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The biggest surprise through seven weeks of this NFL season may be the record of the Dallas Cowboys at 6 and 1. Even ever boisterous Jerry Jones who always seems to be wearing blinders when it comes to his team and is known for not being able to see what is painfully clear to everyone else is surprised by his teams start. The Cowboys started the year looking like the Cowboys that we have all come to know and mock from afar. They dropped game one of the season to the San Francisco 49ers 38 to 17, but that game was never really that close. Since then they have been on the NFL's best streak of wins this season at six.
The success for the Cowboys has of course come behind the running of DeMarco Murray, the steady play of Tony Romo and the surprising play by an overachieving defense. Murray became the first running back in NFL history to start a season with seven consecutive 100 yard games on the ground. DeMarco Murray also leads the NFL in rushing with 913 yards and 7 touchdowns. Tony Romo leads all quarterbacks with a 69.2 percent completion rate while also carrying a career high QB rating at 104.7. The biggest question for the Cowboys this season is still the defense that has played well enough to win despite being ranked middle of the pack but lacks depth and will be susceptible to injury as the season wears on.
The Redskins travel to Arlington either not knowing who will be their starter at quarterback or possibly not wanting to tip their hand. Washington is coming off a win last week after dropping four in a row to give them an NFC East last place record of 2 and 5. Following the ankle injury to Robert Griffin III in game two of the season Kirk Cousins came in from the bench and for at least two games looked like a viable replacement if not possibly a better starter than Griffin. Then came the 4th game of the season against the Giants and Cousins became a turn over machine. Since the game against the Giants, Kirk Cousins has thrown for 8 interceptions to only 5 touchdowns. Last week following another woeful start for Cousins former Brown Colt McCoy came off the bench to rally the team to win over the Titans.
With RG3 still (possibly) in the mist of his recovery from his early season injury the Cowboys are left unaware of who to prepare to face but for a team that is desperate for a win this may be by design. McCoy has been officially named the starter in week 8 but with the possibility of RG3 returning left on the table. Despite their struggles this season the Redskins are playing decent defense. They are 6th overall in yards surrendered and 12th against the run. They will have to find a way slow down DeMarco Murray to have any chance of leaving Arlington winners but Murray has faced better defenses against the run this season and still seemed to have little problem racking up the yards.
- TV: ESPN
- TIME: 8:30 PM EST
- LOCATION: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Use this thread to discuss this evenings game, any of the other action in the NFL this past weekend or your Miami Dolphins win yesterday over the Jacksonville Jaguars. As always requesting or providing of any links to illegal game streams is strictly prohibited.