Preview: Cowboys vs. Redskins

Five Cowboys are going to sit out of Sunday’s game against Washington, including Terrell Owens, Terence Newman, Andre Gurode, Pat Watkins, and Jay Ratliff. And even though Terry Glenn is expected to make an appearance, Tony Romo probably will not play much, if at all.

For these reasons, along with the fact that Dallas has nothing to gain with a win and Washington has everything to lose with a loss, Dallas is a pretty big underdog. Here is a preview, even if there is little reason to have confidence in the Cowboys tomorrow.

AccuScore

AccuScore assumes that Dallas will rest quite a number of starters, and so the simulation favored the Redskins heavily. According to the site, Washington won 71% of those 10,000 simulations. More:

Terrell Owens is out and simulations assume that Tony Romo, Marion Barber and Jason Witten will see limited action. With the Cowboys resting offensive and defensive starters the Redskins have a 71 percent chance of making the playoffs. Todd Collins is having a great game with a simulation passer rating over 100. Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts are only averaging 3.7 ypc, but they are getting the yards needed on 3rd down to control time of possession and they combine for 110 yards per sim. The Redskins are converting on 3rd down at nearly 45 percent vs just 34 percent for the Cowboys. If these teams meet in the playoffs the outcome will definitely be different, but for now look for Washington to get the big win.

What If Sports

Similar results in the What If Sports simulations, where the Redskins won 59 percent of the games by an average score of 19 to 12.

Pigskin Pick’em: Washington favored by 8 1/2

Of the experts at ESPN, only Mike Golic thinks that Dallas will pull out the victory against the Redskins. The preview:

This matchup means nothing for the Cowboys, the top seed in the NFC. The Redskins need a win badly, as they can clinch the final playoff spot in the NFC. Dallas won the first meeting of 2007, 28-23 on Nov. 18. Tony Romo threw four TD passes and the Cowboys outscored the Redskins, 14-10 in the fourth quarter.

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Absolutely nobody paid a bit of attention to the trivia questions. Events such as this fortunately haven’t prevented me from keeping this blog alive. If you are at all curious, here are the answers:

Trivia, Part 1

1. Did you know . . .? Sports Illustrated in 2005 rated Cowboys-Redskins as the #1 rivalry in the N.F.L.

True.

2. The Cowboys ended the 1996 season by traveling to Washington for the final game played at RFK Stadium. Dallas lost 37-10. Who scored the only touchdown for the Cowboys that day?

Herschel Walker

3a. In 1983, the Cowboys opened the season at Washington, coming from way behind to win 31-30. What was the score of the game at halftime?

23-3

3b: Which receiver caught two touchdown passes of more than 50 yards each?

Tony Hill

3c: Who score the go-ahead touchdown with 2:25 remaining in the game?

Danny White

4. Rocket Ismail caught the game-winning pass in overtime of the Cowboys’ 41-35 win on opening day of 1999. For which team did Ismail play during the 1998 season?

Carolina Panthers

5. In 1971, the Cowboys shut out the Redskins 13-0 at Washington. Which former Green Bay receiver led both teams in receiving yards that game?

Boyd Dowler

6. During which consecutive seasons did Dallas open at Washington, winning both games?

1980 and 1981

Trivia, Part 2

1. The first starting quarterback in Dallas history was a former starter for the Redskins.

Eddie LaBaron

2. This highly talented cornerback was the focal point of the Dallas defense for the latter half of the 1990s, but he had lost a few steps by the time he joined the Redskins in 2000.

Deion Sanders

3. This former 1,000-yard rusher for the Cowboys in the early 1970s played for Washington in 1976 and 1977. [Hint: He has a well-known son who plays pro basketball]

Calvin Hill

4. The current Dallas backup quarterback was a starter for the Redskins in 1999 and 2000.

Brad Johnson

5. This former Jet was a backup in Dallas in 2006 before joining the Redskins in 2007.

Jason Fabini

6. This Washington linebacker was the second round pick of the Cowboys in 1996.

Randall Godfrey

7. This former seventh round pick (1997) for the Cowboys now plays safety for the Redskins.

Omar Stoutmire

8. This defensive end of the Redskins was originally signed as a free agent by Dallas in 2001.

Demetric Evans

9. This linebacker from Illinois played for Dallas in 1991 and 1994 before playing two seasons with the Redskins in 1995 and 1996.

Derrick Brownlow

10. This kicker, who has played for eight different teams, played for Washington in 2002 and Dallas in 2005.

Jose Cortez

11. This defensive end played for Dallas in its inaugural season of 1960 before spending two seasons with Washington.

Gene Cronin

12. This tight end was a 13th round selection by Dallas in 1972 and played for the Cowboys for four seasons. He spent his last four seasons with the Redskins.

Jean Fugett

13. This tight end played a total of three seasons with Dallas (1993-94, 1997), along with two in Washington. He was originally selected by the Browns in the 1990 draft.

Scott Galbraith

14. This guard started for the Cowboys in the early 1990s before signing with the Redskins in 1994, where he played center.

John Gesek

15. This one-time backup quarterback for the Cowboys was originally a sixth-round pick of the Redskins in 1983.

Babe Laufenberg

16. This former Dallas linebacker, a first-round pick, played for the Redskins in 2001.

Robert Jones

17. This kicker, who played for Dallas in 1993 and 1999, also kicked for the Redskins at one time.

Eddie Murray

18. This linebacker, a draft choice of the L.A. Rams in 1988, played for both the Cowboys and Redskins in the late 1990s.

Fred Strickland

19. This defensive end was a fourth-round pick of the Cowboys in 1999 who later played one season with the Redskins.

Peppi Zellner

20. This backup linebacker played for Dallas in 1993 and 1994 before spending two seasons in Washington.

Matt Vanderbeek