Cowboys, Redskins carry same problems, hopes into Thursday’s rivalry rematch

The Dallas Cowboys will be making their first and only appearance this season on Thursday Night Football on NBC when they host the Washington Redskins.

Kickoff is 7:25 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The game will also be televised on NFL Network.

Both teams are 5-6. The Cowboys won the first meeting 33-19 on Oct. 29 at FedEx Field.

The Cowboys are trying to stop a three-game losing streak in which they’ve scored a total of 22 points, including a 28-6 Thanksgiving Day home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins is having an outstanding season, throwing for 3,038 yards, second-most in the NFL. His favorite receiver is wide receiver Jamison Crowder, who has 46 catches for 561 yards and one touchdown.

Here are five storylines to watch:

Dak rebounds?

Dak Prescott is in the midst of the worst stretch in his young career. But Prescott is 3-0 against the Redskins and, most important, hasn’t been intercepted in those games. Prescott has been intercepted five times during the Cowboys’ three-game losing streak. Prescott says he confident that he’ll get out of his slump sooner rather than later.

Running matters

As much as the offense has faltered, the running game has been OK, at least on the stat sheet. The Cowboys still have the fourth-best rushing attack, but must establish the ground game early. Alfred Morris has averaged more than 4 yards a carry but has yet to find the end zone. Rod Smith scored his first career touchdown on Thanksgiving and is making strides. Darren McFadden, who had just one carry this season, was released earlier in the week. The Redskins have a suspect run defense, ranking 15th in the league.

Dez connection

Dez Bryant hasn’t produced like most expected, and some are wondering whether he’s still an elite receiver. Bryant has yet to have a 100-yard receiving game and is on a career-long five-game touchdown drought. The Redskins held Bryant to just four catches for 39 yards in the first contest, but he needs to emerge as a deep threat to open up the offense. If he does, Bryant might finally pass Bob Hayes and become the franchise leader in touchdown receptions.

Secondary help

Los Angeles’ Philip Rivers torched the Cowboys for 434 yards on Thanksgiving, becoming the first quarterback to pass for 400 yards on the Cowboys since … you guessed it, Washington’s Kirk Cousins did so on Thanksgiving in 2016. The Cowboys understand the secondary struggles and are demoting second-year cornerback Anthony Brown from his starting job. There’s also more competition for playing time at safety as Byron Jones and Jeff Heath have struggled at times. The Cowboys have to limit allowing explosive plays if they want to get back on a winning track.

source: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports