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Redskins vs. Cowboys: Keys to victory in Week 17 of the 2019 season

By Kyle Hundley

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 21: Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins gets tackled for a loss of yards by DeMarcus Lawrence #90 of the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter of the game at FedExField on October 21, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 21: Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins gets tackled for a loss of yards by DeMarcus Lawrence #90 of the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter of the game at FedExField on October 21, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 12: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after scoring a 1 yard touchdown in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 12: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after scoring a 1 yard touchdown in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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.

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