austin owners now have a tough decision. He’s been exposed to the league, so defenses focus on taking him out of the Dallas gameplan. It worked in Philly, until he busted out for a 49-yard TD catch and run. He was held in check last week, catching 4 for just 20. The targets are there and will continue to be since Romo is so comfortable with him. And, if you look at what Marshall did against the ‘Skins last week, Austin should be able to have a big game.

Roy Williams - When defenses take away Austin, that leaves Romo to go to Williams. Although RW did have some boo-boos last week, he had a solid fantasy game, catching 5 for 105 with a score. Couple that with the 5 for 75 he caught the prior week, and he’s beginning to look like a decent WR again. If he could get rid of the dropsies, he could have some huge games for owners. By doing so, he would also receive more targets from Romo.

This week, he will be going up against DeAngelo Hall. The Cowboys have picked on him in the past with success; expect them to continue to do so.

TEs Jason Witten - It feels like every week I write, “Witten is still looking for the end zone, and this should be the game he finds it.” He almost had a TD late last week, but the pass was behind him. 5 catches for 47 yards is nothing to get excited about for Witten owners. Considering Romo rarely had time to pass, Witten still snagged roughly 20% of his passing yards.

You know he’s gonna get his targets, and you know he’s not going to get you zero points. Stick with him unless you have a better option. He’s gotta come up big soon, right?

Cowboys D/ST - Steady as they go…this unit continues to improve week-to-week. By sacking Aaron Rodgers four times last week and holding him to under 200 yards passing, the Dallas defense jumped from ranking 20th in the league to 16th. It is in the top-10 in points allowed (18.8 PPG) and rushing yards allowed (103.1 YPG).

This week, Big D’s defense will face an improved Redskins’ ground game that now features RB Ladell Betts. The matchup should bode well for Dallas as SOLB Anthony Spencer is coming off one of his best games and the defensive line has continued to limit running opportunities. The secondary is a bit banged-up and will be missing starting FS Ken Hamlin. Converted CB, Alan Ball, will take his place and is considered to be a good cover safety. With the pass rush always a threat, the DBs should be able to take advantage by luring QB Jason Campbell into throwing a pick or two.

K Nick Folk - Holder Mat McBriar took the blame for Folk’s miss last week. He’s just 14 for 18 on the year, which is uncharacteristic of him.

After ten weeks of fantasy footballing on FleaFlicker, the BTB and BTB Part Deux fantasy leagues are racing to the finish line. In the BTB league, The Speed of Dark has taken the lead with a 7-3 record (some major parity in that league). Here’s how both leagues are shaping up:

 

The Mighty is Back to Winning (9-1)

kill everbody

Heated Competitors (6-4)

The  .500s  (5-5)

A Must Win this Week? (4-6)

Deuces Are Wild (2-8)

My Team Sucks

One is the Loneliest Number (1-5)

If you’ve got a fantasy dilemma, post it here for the BTB community to discuss. As always, feel free to jump in with other Cowboys/football related discourse even if you don’t play FF.

Remember, for all your fantasy football needs, SBNation’s fantasy webpage is chock full of live updates to help you set up your team from week-to-week.

For your convenience, here’s the link: sbnation.com/fantasy.

Loose Redskins Can Make for a Tight Cowboys Game

“I’m free, to do what I want, any old time…”

You see it in baseball all the time.  A team stresses, falls out of the pennant race mid-season, and then relaxes and plays much better once the pressure is off. 

Right now, the Redskins are playing the baseball role, singing like Mick Jagger and making their opponents feel a bit restrained.  Owner Daniel Snyder takes ample heat for treating his team like the world’s most expensive fantasy team, but he took one for his team recently, expressing regret to frustrated fans for a promising season gone sour.  The backhanded mea-culpa has set his players and coaches free.  HC Jim Zorn, DC Greg Blache and the rest of the assistants know they’re auditioning for their next jobs, and they have brought a more relaxed, free-wheeling approach since the team’s bye.  They played their standard tight game against Atlanta two weeks ago and stunned the Broncos last week, stomping the Denver D for a season high 27 points and a ten point win.

The looseness and unpredictability gives Dallas cause to feel their Green Bay frustration won’t be easily overcome.

