One of the biggest NFL rivalries continues Thursday in Big D. But wait, does Spurrier care? To him, this is just another game. He’s bigger than any rivalry.
I love the fact that Dallas is getting points at home on Thanksgiving. On top of that the Redskins have lost nine straight against the Cowboys. In the same way that Thursday’s game will be Detroit’s Super Bowl, this is probably Dallas’ biggest remaining game.
We were on Washington last week as they surprised the Rams. They won that game because they employed a balanced attack and really featured the run for the first time this season. Stephen Davis carried the ball 31 times. Most coaches would take that to heart and continue to run the ball. Spurrier, however, isn’t most coaches. Spurrier prefers to throw. Dallas’ twelfth-ranked rushing defense will give him just the excuse he needs to feature the pass again.
The Skins have lost 10 out of the last 12 in Dallas and Dallas’ defense is still one of the league’s best (6th in points allowed) at bending but not breaking.
This game is going to come down to Dallas’ ability to score points. Chad Hutchinson finally had a breakout game last week throwing for over 300 yards in a surprise victory against the resurgent Jaguars. I expect Dallas’ emotional high will carry them to a victory. Throw in the fact that Spurrier has to deal with a 3-day preparation for the firs time in his career, and we have an upset scenario.