Ballou HS Rocks the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
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Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Caps Thankful for Varly in 2-0 Win
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Please welcome our newest DCist contributor, Elisabeth Meinecke.
Steaks won't be the only thing sizzling this Sunday in Texas.
The Patient: The Skins' defense is warming up (just ask Kurt Warner, who was sacked twice and hurried seven times by the Skins last Sunday), Jason Campbell is hot (this week's quarterback rating came in at 112.2, topping his Week 2 rating of 104.1), and the team is on fire after a pair of nail-biting wins under rookie coach Jim Zorn.
The Problem: Dallas looks even better. They don't just put stars on helmets – they put them in helmets, which is why Jerry Jones' club now boasts more weapons than a national guard armory. The 3-0 Cowboys rank 1st in total offense and topped ESPN.com's power rankings again this week. Marion Barber had a career-high game Sunday of 142 yards rushing and one touchdown, and the Cowboys have averaged 440 yards per game (111 more than the Skins) this season. Football analysts seem reluctant to fall into the "best team in the NFL" cliché going into Week 4, but their reports show Dallas is the team to beat.
The Diagnosis: So how do the Redskins do it? The Redskins have the turnover advantage -- their +5 take-away/give-away differential leads the NFL. While Dallas turned the ball over five times in three games, the Redskins have only one turnover and six takeaways this season. But pressuring Tony Romo – who is responsible for 40 percent of the Dallas turnovers – gets harder with Jason Taylor sidelined Sunday due to a calf injury (Taylor had surgery Monday and should be fine, but no return date has been set . Demetric Evans, a former Cowboy, will start for him this week). The Skins need Santana Moss to build on his 276 yards this season and London Fletcher to cool Marion Barber (Fletcher's 31 tackles are 4th in the league). History, however, is on Washington's side with Barber. DallasCowboys.com staff writer Edward Lewis reports Barber has carried the ball 46 times and averaged only 3.3 yards per carry in five career games against Washington. The Redskins also have cornerbacks Rogers (groin) and Smoot (hamstring) listed as probable, but banged-up secondaries are little better than sitting targets for Romo & Co.
There's also the T.O. problem. Lest Skins fans forget, T.O. did not play in the cherished 27-6 annihilation of Dallas at the end of 2007. The last time T.O. faced the Redskins was Nov. 18, 2007, when he caught four touchdown passes on offense and broke up a fifth playing defense.
The Cure to T.O.: Make Chris Horton T.O.'s shadow. A rookie who recorded two interceptions in Week 3 against a top quarterback -- and add in a fumble recovery for good measure -- flashed the kind of star power that could eventually cover T.O. and definitely make a difference against turnover-prone Romo. Horton would learn more from this matchup than years of training camp. Or, the Redskins can adopt Green Bay's method: smother T.O. and let everyone else run all over you (literally). Then again, that strategy didn't work so well for the win column.
For the Chips 'N Dip crowd (those of you there for the food, the beer, or because your boyfriend gave you no choice): Here's a comforting stat -- more people watched Dallas play last week against Green Bay than watched the Emmys or the season premiere of "House." So take comfort knowing this is what all the cool kids are doing. Hey, we know at least Jessica Simpson is watching.
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if the Redskins find a way to win, i will have sex with Jessica Simpson. if they lose, i'll let her have sex with me.
I'll say it again: The Skins are going down like Barbaro.
Maybe you're right Wallenda - i accept that we might lose but it sure seems to me the 'boys offense is so closely relying on a QB who is their achilles heal that if he feels any amount of pressure he will make big mistakes (as proven already) and will cause the offense to rely on their running game which could possibly mean failure for them as the skins D has done well in the past against MB.
The 'skins game against the giants was not as bad as people portrayed (certainly not at all a blow out), given we played them at their home and our rookie coach is learning the ropes.
I'll still say a prayer for you
You want a Safety to cover T.O.??
I hate to break this to you erahk0 but the Cowboys rushed for 217 yards last game (that is good) and are 9th in the league in rushing and 1st in overall offense. The Skins better be ready to put up 28+ points if they want to hang.
You're probaly right Kippers - it's not news to me. But at least i'm on the right side.
Scallop.
skins gotta control the line of they want a chance in this one. the skins better bring their lunch pails and be ready for a hard day's work on the old boat. if they get pished around on that line, i got one word for you - scallops ho!
scallops had to make an appearance, didn't they.