The Washington Commanders play host to division rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT in Landover, Maryland.
The Commanders are coming off their first set of back-to-back losses with Jayden Daniels under center, and they have an opportunity to regain some momentum with a big win over the Cowboys.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy may get another year with the team after they lost Dak Prescott. Jerry Jones will be hard pressed to fire McCarthy without a reputable quarterback, although this is Jerry Jones, so anything is possible.
With all of the chaos in Dallas, it was hard to narrow down, but there are three reasons for optimism for the Commanders in Week 12.
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The Cowboys have no offensive leadership
Starting quarterback Dak Prescott tore his hamstring against the Atlanta Falcons a few weeks ago and will miss the remainder of the season. In his stead, Cooper Rush has not been an adequate replacement. The Cowboys lost 34-6 and 34-10 in their two games with Rush as the starter. While he put up 354 yards against the Houston Texans, he only had 45 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Some of that is play calling, but that’s a huge difference.
Rush can barely play his position, let alone lead his offense. That may be harsh since he lacks in-game experience, but it doesn’t change the facts. It will fall to Mike McCarthy and his play-calling, which hasn’t done the Cowboys many favors this season either.
That lack of leadership on offense, that lack of cohesion, will allow the Commanders to stop their offensive attack.
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The Cowboys have the 4th worst run defense in the NFL
The Commanders do one thing better than anything else: Run the football. Whether it’s Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson, Jeremy McNichols, or Jayden Daniels, the ground game is the most reliable part of the Commanders’ offense. The Cowboys have the fourth-worst run defense in the entire NFL, allowing 1,510 yards on the ground this season.
The Commanders’ ground game is what will carry them on Sunday, and they will be successful against the Cowboys’ defense.
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Dallas lacks a ground game
Last week, the Commanders’ last-place run defense had zero answers for Saquon Barkley.
This week, they face a Cowboys team that has almost zero run game, so the Commanders’ inability to stop the run isn’t going to be a factor. Rico Dowdle is nowhere near the same type of back as Barkley, and Ezekiel Elliott would rather not be with his team than show up at a game. Fullback Hunter Luepke isn’t really utilized as a runner.
Their lack of a ground game is killing them right now. Opposing teams know they are going to throw it, and it’s easy to defend against a one-dimensional team. This is good for the Commanders since their defense is their weakest link.