Cowboys (

30) at
WFT (

17)

Game Overview ::

By MIKE JOHNSON >>

• If Dallas wins this game, it locks up the No. 2 seed in the NFC and home playoff games for at least the first two rounds.
• If Dallas loses this game, it could fall to the No. 5 seed and have a road game next week followed by a likely trip to San Francisco in the Divisional Round.
• Sam Howell has been named the starting quarterback for the Commanders.
• CeeDee Lamb is having the greatest season for a wide receiver in Dallas Cowboys history and had a record-setting night against the Lions in Week 17.
• The Commanders’ secondary continues to be shredded on a weekly basis, with Brandon Aiyuk being the latest beneficiary.

How DALLAS Will Try To Win ::

The Cowboys are in a position of clarity in a week that lacks just that in many spots. Dallas needs to win this game to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC and the two guaranteed home games that come along with it. Dallas has been the best team in the NFL at home this season with several dominant performances, so that No. 2 seed is wildly valuable to them. If they lose, they would likely fall to the No. 5 seed and be on the road for their entire playoff run. The Cowboys should enter this week full speed ahead as they hope to finally make a deep playoff run.

The matchup could not be more pristine, as they face a Commanders team that they beat 45-10 earlier this season and that already has one foot out the door on the 2023 season. Washington’s defense is the second-worst unit in the NFL for the season and you can make the argument that they are playing worse than any other unit in the league right now after trading several key defenders away at the trade deadline. The Cowboys have been an elite offense since their Week 7 bye, when they opened things up and put the ball in Dak Prescott’s hands. CeeDee Lamb is playing better than any wide receiver in the league right now. Brandin Cooks and Jake Ferguson are making plays when called upon and filling their secondary receiving roles perfectly. Tony Pollard……well…..he’s out there.

The Commanders’ defense has been destroyed via the pass this season and Aiyuk absolutely had his way with them last week. Dallas has the sixth highest pass rate over expectation (PROE) in the league for the season but ranks in the top 3 in the league if you only look at the data since the Week 7 bye. The approach for the Cowboys should be pretty straightforward, as they should throw the ball early and often to build a lead on an inferior opponent and put this thing out of reach early. The last thing they want is Washington hanging around and getting energized with the thought of messing things up. Dallas should be throwing haymakers early to get the Washington players thinking about their offseason vacation plans.

HOW WASHINGTON WILL TRY TO WIN ::