Dallas Cowboys

How the Dallas Cowboys Beat the Washington Redskins

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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It is very easy to have a knee-jerk reaction to the Dallas Cowboys’ 21-20 loss to the New York Giants. Things must change before their next game versus the Washington Redskins.

Jan 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) catches a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium. Washington won 34-23. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

It is very easy to have a negative knee-jerk reaction to the Dallas Cowboys’ 21-20 loss last week to the New York Giants.

Many are upset at wide receiver Terrance Williams for not getting out of bounds on the last play of the game. This is a very near-sighted view of the game.

Focusing solely on the last drive of the game is not enough to build upon for the next contest.

Much more needs to be addressed before the Cowboys next battle in Washington versus another divisional rival, the Redskins.

Washington did not have a great week either, getting shellacked by the Pittsburgh Steelers 38-16.

Needless to say, they will be out for blood at their first home game of the 2016 season.

Dallas can and should win this game, but some things have to change first.

In the following pages are my takes on what the Cowboys need to do in order to obtain a victory next week.

Sep 11, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) cannot catch a pass while defended by New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (41) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. New York won 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

In corporate America, organizations use a model called “Start, Stop, Continue.” It works just like it sounds; stop this, start that, continue this.

The Cowboys’ Defense must stop plays going up the middle. Dallas has three more weeks before players come off of suspensions. Another week after that, they get defensive end Randy Gregory back from his punishment as well.

Regardless of this, poor tackling allowed the Giants 4.7 yards per carry. Furthermore, eight of quarterback Eli Manning‘s 19 completions were up the middle, averaging 7.4 yards per attempt. This forced the front seven into broken coverages and the secondary to make tackles after positive gains.

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Wide receiver Dez Bryant must start catching the ball. One Pass. Eight Yards. Five targets. This will not do. Bryant is physically one of the most gifted receivers in the game, and must start playing like it. There can be no more excuses for not controlling the ball; especially in the end zone.

Redskins’ loudmouth cornerback Josh Norman will be in Dez’s face next Sunday and he had better show up to play or Dallas will end up with a second division loss in this young season.

The Dallas offensive line must continue protecting the quarterback. Once again the Cowboys “Big Uglies” played beautifully. They allowed zero sacks on quarterback Dak Prescott and only 3 hits on him all night. This allowed him ample time to complete 25 of his 45 passes to eight different receivers.

Despite not throwing any touchdowns and only averaging five yards per attempt, Prescott will improve. The only concern was the penalty-marred mediocre play of right tackle Doug Free. This too shall improve.

Sep 11, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) cannot catch a pass in the first quarter against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Not all of the problems are on the field. The worst ones start between the ears. Mental mistakes are one thing, but making excuses is totally different.

As a whole, the Cowboys must stop making excuses. There comes a time and a place where one must own up for his actions. The game versus the Giants gives the Cowboys many opportunities to do just that. Running Back Ezekiel Elliott called his play “average” this week. 20 carries for 51 yards is below average, regardless of the touchdown he scored. He knows he must improve and I believe he will.

Dallas also had ‘problems’ in the second half with the sun and shadows coming from the west end zone. Because of this, among other reasons, twenty passes we dropped. Every team in the NFL practices outside in different conditions and have ways to overcome these challenges. Eye black, tinted visors and better concentration will help with this. There should be no excuses.

For the record, Prescott should also remember that wide receiver Cole Beasley is 5’8″, not 6’2″ like Bryant. He missed four passes that were simply too high for him to catch, even with his great vertical leap.

The Cowboys should start running back Alfred Morris this week. This match will be fun to watch. Morris averaged five yards a carry on Sunday and looked impressive. He is hungry to exact revenge on his former team this week. He was greatly misused and left behind when they decided to go with second-year back Matt Jones.

Morris and Elliott should be fed the ball between 40-45 plays. Doing so, they will, again, own the clock and keep the Redskins questionable defense on the field.

Sep 11, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey (5) kicks a field goal in the second quarter against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys must learn to finish drives. The first two drives were better than eight minutes each, but only produced six points total.

The Cowboys should continue to rely on kicker Dan Bailey. He keeps proving that he is an all-time great with his foot. Two field goals of over 54 yards, and two more between 23 and 25 yards proved his worth.

Bailey only had one point-after attempt and, again, was perfect. History has taught us they will need him to keep on playing at a Hall of Fame level. Why?

Because… The Cowboys must learn to finish drives. Dallas had nine drives on Sunday. The first two drives were better than eight minutes each, but only produced six points total. The team simply must commit to an offensive game plan and run with it.

The 90’s Dallas teams ran effectively to set up the home run passes. Today’s the Cowboys red zone offense must want it more than the other team. Leaving points on the field is aggravating and by my count, Dallas should have won the game 28-21.

In closing, I could go on about what Dallas needs to change to win this week in Washington. The facts are these; they need to run the ball better, catch the ball, quit making excuses and protect the middle of the field. It is amazing to see just how doing the basics correctly can make a big difference.

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