Cowboys vs. Redskins: Offensive line play key to victory

The Dallas Cowboys face off against the Washington Redskins on Thursday, and offensive line play will be the biggest factor in this division showdown.

There may not be a better combination in the world than Thanksgiving and Dallas Cowboys football. This Thursday we are in for a great Thanksgiving day matchup as the Cowboys take on the Washington Redskins in a game that will give the winner sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

Dallas comes in riding a high off a huge win in Atlanta over the Falcons, while the Redskins come in reeling after losing their starting quarterback Alex Smith for the season in a 23-21 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. The Redskins took the first matchup between these two teams back in October, 20-17. And if the Cowboys cannot find a way to pull out a win on Thursday it will be a huge hit to their playoff hopes.

Obviously with backup quarterback Colt McCoy starting this week for Washington, it will change the dynamic of the matchup from the first time these teams met, but in my opinion, the quarterbacks will not be the biggest factor in this Thanksgiving day showdown. In the October matchup, the Redskins controlled both lines of scrimmage on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, and this cannot happen if Dallas wants to walk out of this game at 6-5.

Washington ran for 130 yards against the Cowboys while Dallas only could run for 76. The Redskins also sacked quarterback Dak Prescott four times, one resulting in a game-changing fumble recovery for a touchdown, while the Cowboys only got to Smith one time.

For both of these teams, when their offensive line plays well they win football games, and whichever offensive line can perform better will lead their team to victory. We all know Dallas prides itself on their ability to run the football, and in games that Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for 75 or more yards this season, the Cowboys are 5-1. Also, in games that Dak Prescott has been sacked three or fewer times the Cowboys have posted a 4-1 record.

On the flip side, the Reskins too perform much better when their offensive line is playing at a high level. When Washington running back Adrian Peterson runs for 80 or more yards in a game the Redskins are undefeated at 5-0. Washington gives up its fair share of sacks, but Dallas was one of only three teams that Washington has faced to not record three sacks against them.

The past two weeks we have seen just how much different the Cowboys offense can look when their offensive line is controlling the line of scrimmage. If they are able to keep this performance up and run the ball like they have the past two weeks this game, they should have no problem walking out of Thanksgiving with a win.

But, if they struggle against this tough Washington front and Adrian Peterson goes off again as he did against Dallas in October, it could be a long Thanksgiving for Cowboys fans.

My Prediction: In my opinion, I actually think Colt McCoy is going to bring a spark to this Washington offense with his mobility and I think they will play a fairly solid game. I expect the Redskins to get off to a fast start and take a lead into halftime. In the end, I think Dallas will feed the ball to Elliott enough that in the second half Washington’s defensive line will wear down and the Cowboys will be able to break some big runs.

I expect a day of about 25 carries for 120 yards for Ezekiel Elliott. Not a big stat day but high completion percentage for Dak Prescott. And the Dallas Cowboys defense to give up their fair share of yards but buckle down in the red zone as they do so well. In the end, I think Dallas walks out of Thanksgiving with a six-point victory and moves into first place in the NFC East. Dallas 26, Washington 20