Here are our bold predictions for this week’s rivalry game between the Cowboys and Commanders.
The Dallas Cowboys are back in action on Sunday as they travel to Washington to take on the division-rival Commanders. Before the two teams square off, here are three bold predictions for the matchup.
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1) Rico Dowdle shines as Dallas’ lead back, recording his first 100-yard rushing game of the season
It’s been clear since the start of the season that Rico Dowdle is the best running back on the Cowboys roster. Unfortunately, Dallas did not come to this realization until a few weeks back when the competitive window of their season was all but closed.
Nonetheless, Dowdle has had an impressive year making the most of his limited opportunities. On the season the 26-year-old has logged 93 carries for 403 yards, an average of 4.3 Y/A, 22 first-down runs, and a 52.7% rushing success rate. Dowdle has done this running behind a Cowboys’ offensive line which has been one of the worst run-blocking units in all of football.
This week, first the first time in what feels like ages, Dallas faces a defense that struggles to stop the run. Washington’s defense has given up the third-most rushing yards (1,655) in the league this season and has the third-worst rush EPA (0.023) and sixth-worst rush success rate (44.1%) against. The New York Giants, who are one of the worst-performing offenses in the league, rushed for 164 yards against the Commanders a couple of weeks back.
The Cowboys finally have a chance to get their running game going and they do so this Sunday in Washington. Rico Dowdle shines as the lead back, recording his first 100-yard rushing day of the season and scoring a pivotal fourth-quarter touchdown.
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2) Commanders’ s rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels records his fourth multi-interception game of the season
23-year-old quarterback Jayden Daniels has had a phenomenal rookie season. The LSU product, who Washington selected with the number two overall pick back in April, has the Commanders in position to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season.
On the season Daniels has a 68.7% completion percentage to go with 10 passing touchdowns, 482 rushing yards, and four rushing touchdowns. While the rookie has been extremely impressive using his legs, he has also been consistently good throwing the football. Daniels has the fifth-best EPA/Play (0.152) among qualified quarterbacks and the sixth-best EPA + CPOE. (0.152)
The Cowboys have plenty to worry about while facing the talented rookie. Thankfully for Dallas, for the first time this season, they’ll have their full starting secondary on the field. All-Pro DaRon Bland, who missed the first 10 games of the season with a foot injury, is set to make his season debut on Sunday. Slot cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who missed last week’s game with a neck injury, is also expected to play.
With Diggs, Bland, and Lewis on the field, the Cowboys should have a chance to take the football away. Dallas’ pass rush led by Micah Parsons gets consistent pressure on Daniels, forcing him into some mistakes. The 23-year-old throws two interceptions, recording his fourth multi-interception game of the season.
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3) Cowboys pull off the shocking upset win
The past few weeks have been among the worst stretches of football the Cowboys have played in a while. While there’s no denying things have been horrible, there’s only so far one team can fall before they start to climb themselves slightly out of the rock-bottom hole they are in.
This is the NFL, and as crazy as it may seem any team is capable of beating any other team on a given week. With that in mind, I think we see the Cowboys come out and play with some pride and fire on Sunday, going up against plenty of former teammates and their old defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
Facing a Washington defense that struggles to stop the run will give Dallas a chance to find some balance on offense for the first time in weeks. The Cowboys also will have their secondary fully healthy which should make a big difference on the defensive side of the ball.
A wise man named Bryan Broaddus once said, “The NFL is a strange lady”. We’ll see that ring true on Sunday as the Cowboys, who are currently 10-point underdogs, put together their best performance of the season and pull off the shocking upset.