When Washington Has the Ball

The season looked lost early because this piece of the Redskins’ game broke down because of injury and inexperience.  The offense line was  a strength in ‘08, offering strong running to the left, behind LT Chris Samuels and LG Pete Kendall.  Kendall, however, left in free agency and was replaced by former Redskin Derrick Dockery, signed back after a tour in Buffalo.  Dockery played poorly early on, as did fellow Longhorn and Bill Mike Williams, lured out of retirement and given a shot on Washington’s left side. 

The line eroded further when RG Randy Thomas was lost to injury.  Samuels joined him after suffering a neck injury which produced numbness in his legs.  Scans found Samuels had stenosis, a narrowing of the spine, and Samuels career may be done.  If the line injuries were not enough, Clinton Portis broke down and has not played in recent games.

OL coach Joe Bugel stabilized the tackle situation and jump started an already respectable Redskins rushing attack by settling former Bengal Levi Jones at left tackle.  Washington used a three man rotation of Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright and rookie Quinton Ganther to gash Denver for 181 rushing yards last week.  Washington has 310 rushing yards since their bye two games ago. 

Much of Washington’s yards come to the edges, on off-tackle runs, tosses and stretch plays.  Washington wants to establish run, because they do not pass protect as well as they run block (8 sacks allowed in those same two games) and their passing attack continues to be erratic.

Watch Washington’s tackles Jones and Stephon Heyer against the Dallas ends Igor Olshansky and Marcus Spears.  Olshansky and Spears have been stout against the run and if they can hold their ground, they’ll put the game on Jason Campbell’s shoulders.  The maligned QB has improved his down the field looks this year, after gaining a reputation as an overly cautious, check-down-first tosser.   The poor pass protection and lack of size has limited those opportunities; Washington’s tight ends have almost as many receptions as the Redskins’ receivers.

Santana Moss remains the deep threat, but his numbers are much lower than in year’s past.  He has 31 catches for just over 500 yards.  Miles Austin, by comparison, has the same number of catches and over 100 yards more in yardage with four fewer starts. 

Washington wants to play ball control, running and throwing to Chris Cooley and second year TE Fred Davis, who has begun to produce in recent games.  He has four catches for 50 yards last week, leading all Redskins’ receivers. 

The task will be simple in concept — win first down and put Washington into long downs, where Campbell cannot move the chains with short tosses to his tight ends and backs.  As always, Dallas will have to watch for gadget plays, from a team which has used more and more of them this year.  WR Antwaan Randle-El played QB at Indiana and could be motioned into a passing position at any time.  This team has nothing to lose and will reach deep in its playbook.  (More on this later.)

When Dallas Has the Ball

Blache’s defense plays a simple scheme, and does it well.  Only one team has pushed the yardage totals past 351 yards Washington this year.  Surprisingly, it was Detroit, in their lone win at Ford Field.  Only two of the last six Redskins opponents have topped 300 total yards. 

Washington ranks at the top of passing yards allowed, though its pass rush ranks mid-pack.  Washington has a lot of speed in its back seven and creates small windows for opponents, though they are not invulnerable.  Brandon Marshall was destroying them last week.  His 75 yard first quarter bomb put starting RCB Carlos Rogers on the bench.  Rogers will probably play this week, though the Redskins have been coy all week about his status. 

Miles Austin will have a chance for big plays if Washington plays its stardard coverages.  They will likely matchup up Rogers on Austin and let him go.  Watch what Jason Garrett does in matchups;  Rogers seems vulnerable to deep speed and fellow CB DeAngelo Hall has some issues with power. 

In last year’s 14-10 win in Washington, Dallas attacked Hall with Terrell Owens;  T.O. ran a lot of inside slants, where he could use size to box out the smaller Hall.  Owens was open repeatedly, but Tony Romo’s splint made the slant a guessing game;  Romo could not get a good grip on quick timing throws and frequently double-clutched his throws.  Romo was also consistently behind, leading to two picks; one into Hall’s arms, and a second which was batted into LB Rocky McIntosh’s hands. 

Roy Williams, despite his drops, has found his repertoire the last two games.  He’s a one-cut-and-go guy;  he excels at slants, posts and deep ins, the inside half of the Michael Irvin repertoire.  Look for Dallas to match Williams against him and run the same routes that worked for Owens last year. 

