With the exception of a couple of years, the Dallas Cowboys (3-7) have hosted a game every year on Thanksgiving since 1966, and this year is no exception. On Thursday, they will take on their NFC East rival, the Washington Football Team (3-7), from AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX. Kickoff for this one is scheduled for 4:30 pm ET.
The NFC East has to be one of the all-time worst divisions in football history. At 3-7, both of these teams are just a half-game out of first. In fact, the Eagles lead the division at 3-6-1 while the other three teams (Cowboys, Washington, and New York Giants) are all 3-7. As crazy as it may seem, both of these teams are very much in the mix for a playoff spot.
Washington comes into this one having just beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-9 this past weekend. They were aided by the fact that Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow had to leave the game with a significant knee injury, but they were still able to pull out the victory nonetheless. They have now won two of their last four, including a 25-3 win over the Cowboys at the end of October.
The Cowboys also got a victory this last week with a 31-28 win over the Minnesota Vikings on the road. That was their first victory in their last five games, stemming back to October 11. They will look to put together a winning streak starting Thursday.
As the home team, the Cowboys are the favorites in this one. They are currently -164 to win while Washington sits at +138. The spread features Washington +3, and the over/under for total points is 46.5.
By The Numbers
Offensively, both of these teams have been in the bottom third of the league in scoring. The Cowboys rank 20th overall, averaging 23.5 points per game, while Washington falls to 29th, averaging 20 points per game.
Defensively, it is Washington who holds the edge. They currently rank 10th overall in points allowed per game at 22.7. The Cowboys rank dead last, allowing an average of 31.8 points per game.
Washington Looking For Series Sweep
Washington would love nothing more than to take both games of the season series against the Cowboys and look to do so on Thursday. Leading the way for them will be quarterback Alex Smith.
After recovering from a leg injury that many thought would end his career, Smith has battled back onto the field this season. Thus far, he has thrown for 918 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. The best receiver for Washington has been Terry McLaurin, who has 62 receptions for 871 yards and three touchdowns.
On the ground, Antonio Gibson has led the team. He has 119 rushing attempts for 530 yards and eight scores. In the win over the Bengals last week, he went for 94 yards and one score.
Dallas Trying To Get Offense Jumpstarted Again
The Dallas Cowboys have suffered several injuries at the quarterback position, but this last week, they finally got one back. After replacing the injured Dak Prescott, quarterback Andy Dalton was sidelined with an injury in his first start. Finally back, he is looking to jumpstart the offense and make a run at the division.
On Sunday, Dalton threw for 203 yards and three scores in their victory over Minnesota. He certainly has talent around him in CeeDee Lamb (48 catches, 629 yards, four touchdowns) and Amari Cooper (65 catches, 736 yards, two touchdowns). Now, it is just a matter of getting the offense to click again.
This also applies to running back Ezekiel Elliott. On the season, Elliot has rushed 171 times for 675 yards and five touchdowns. Still, he hasn’t seemed like the Elliott of old and has even had some trouble holding onto the ball at times.
Taking Washington And The Points
Both of these teams have been amazingly inconsistent this season, and it is hard to get excited about either one. Despite this, Washington’s defense has been tough, and I think they have enough to shut down Dallas’ offense. This one really is a coin flip, but I will take my chances with Washington and the three points they are being spotted.
