Redskins @ Cowboys

[Vin+ 3,121]

TIME: 08:30 P.M. EST

VENUE: Cowboys Stadium

 

 

 

The Dallas Cowboys have yet to win a home opener in their new stadium, and could be in for a major challenge to try to change that.

 

The banged-up Cowboys expect Tony Romo to be available Monday night when they host the surprising Washington Redskins.

 

Dallas (1-1) has opened the first two seasons at Cowboys Stadium with losses to the Giants two years ago and Chicago last year. Romo has two touchdowns and five interceptions in those games.

 

The much-maligned former Pro Bowler was criticized after two late critical turnovers in a season-opening 27-24 loss to the Jets. He silenced some of those detractors by returning despite a fractured rib and evidence of having a collapsed lung to rally Dallas to a 27-24 overtime win at San Francisco last Sunday.

 

Romo was hit hard on the game's opening drive. He left before halftime for treatment and was replaced by Jon Kitna before returning in the final minute of the third quarter, throwing for 201 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime.

 

"I think he's doing fine," coach Jason Garrett said. "He got knocked around a little bit on Sunday, but he's getting his rehab and hopefully he'll be ready to play for this ballgame. We'll take it day to day, the next few days."

 

The Cowboys may be forced to surround Romo with some backups. Miles Austin reaggravated a hamstring injury after three touchdown catches Sunday, running back Felix Jones sustained a shoulder injury and starting center Phil Costa reinjured his right knee.

 

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall is eager for the opportunity to add to the pain and discomfort Romo and Jones already are enduring.

 

"Absolutely. I want to get a chance to put my helmet on whatever's hurt," Hall said. "Romo's ribs - I'm going to be asking for some corner blitzes. If I know Felix Jones' shoulder's hurt, I'm not going to cut him. I'm definitely going to try to hit him up high, so that's just part of it.

 

"If you know something's wrong with an opponent, you're going to try to target in on that. We're going to try to definitely get as many hats on that team as possible."

 

Dez Bryant was inactive against San Francisco after not practicing last week because of a bruised thigh.

 

Garrett refused to be specific about the extent of the injuries and is giving his team an extra day off this week to get ready for Monday.

 

Washington has opened 2-0 for the first time since 2007. The Redskins rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final 5:17 for a 22-21 win over Arizona last Sunday.

 

"A year or two, we would have taken an 'L' because we didn't know how to finish," linebacker Brian Orakpo told the Redskins' official website. "This year, we're growing as a team, guys are playing together. Guys don't want to give up on each other, and everybody has each other's back."

 

This trip to Dallas will bring back some good memories for Rex Grossman, who replaced Donovan McNabb as Redskins starter last year for a 33-30 loss Dec. 19. Grossman completed 25 of 43 passes for 322 yards - his second-highest career total at the time - and four touchdowns to rally Washington from a 20-point deficit.

 

"It's going to feel pretty similar to me," Grossman said. "That was a pretty important game for me, as is this."

 

The Redskins have lost four of their last five meetings with the Cowboys, and Grossman is excited about his second start in this NFC East rivalry after he went 3-1 against Green Bay as a starter for Chicago.

 

"Any time you are in a rivalry game kind of like the Bears-Packers, Cowboys-Redskins, it's one of the biggest rivalries in the NFL," Grossman said. "It's a very important game for both teams so it adds a little bit more adrenaline, a little bit more excitement, Monday night football, so it's going to be a fun day."

 

Grossman will be trying to avoid DeMarcus Ware, who leads the NFL with four sacks after the linebacker led the league with 15 1/2 in 2010. Ware had two of the Cowboys' five sacks of Grossman in the last meeting.

 

Dallas cornerback Terence Newman has yet to see action this year due to a groin injury.

 

The Redskins' secondary, meanwhile, will receive a boost since safety LaRon Landry is expected to make his season debut after being out with a hamstring injury.

 

"Don't calm me down. Let me go," Landry said. "Untame this beast, man. It's been a while."

 

Washington's last 3-0 start was in 2005, also the last year it won a playoff game.

 

"To be able to get off to a 3-0 start would be huge," Grossman said.

 

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

[Guest Phailadelphia]

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4684170/scouts-eye-cowboys-redskins-key-matchups-2?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

Here are the key matchups for the Dallas Cowboys' Monday Night Football contest against the Washington Redskins:

 

Cowboys OT Doug Free vs. Redskins OLB Brian Orakpo: After playing one of his poorest games since he was named a starter two years ago, Free has the opportunity to put the 49ers game behind him and lock up with one of the NFL's young rising stars in Orakpo.

