If you're the sort of person who likes a 13-10 slugfest decided by which offense can come up with one winning play in the final moments of the game, Sunday night's Cowboys-Redskins game probably isn't the one for you.
Playing slugfests isn't what either of these two teams do best when they are at their healthiest. They play with a little more finesse and skill than the teams revered by those who still like their movies in black-and-white and that means a lot more 60 yards and a cloud of dust than the three yard variety of legend.
With both of their defenses hobbled entering the final week of the season, the chances that the Cowboys and Redskins are going to engage in a low-scoring battle of wills are about the same as the chances that Tim Tebow will get a chance to play quarterback for the Jets this season. This game's going to be decided by the offenses, something driven home all the more by the way each team's strength matches up with their opponent's weakness.
The Redskins can run the ball in a variety of ways, some of which you rarely see outside of high school, and the the Cowboys struggle to stop the run. Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris are going to attack the Cowboys front seven relentlessly unless the Cowboys can come up with a way to stop them. We're betting on the Redskins on that front front.
With weak receivers, the Redskins would prefer not to tangle with Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne any more than necessary. When they do put it up, it will be off the run and, they hope, the play action will get the Cowboys to bite enough to expose them to the deep ball.
Luckily for the Cowboys, the Redskins have just as little ability stopping the pass. Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and Miles Austin are too much for a Redskins defense with weak cornerbacks and almost no pass rush whatsoever.
That enables the Cowboys to work around their offensive line weaknesses and, assuming the passing game is clicking, use DeMarco Murray against a defense that's not prepared to stop him. Everywhere you look, there's another reason to expect major numbers on the scoreboard.
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These two teams put up 69 points the last time out and both of them are playing at a higher level now than they were last month. We'd suggest taking the over if you find yourself in Vegas this weekend.