Watch where Austin lines up and what matchups Garrett creates for him.   Dallas may flop him to the right side against Hall and try double moves.  Hall is a ball-hawk, who attacks the first routes.  He has four of Washington’s five picks this year.  He plays the same way Sheldon Brown does in Philly, and Dallas set him up two weeks ago for a big strike.  What’s more likely is we’ll see some three receiver looks where Austin is motioned into the middle of the field.  Washington plays a combination of two deep zone and man coverages.  They have good coverage safeties in Chris Horton and LaRon Landry, and will match them up against receivers. 

Owens had a huge day in ‘07 when Garrett motioned him into the middle and sent him deep against the cover two sets.  T.O. got matched with the middle linebacker in those situations and easily got open deep.  In last year’s rematch, he made a huge catch on Dallas’ first scoring drive when he motioned into the slot and ran away from Landry. 

They key for Dallas’ offense, as it is for Washington’s will be winning first down.  The Redskins don’t blitz much, relying on their four man front to generate pressure.  End Andre Carter (8) and rookie Brian Orakpo (7) have combined for 15 of Washington’s 24 sacks.  Big-ticket newbie Albert Haynesworth has three and nobody has added more than one.  Washington uses Orakpo the same way New York has used Mathias Kiwanuka in recent seasons; he’s the strong-side OLB and moves to end in passing situations.

He’s been a godsend for their previously anemic pass rush (just 24 sacks in all of ‘08) but he’s a liability against the run.  Denver had a lot of success running to the edges of Washington’s front last week, particularly to their right.  This presents a bit of a problem for Garrett.  I expect a run:pass mix to skew much higher to the run this week, in order to run at Orakpo while he’s off the line of scrimmage.  At the same time, Dallas has entered the Doug Free era.  How much confidence does Dallas have in his run blocking?  Probably a little more than they do in his pass blocking at this point. 

Special Teams

The let-’er-rip philosophy was here on opening day, when the Redskins surprised the Giants with a fake field goal for a touchdown. Last week punter Hunter Smith tossed a score to blocking back Mike Sellars.  ST coach Danny Smith gamble turned the game permanently in Washington’s favor.  The Redskins are 3-6.  They have nothing to lose.  Joe DeCamillis’ guys will have to anticipate onside kicks and fakes on every return situation.  If the Cowboys exhale on 4th down, the Redskins will try to catch them off guard too. 

Overall

This looks like a home game version of the Packers matchup.  An opponent with a good defense and a struggling offense.  I think the defense can play its part.  They kept the Packers in check last week and have not played a fair game since Kansas City and have not played poorly since the Giants loss in week two.  Nobody has run over them since Tampa did in week one. 

The game will come down to the offense’s performance.  Garrett’s run balance has been ripped all week, but to me it’s the flavor-of-the week, which will be quickly forgotten along with his goal line play calling, Romo’s play, Terence Newman’s struggles and Roy Williams’ lack of sync if the execution returns.  Dallas had at least four big pass plays go for nothing because or drops, fumbles and errant throws.  Garrett will likely dial up more runs, but given Washington’s character and Haynesworth’s iffy status, this was likely to be the case anyway. 

Romo has slowly dialed in Williams the last two weeks while losing his focus with Austin.  If the Cowboys connect on their passes, they will move the ball and they will score. 

They key as I see it, will be Dallas’ red zone production.  Dallas moved the ball very effectively in their Washington win last year but twice turned the ball over to end long drives.  Dallas needs to hold on to the football when it gets into Washington’s half and it need Nick Folk to convert his kicks.  We may see a lot of field goal attempts this week and Folk looks like a guy with the yips at the moment. 

In any case, hunker down and get ready for a 60 minute contest.  The Redskins are very good at yoking opponents to their level of play.  Nothing will likely come easy tomorrow.

Albert Haynesworth will play, or won’t he against the Cowboys? Now, they’re saying he’s a game-time…

Albert Haynesworth will play, or won’t he against the Cowboys? Now, they’re saying he’s a game-time decision.

The defensive tackle didn’t practice again Friday - he exercised on a treadmill instead - and remains a game-time decision.

“I’m going to be more towards having him up and seeing what he can do,” coach Jim Zorn said. “We’d love to have him on the field.”

Kedric Golston, a starter last season and in 2006, would start if Haynesworth can’t play. Anthony Montgomery, who started during the 2007 season, then might be activated for the first time all season.

Also, one cornerback position is still up in the air as to who will be starting for the Redskins tomorrow.

