WASHINGTON — We are officially in December and the Redskins are in first place in the NFC East with a 5-6 record.
The Cowboys come to town Monday with a 3-8 record and backup quarterback Matt Cassel at the helm. Dallas has yet to win a game without Tony Romo at quarterback, he’s done for the season with a broken collarbone.
But the players know that this team is not to be taken lightly because of their record, and have been hammering that home all week. The other reason you don’t take them lightly is because, well, it’s the Cowboys and Redskins. When these teams get together there’s a chance something crazy could happen, and it usually does.
These two rivals will be meeting each other on Monday Night Football for the 17th time in their storied history. The series record to date: 8-8.
The first matchup on a Monday night was back in October of 1973 at RFK Stadium. It’s a game that will always be remembered by Redskins fans, because the home team won 14-7 as Ken Houston stopped Cowboys running back Walt Garrison at the goal line to preserve the win. It set the tone for how close this series would be.
The most recent chapter in this Monday night series took place last year as the Redskins went into Big D as two-touchdown underdogs with Colt McCoy at quarterback against a Cowboys team riding a six-game winning streak. The Redskins won in overtime for their first division win in eight games.
The Monday Night games in between have not lacked any excitement or drama either. They are often memorable and usually leave fans talking about them for years.
This year should be no different, as the Redskins are trying to win the NFC East knowing that nothing has been settled and the season is still far from over.
The locker room in D.C. over the past two Decembers has been awful. Players made note of that this week and are excited to be playing for something this late in the season for the first time in a while. After all, Washington is in first place in the NFC East on Dec. 1 for the first time since 1999.
Run the football
The Redskins saw the running game return to form somewhat last week against the Giants. Alfred Morris (23 carries, 78 yards) was able to eat up the clock late and sustain drives as the Redskins sealed the game. If the Redskins can get out to an early lead, look for them to use the same approach. Kirk Cousins will once again have to use his weapons to try control the game as he’s been able to do at home.
Make Cassel beat you
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys do have one of the best offensive lines in the league and do have some weapons on offense, even without Romo. Cassel still has Dez Bryant and Jason Witten at his disposal, and with the Redskins again banged up on the defensive side of the football, covering both could be a tough task for them this week. Linebacker Mason Foster could get the start in place of Perry Riley Jr, who was lost for three-to-six weeks with a foot injury.
The Cowboys have been able to run the ball even without Romo, averaging over 115 yards a game. That’s good for 11th best in the NFL.
Back-to-back wins
The Redskins will be looking to do something on Monday night for the first time all season and for the second time under Jay Gruden — win back-to-back games.
If they are able to do that, they will be able to retain their lead atop the division and improve their division record to 3-1. They must play with the same intensity and mindset that we saw last week against the Giants. The second that they let up and take the Cowboys for granted, it’s over.
Favorite Monday Night memory?
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Editor’s Note: In the 1973 contest, Ken Houston stops Walt Garrison at the goal line to preserve a 14-7 win in the two teams’ first MNF matchup.