 

Last week, Free was as off balance as I had ever seen him at tackle. His punch and footwork was off to the point where I was surprised that Justin Smith wasn't more of a factor. The Redskins have two nice rushers in Orakpo and rookie Ryan Kerrigan but Orakpo is the more explosive of the two, and that is what Free will have to deal with.

 

Orakpo works to get the edge on you first but is athletic enough to adjust in mid-rush. Free needs to be careful not TO allow Orakpo to set him up to the outside getting all his weight on that left foot, then working back inside to take a run at the quarterback.

 

Again, Free struggled last week when he had to adjust quickly. In studying the Redskins-Cardinals matchup, Arizona got hurt most when it used a back or tight end to handle Orakpo. This doesn't work scheme-wise, and don't expect Jason Garrett and the staff to make that as part of the game plan.

 

I don't see Free playing poorly two weeks in a row, but Orakpo is the type of player who can make you look bad if you don't handle him the right way.

 

Cowboys nickel CB Alan Ball vs. Redskins WR Santana Moss: Of all the matchups for the Cowboys defense Monday night, this is the one that might be the most important.

 

When Rob Ryan plays nickel, the adjustment that he will make is putting Ball in as the slot corner to cover Moss. Last week against the 49ers, Ball played inside while Frank Walker took his spot at left corner on the outside. Ball wasn't bad in the second half but in the first he had struggles when having to deal with Ted Ginn Jr. and Josh Morgan.

 

The biggest problem I see with Ball is that he will play way too cautious. There are times when he allows too much space between himself and the receiver. He has the quickness to drive on the ball but he doesn't always do it.

 

Moss is a handful because of his skill set. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan likes to move him all over the formation, trying to create mismatches to convert third downs. Moss is a fearless player and will go inside or outside. He will find away to catch the football.

 

When you watch the Redskins play, you can see the confidence that Rex Grossman has in trying to get the ball in Moss' direction. This is a battle that the Cowboys can't lose or handle poorly if they are to get off the field on third down.

 

Cowboys TE Jason Witten vs. Redskins S Reed Doughty and OJ Atogwe: The situation at receiver as Garrett would put it is truly day to day.

 

Miles Austin is out with a hamstring injury and Dez Bryant is trying to work through a thigh injury that hasn't allowed him to practice for the last two weeks. Friday was the first day that the trainers allowed Bryant to even attempt to put weight on the injury. He still has two days to try and get ready for Washington.

 

Even if Bryant is able to go, Witten is going to once again play a key role in how this offense will function, much like he did last week against the 49ers. The real problem here is that the Redskins will not allow Witten to beat them, so he should see some special coverage schemes from defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.

 

Of the two Redskins safeties, Doughty will struggle the most in coverage. He doesn't run well enough to hang with Witten down the field or in routes, so Atogwe could draw that assignment. Against the 49ers, Witten was able to make plays by releases from in line or the normal tight end spot against a Cover 2 look. Look for the Redskins not to respect the other Cowboys receivers other than Bryant and try to make it difficult on Witten to get open.

 

Dallas needs to win this.

 

Curious to see how Grossman responds to a legit defense. Shoddy secondary or not, Dallas gets pressure and a lot of it as well as a lot of confusing looks over the middle, which happens to be Shanahan's favorite part of the field to attack.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Call it an upset, but the Redskins will keep rolling.

 

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[Vin+ 3,121]

Redskins SS LaRon Landry is active for Monday night's game against Dallas.

 

The Skins' inactives are WR Donte' Stallworth, S DeJon Gomes, FB Darrel Young, LB Markus White, OL Willie Smith, WR Leonard Hankerson, and DE Darrion Scott.

 

Mike Sellers will replace the injured Young at fullback. Landry's return should provide an instant boost to Washington's run defense. He does most of his damage close to the line of scrimmage as a "box" safety.

 

 

 

Cowboys declared K David Buehler, WR Miles Austin, CB Orlando Scandrick, OG Derrick Dockery, DE Clifton Geathers, RB Phillip Tanner, and OG David Arkin inactive for Week 3 against the Redskins.

 

Stephen McGee is active, so the Cowboys have three quarterbacks "up" in the event Tony Romo aggravates his rib injury. Rookie K Dan Bailey will handle kickoffs and long field goals with Buehler down. Buehler tested his strained groin during pre-game warmups, but didn't show enough to the medical staff.

[BLUE 1,026]

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