It is always good to head into Dallas week with a victory under our belt, and what a satisfying victory it was.
I have been saying for weeks now, hell, I said back in September that Alex Smith was the best option we had at quarterback. Nevertheless, it’s clear to everyone now, especially the coaching staff, that Smith is their guy for the rest of the season. Next season, he should remain with Washington as we draft another young quarterback or continue to groom Haskins into the starting job.
Our defense sometimes baffles me; they should be a lot more dominant than what they have shown, especially with the depth of talent in the linebacker and defensive front. Ryan Kerrigan has to be more involved, and they should just go ahead and sign Eric Reid and improve our secondary so we can finish up the season strong.
Kendall Fuller and Ronald Darby had an excellent game; I hope this combination becomes consistently productive.
The Cowboys are feeling pretty great right now after their unexpected victory over Minnesota. Dallas was able to get their running game going with both Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard, which opened up their passing game a bit. However, I don’t see them capable of running the ball on Washington as effectively as they were against Minnesota, and our defense has already shown that it can rattle Andy Dalton.
This Thanksgiving game should be fireworks, and the winner will take first place in the division. Bring on Dallas!!!
WFT 20 — BENGALS 9:
And for the rest of the league…..
EAGLES 17 — BROWNS 22:
Carson Wentz is slowly playing his way out of Philly, and Jalen Hurts might be finishing up the season if Wentz gets benched at some point. The Eagles have squandered their division lead, and now Dallas or Washington are poised to take over first place in NFC EAST. The Browns are playing for their post-season life at this point; they have to win some crucial divisional games. Week 14 game against Baltimore could decide their playoff fate.
COWBOYS 31 — VIKINGS 28:
Minnesota’s winning streak came to an end in a hard-fought game, and now their playoff path gets muddy. Dallas played their best and most balanced game this season, but I doubt they can sustain this momentum against Washington.
CHIEFS 35 — RAIDERS 31:
This AFC WEST rivalry is officially back and relevant again. The Raiders took Kansas city to the brink of defeat, but Patrick Mahomes connected with Kelce for the game-winning touchdown with just a few seconds left. The Chiefs are now 9-1 and take on Tom Brady and the Bucs next Sunday, which should be an exciting game to watch. The Raiders are still pretty much alive for a wildcard spot, and their remaining schedule is not too difficult to overcome.
SEAHAWKS 28 — CARDINALS 21:
Another thrilling game between these two divisional rivals; Seattle took a big step towards the post-season, and their remaining schedule seems easy enough to get them close to a playoff spot. Arizona is still within striking distance of the playoffs, but they need to win some divisional games and hope for Seattle and LA to slip a bit.
RAMS 27 — BUCCANEERS 24:
The Rams took first place in the NFC WEST, although they still have a bunch of divisional games left in their schedule — the way their defense is playing, it seems like they could very well end up on top of the division by the end of the season. Tampa Bay could not get their running game going and relied heavily on their passing game, which was inconsistent for most of the night. Brady threw two costly interceptions that pretty much sealed their fate. The Buccaneers have a date with Patrick Mahomes next Sunday; old dog vs. new dog. I cannot wait for this game.
TEXANS 27 — PATRIOTS 20:
Cam Newton is the only reason New England has remained relevant this season, but it may not be enough to get them over the hump into the playoffs. The Patriots are in real danger of not making the post-season for the first time in almost a decade. Romeo Crennel got himself a nice victory over his old boss. The Texans have a lot of talent, and despite all the damage Bill O’Brien caused them with his insane player transactions, Houston should be looking forward to next season and a brand new start.
BRONCOS 20 — DOLPHINS 13:
Denver had the upset game of the entire NFL weekend. Melvin Gordon had a solid game on the ground with 2 TDs. Tua struggled throughout the game and was benched in the fourth quarter. Miami has two easy games back to back before heading into a tough final four-game stretch. I’m curious to see if Denver can duplicate this defensive performance against Taysom Hill and New Orleans next Sunday.
SAINTS 24 — FALCONS 9:
Taysom Hill had himself a pretty great game throwing for over 200 yards and rushing for 2 TDs. The Saints should be in good shape while Drew Brees recovers. Atlanta has a tough schedule ahead with one winnable game. The Falcons have some deep house cleaning to do in the offseason.
TITANS 30 — RAVENS 24:
This game went into overtime, and Tennessee relied on Derrick Henry running the ball into victory. Baltimore continues to lose against teams with winning records, and besides playing the 10-0 Steelers next week, Baltimore’s remaining schedule looks easy enough to have a shot at the playoffs. The Titans are 7-3, tied with Indianapolis for the AFC South and just one game behind within the division.
COLTS 34 — PACKERS 31:
Another thrilling game that went into overtime. Aaron Rodgers could not pull another overtime clutch signature victory. The Packers are still on top of the NFC NORTH and should remain on top since Minnesota and Chicago are inconsistent from week to week.
CHARGERS 34 — NY JETS 28:
The Jets showed some fight in this game, but Joe Flacco struggled to get things going with his receivers. On the other hand, Justin Herbert had an excellent game, throwing for over 300 yards with 3 TDs. The remaining schedule for NY looks extremely difficult, and there is a pretty good chance that they will end up 0-16 and with the number 1 overall draft pick in 2021.
STEELERS 27 — JAGUARS 3:
Pittsburgh is now 10-0 and very likely to finish the season undefeated. Jacksonville is just a sad, pathetic team, and they are lucky to have one victory this season.
PANTHERS 20 — LIONS 0:
PJ Walker got his first NFL start, and his first NFL win. Carolina was efficient and controlled this game from start to finish. Detroit has some tough decisions to make regarding their coaching staff in the offseason.
Rod Rioja 