Zorn wouldn’t say whether cornerback Carlos Rogers, benched after being burned by the Broncos for an early touchdown, would start against the Cowboys. Veteran Fred Smoot and second-year man Justin Tryon are the other candidates.

The VRR: Redskins (3-6) @ Cowboys (6-3)

The Cowboys can accomplish quite alot in beating the Redskins. Most importantly, they can regain the momentum they lost up in Lambeau. They can also increase their division record to 2-1 and their conference record to 6-2, which could come in handly for tie-breaking purposes down the road.

And, by handing the Redskins their seventh loss on the season, they could pretty much force them to begin waving bye-bye to their playoff chances.

Much of the talk this week at Valley Ranch has centered on Big D’s offensive lack of production last week. On the flip side, Washington’s offense seemed to show some signs of life for one of the first times this season. At home against Denver,  RB Ladell Betts and QB Jason Campbell each scored, WR Devin Thomas showed some play-making potential, and the special teams found success on a fake field goal.

More VRR after the jump.

Perhaps it’s the Cowboys’ defenders that need to come up big. Beating the Broncos 27-17 last week boosted the Redskins’ confidence. Deflating it early could be key.

“Coming off last week’s victory, we’ve definitely got confidence. It was a big confidence-builder for us,” Rock Cartwright said.

“You’ve got to keep it rolling. That’s the whole objective,” receiver Devin Thomas said. “You can never give up on a season just because things have gone bad. We knew we were just one click away from hitting on all cylinders.”

With a win in Dallas, the Redskins would be only two games out of the NFC East lead with six games to play, three against the other division teams - including the Cowboys at home two nights after Christmas. Dallas, whose 57 wins against Washington are more than against any other team, doesn’t want things to get that close. The dismal day in Green Bay likely got the Cowboys’ attention.

The Cowboys should expect to see a heavy dose of RB Ladell Betts with Clinton Portis (concussion) out.

Betts rushed for a season-high 114 yards on 26 carries in last Sunday’s 27-17 win over the Denver Broncos.

Asked how Portis’s status impacts him, Betts replied: “You get to be the man on first, second and third down, because before that, it was pretty much only on third down. Now I know that I get to play a full game, so it’s a little bit different mindset.”

And it won’t change the offensive game plan vs. Dallas, Zorn added. “We didn’t change the run game necessarily to accommodate Ladell,” Zorn said. “We ran our stuff, and what he did was push up into the hole and fight for yardage.”

The Dallas secondary may be a bit banged up, but Mike Jenkins and Alan Ball sound ready to go. Ball should also receive help from Gerald Sensabaugh.

Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins injured his bicep in the Packers contest. Coach Wade Phillips said Jenkins has looked well and even had a couple of interceptions off QB Jon Kitna in scout team practice.

With S Ken Hamlin (ankle) out of the lineup for the Cowboys the next several weeks, look for safeties Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh to split the duties of lining up the defense. Coach Wade Phillips had high praise for the smarts of Sensabaugh and his ability to handle the job.

Ball talks about the difference between playing free safety and cornerback. Also, it looks as if rookie SS Mike Hamlin will see his first action this week since the preseason.

“At cornerback, you don’t have to talk a lot,” Ball said. “At safety, you have to know a lot. You have to make a lot of adjustments, a lot of checks. So you have to know a lot more going in. That’s about what it is.”

Ball has five tackles and a pass breakup on defense this season. He has 12 special teams tackles, but is expected to have his special-teams workload lightened this week.

Phillips said rookie safety Mike Hamlin and cornerback Orlando Scandrick will fill in on special teams. Mike Hamlin has not been active this season.

Ball and Doug Free will be replaced on special teams.

With Alan Ball starting at free safety, reserve cornerback Orlando Scandrick will likely become the “gunner,” with outside coverage on punt-coverage teams. In addition, offensive tackle Pat McQuistan is scheduled to be active for the first time this season and replace Doug Free as a wall blocker on kickoff returns.

DeMarcus Ware talks about how Washington’s blocking schemes and Jason Campbell’s mobility in the pocket make it difficult to get to him.

“To be honest, it’s really hard to get to him because they keep in extra guys,” Ware said. “They might have some guys on the front line so they do a lot of split backs and a lot of protection schemes to keep the guys off Campbell to make sure he’s effective in the pass.”

