Cowboys versus Redskins - now that just sounds correct.

 

Hello friends, JimmiJo here along with THE Spaceman Spiff. Space is already on the sidelines, yucking it up with the important people. Me? I'm thinking how grateful I am for the 3-car accident on the beltway...

 

If you cannot get up for this game, there isn't enough viagra made on earth for you. After all; the Redskins are hosting their eternal rival, the Cowboys. Winner will be sitting on top of the division, with a truckload of bragging rights.

 

What's not to like?

 

Well, for starters, everybody and their mom is inactive. Chris Thompson Jamison Crowder, Paul Richardson, Quinton Dunbar; all inactive. What a time to have have your top two receivers out. The chatter here in the press box is Washington should do what they can to bring in receivers - to include making a trade with the Raiders for Amari Cooper.

 

Then there's the question of which Redskins show up? They could come out and light Dallas up. Or, post an anemic effort to suffer another embarrassing lost. Neither would surprise me.

 

One this is for sure, the distribution in fans is something like 55-45 Redskins. Already an embarrassment. Until you consider this team has done much to earn the lack of support.

 

Still, you have offer the finger in the middle to those fans who sold their tickets to Dallas fans. What were you thinking?

 

Back shortly...

 

Inactives

 

The Redskins declared the following players as inactive:

o   No. 10 WR Paul Richardson Jr.

o   No. 23 CB Quinton Dunbar

o   No. 25 RB Chris Thompson

o   No. 30 S Troy Apke

o   No. 55 C Casey Dunn

o   No. 74 T Geron Christian Sr.

o   No. 80 WR Jamison Crowder

 

The team held a touching tribute to my friend Rich Tandler, who passed this week.

 

Follow along in-game on Twitter @Skinscast

 

Half

 

Did you hear the one about the team that got chance after chance but couldn't score more than a touchdown?

That's right; they are tied at 7 at the half and completely anemic in the second half.

 

"Against the run of play" is a term you hear in soccer all the time. It is applicable here. It means the better team is either tied or trailing.

 

Whoever said football was fair?

 

Washington needs to find a way to get hot in the second half. The Dallas Cowboys are infinitely beatable today.

 

JimmiJo

 

How do you like them apples?

The Washington Redskins sent them home happy today. Along the way my ulcer started bleeding, I threw up twice, and peed the chair I was sitting in.

Up by 10 at the two-minute warning, I did not expect to be hoping for a missed field goal to avoid overtime. But there I was, crossing fingers and toes and noticibly relieved when the ball bounced off the upright to seal the win.

A lot of things had to go right for the Dallas Cowboys to even have a shot at the end. A lot more things went right for Washington.

The Redskins held Ezekiel Elliot to just 33-yards rushing. They forced two fumbles by Dak Prescott, one of which went for a Redskins' touchdown, and sacked him a total of four times. 

Ryan Kerrigan had his best day of the season, sacking Prescott twice, one of which caused the fumble for the score. Preston Smith scored the touchdown off of the fumble. Jonathan Allen and and Ryan Anderson each logged a sack. DJ Swearinger hit Prescott square on the ball to cause the other fumble by Prescott.

And then there was the offense.

Adrian Peterson defies time and physics in what he can still do on the football field. His ability to change directions instantly, the speed he still posesses, and his ability to play through multiple injuries is astonishing. He ran for 99-yards on 24-carries with a 4.1 yard per carry average. 

Kapri Bibbs, the other back; added just 13-yards rushing. But as a receiver he caught 4 passes for 43-yards and the first touchdown of the game.

Josh Doctson reeled in 3-receptions for 43-yards. Jordan Reed added 43-yards on his two catches. Maurice Harris logged 2 for 22-yards.

Alex Smith had a adequate outting. He went 14/25 for 178 yards and a touchdown for a quarterback rating of 98.1. He was sacked once.

His obvious miss of Jeremy Sprinkle running free in the end zone is almost cause for termination. Connect on that throw and the game is much more comfortable at the end. 

The real stars of this show were the fat guys in the trenches. The offensive line that opened highway lane-wide holes for Peterson to run through, and the defensive line that wreaked such havok all game. 

 

But we have to thank Dallas as well for things like an illegal snap to back the field goal unit up at the end. The holding call that negated the big gain one play before the sack/fumble/score was huge. They seemed to find ways to beat themselves.

 

Despite the above, Dallas was right there until last miss that struck the goalpost. The win was entirely too close for comfort.

 

But now that's it's over, I sure am enjoying the win.

 

The Redskins sit alone at the top of the division after 6-weeks. They travel to New York next week where they can continue to help themselves with a win.

 

But just because New York currently resides in the toilet does not mean they intend to roll-over and play dead. Washington will have their hands full if they don't get more production out of the offense.

 

That's next week though. For now, I am intent on  enjoying an excellent victory. Against the Dallas Cowboys.

 

What's not to like?

 

Talk soon!