1. Redskins cannot let Ezekiel Elliott get loose again
After carving up the Redskins for 121 yards and a touchdown in their Week 12 game last year, Elliott had his way early in Week 2 this season, rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Washington hasn’t been able to stop him when they’ve faced him, and that’s a huge problem because he is a large part of the Dallas offense.
It’s not just Elliott, either; the Redskins have had trouble stopping just about every running back this year, minus Christian McCaffery. Saquon Barkley had himself a game against Washington last week, rushing for a whopping 189 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Washington is 29th in the league against the run, giving up almost 142 yards per game. Yikes.
Elliott could be in for a big game against a bad Redskins’ run defense. The last time Washington beat Dallas (Week 7 of last season), the run defense did an excellent job of containing Elliott, limiting him to just 33 yards on 15 carries. If they can find a way to shut down Elliott, it will go a long way in their upset bid. If he gets loose again, as he did in Week 2, Washington likely won’t be able to stop the Cowboys.