[snip]

“He’s a great pocket passer,” said Ware, who has seven sacks, tied for 10th in the NFL. “He makes sure he has confidence in his line and the guys around him so he can step up in the pocket to make plays.”

Jim Zorn has similar worries about Romo.

“When he extends, when he moves around, when he flinches the ball, it causes the secondary, the linebackers, to hesitate, to go, to move,” Zorn said. “And then if he can pull it down and have time to hit somebody else, it is very hard. It is the most difficult thing in football because you got the coverage, and if you throw on rhythm, you think you can handle it. When that rhythm’s broke and you have to cover long through the coverage that you had, it’s hard. It’s what makes those quarterbacks very difficult to defend and he’s been good at it for a few years.”

Brian Orakpo thinks the Packers mapped out a way to get to Romo.

“Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah,” Orakpo told ESPN 103.3’s Galloway and Co. “They gave us a lot of good tips the way Green Bay was able to get after it with a lot of different looks. Best believe we’re going to go out there and try to perform some of those things and try to change it up a little bit and give Dallas a little different look.”

[snip]

“It seemed like they didn’t know who to block,” Orakpo said. “You see guys flying out of nowhere and hitting Romo from behind and forcing fumbles. I mean, they were all over the place. I guess what we’ve got to do is switch it up ourselves. We’ll see how the game plan is and what the calls will be called, but obviously, we got a lot of tips from that game.”

Yes, they have Albert Haynesworth and London Fletcher, but the Redskins’ run defense isn’t all that.

The Redskins continue to struggle in run defense this season. The unit has yielded 100+ rushing yards in eight of nine games this season, including 120 yards in last Sunday’s win over Denver. Overall, the Redskins have allowed an average of 125.7 rushing yards per game, ranked 24th in the league. They have allowed 4.3 yards per carry, which is ranked 17th in the league.

Felix Jones pre-strained knee ligament, and Felix Jones post-strained knee ligament.

Before the injury, Jones had 21 carries for 212 yards (10.1 yards a carry). Since coming back after the bye week and wearing a knee brace, he has 23 carries for 92 yards.

The DallasNews guys talk to Bradie James and Roy Williams about the game.

The Redskins are looking forward to playing in Cowboys Stadium for the first time.

“That’s the first thing I thought about going to Dallas, ‘Man, I get a chance to play in the new stadium,’ Santana Moss said. “Just to see it–I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s all about. It looks nice on TV. You get mesmerized. “I remember seeing the first game there [on TV]–you had cheerleaders dancing on platforms. I was like, ‘Wow.’”

Rock Cartwright admits he plans to check out the video screen, hopefully after he makes a big play. “I’m really looking forward to seeing that screen,” Rock Cartwright said. “I guess every seat in the house is a good seat. I’m sure I’ll take a look at it after I make a nice run, or so. But I won’t be focused on it too much. I’ll be focused on what’s happening on the field.”

The series history between the two teams:

The Cowboys lead the all-time regular season series with Washington, 57-37-2, including an unconventional split of last year’s home-and-home. The Redskins were 26-24 winners in their trip to Texas Stadium in Week 4, but dropped a 14-10 decision when the clubs met at FedEx Field in Week 11. The teams engaged in conventional home-and-home splits in both 2006 and 2007. Washington is 2-0 against Dallas in the postseason, winning in the 1972 and 1982 NFC Championship games.

Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips is 3-2 all-time against Washington, with one of those wins coming for his Bills team in 1999 at FedEx Field. The Redskins’ Jim Zorn is 1-1 against both Phillips and the Cowboys as a head man.

Here is the NFL Game Center for the Redskins at Cowboys.

DeMarcus Ware had the privelege of meeting President Obama as they worked together on a PSA to promote the NFL’s Play 60 campaign.

“I was like ‘Ohhhh my God,”’ when Obama came out in a Bears pullover, Ware said in a telephone interview. “It was me, Polamalu and Drew Brees there, so you know how we feel about the Chicago Bears. But he’s a big Chicago Bears fan. He greeted each one of us, and he knew everything about our teams.”

Ware is Dallas’ representative for the Play 60 program, which began in 2007. The NFL estimates it has committed $200 million worth of programming, grants, and time for PSAs to the initiative.

“I think it’s really important,” Ware said. “If the players are getting involved in it, Obama, a lot of important people getting involved in it, sometimes it encourages kids to get out and do those type of activities and show them just how important it is.”

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