COMMENTARY | On Sunday night, the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys will be going toe-to-toe in Dallas for their first of two NFC East rivalry games this season. If the Redskins want to come away with an important victory, there are five key things they'll need to keep in mind.
Key Number 1: Defending the Pass
The Redskins pass defense has been downright horrible this season. Against the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions, two teams known for their passing attacks, they gave up a combined 855 yards and six touchdowns.
The Cowboys have a very stout passing attack led by Tony Romo and the Redskins shouldn't take them lightly. They rank fourth in the NFL in yards passing per game and Jason Witten and Dez Bryant could pose matchup problems for the Redskins.
Key Number 2: Wrapping Up Demarco Murray
If there's one thing that any defense can improve on, it's tackling. With the Redskins, they would be a considerably better team if they could tackle. Standing at 6-foot and weighing 219-pounds, Demarco Murray is a load of a running back. He'll run through the arm tackles all night long. The Redskins will have to tackle better this weekend if they want to come away with a victory.
Key Number 3: The No-Huddle Offense
I've already touched on this once before this week, but the Redskins need to make the no-huddle offense a priority this weekend. The Cowboys don't defend it well, they gave 343 yards to the Broncos on plays where the no-huddle offense was used, and the Redskins run it well, they average 6.2 yards per play when they use it. It's effective and it will give them their best chance at winning. The defense will tire, the Redskins will get them on their heels and good things can happen.
Key Number 4: Getting Jordan Reed Involved
Rookie tight end Jordan Reed is expected to play this week after missing the game against Oakland with a bruised quad that he suffered against the Lions. Prior to going down with an injury, Reed was already beginning to take over the starting job at tight end as he was getting considerably more reps that veteran Fred Davis.
Getting Reed involved in the passing game can be very beneficial to the Redskins this weekend. At 6-2 and 243-pounds, Reed is a big body tight end that is also athletic. On a play just before the half against the Packers, Reed hurdle one Packers' defender while stiffing arming another. It was an impressive play, to say the least. Look for Reed to have impact on the game.
Key Number 5: Balance. Balance. Balance.
Running the no-huddle is fantastic, but the Redskins will have to make sure they keep the offense balanced. Alfred Morris, who by all accounts should play after suffering bruised ribs against the Raiders, is a great weapon to have in the backfield as he always seems to find yardage on every carry. He should be well utilized to keep the defense on their heels.
Having balance will make the defense think. As any football coach knows, a player that is thinking rather than reacting is a player that is setting himself up for failure. Keeping the offense balanced while also keeping it fast will tire the Cowboys' defense and keep them on their heels all while making them think about what might come next rather than playing off their instincts.
Sunday night's contest is a big one as it has serious NFC East implications and is on national television. Most have questioned whether the Redskins are for real or not and Sunday night is a golden opportunity for them to show the NFL that they still have what it takes.
Brian Skinnell is a contributor for RantSports.com and Yahoo Sports. You can follow him on Twitter, @Brian_Skinnell.
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