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Washington Football Team grades from win vs. Cowboys in Week 12

By Ken Johannesen

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 26: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team completes a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the second half at AT&T Stadium on November 26, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 26: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team completes a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the second half at AT&T Stadium on November 26, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Aug 19, 2020; Ashburn, Virginia, USA; The helmet of Washington Football Team running back Antonio Gibson (not pictutred) rests on equipment on day twenty-two of training camp at Inova Sports Performance Center in Ashburn, Virginia. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 19, 2020; Ashburn, Virginia, USA; The helmet of Washington Football Team running back Antonio Gibson (not pictutred) rests on equipment on day twenty-two of training camp at Inova Sports Performance Center in Ashburn, Virginia. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Week 12 Grades and Evaluations

Offense

They started off slowly and didn’t score on their first drive once again.  The offense continued to pound away in the first half and the Washington Football Team was ahead at halftime, 17-13.  Imagine that – a halftime lead and a chance at winning their second straight game.  The offense continued to pound away and they were able to put some significant distance on Dallas in the fourth quarter.  It’s safe to say that Dallas doesn’t want to see Antonio Gibson, Terry McLaurin, or Logan Thomas again in 2020.

Grade: A-

Defense

The defense came into north Texas hoping to corral some Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day and send them back to The Star in Frisco in their tattered covered wagons. The defense kept Dallas in check throughout the game and demolished any hopes of a comeback in the final quarter.  Here are some stats from last Thursday’s game.

  • 4.0 sacks
  • One interception (resulting in a touchdown)
  • Dallas running backs limited to 44 yards on 14 carries
  • Dallas tight ends limited to 24 total yards
  • Three pass deflections
  • Seven quarterback hits
  • One forced fumble and recovery
  • Six tackles for lost yardage
  • Dallas 4-13 on third-down conversion, 1-4 on fourth down conversions
  • Dallas limited to 247 total yards

Friends, that is domination and the Cowboys offensive unit was overwhelmed by a relentless Washington defense.  Even Ronald Darby came back from a poor first half two record a key pair of pass deflections in the second half.  Don’t be surprised if this defense continues to get better over the next five games.

Grade: A

Special Teams

Tress Way was needed only twice, but he made it count.  Punts of 60 and 57 yards (for an average of 58.5) is nothing short of impressive.  The 57-yard punt was downed at the Dallas 12-yard line (this is a correction from an earlier misreported statistic).  Dustin Hopkins was perfect on Thursday (2-2 on field goals, 5-5 on extra points).  The return unit was solid and played mistake-free football.

Grade: A+

Coaching

The Thanksgiving Day game coaching grade probably shares honors with the first Cowboys game back in late October.  However, this effort seems a bit better with all three units performing to their abilities and talents.

The offense was slow to start, but the offensive line provided huge lanes for the running backs and the playcalling from Scott Turner was superb.  The power running offense was working to perfection and the pro-style passing attack greatly benefitted Terry McLaurin once again.  Jack Del Rio’s unit was on fire as you can see from the statistics.  Nate Kaczor’s special teams unit was flawless.

Grade: A

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