Redskins lay an egg in second half, fall to Cowboys 47-16 in finale
By Ian Cummings
The Redskins had nothing to play for in Week 17, and thus, they fell at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys, in a lopsided affair.
The Washington Redskins were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys, their NFC East rivals, in Week 17, by a final score of 47-16. After getting out of the first half with a less intimidating 20-10 deficit, the Redskins were outscored 27-6 in the third and fourth quarters. They fall to 3-8 under interim head coach Bill Callahan, and finish out the 2019 season with an overall record of 3-13.
It was a loss that accentuated both the highs and the lows of the 2019 Redskins squad. Young players served as bright spots on both sides of the ball, with Steven Sims and Montez Sweat stealing the show respectively. But in all facets, despite their flashes from young players, the Redskins simply weren’t good enough. The offense was inept for much of the game, and the defense faltered down the stretch, allowing four touchdowns to Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
The Redskins and Cowboys, who are 8-8 and still eliminated from playoff contention after this win, are both due for pending transitions. The Redskins will look to find their long-term head coach in a coming search, as well as a new head of football operations, while the Dallas Cowboys will likely move on from long-time head coach Jason Garrett. In the coming seasons, it will be of great interest to see how these two franchises proceed from here.
With this loss, the Redskins lock the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, so that ammunition will give them an edge in their rebuild. With the No. 2 overall pick, the Redskins can either take the best non-quarterback available, who many believe to be Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young, or they can trade back with a quarterback-needy team, reacquire assets, and increase their capacity for development.
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Whatever the case, Washington’s 2019 season is over, and now, the focus turns to the future. Who will be the head coach? Who will be the general manager? And is the team’s young core good enough to withstand, and benefit, from the coming change? The fallout of this Week 17 game won’t give us the answer. The fallout of a 3-13 season, just months after a proclamation of relative strength from Bruce Allen, will.