Gutting One Out: Dallas Cowboys beat Washington Redskins 7-6

I don’t have a lot to say about this game.

There’s not a lot I want to say about this game.

Yes, it was quite possibly the ugliest Cowboys win ever.

But it was still a win.

A little bit more after the jump.

Another great game by the defense. This team may not be in the upper echelon of teams in the NFL, but there are only three teams that have better records. (Seriously.) And it’s all because this defense always keeps this team in the game. From front to back, even with the loss of Ken Hamlin, this defense is not easy to score on.

True, the yardage allowed is not pretty, but all that matters is what goes on the scoreboard. Is the Washington Redskins’ offense a good one? Not particularly. But it’s not horrible. There are worse quarterbacks than Jason Campbell. Really. Maybe I’m just trying to rationalize the performance, but I think the Dallas Cowboys‘ defense is at least above average, perhaps even good.

Nick Folk needs to get his head right with the ball. Whatever is going on inside of that noggin needs to be fixed pronto. There’s no excuse for missing field goals under 40 yards inside on the turf. Is Mat McBriar having trouble getting the laces turned around? Then get Kitna out there. OR LEARN HOW TO KICK THE BALL. Sorry. A little fired up there.

I just don’t have the energy or gumption to break this game down from an offensive standpoint. What is there to say? This offense, right now, is just bad. Roy Williams is the ultimate buzzkill. Marion and Felix had great games, combining for about 150 yards on 30 carries. That’s great. I’ll take that every game.

Here’s the problem: With the way this offensive line is playing, those are kind of empty numbers. There are far too many penalties and dumb plays. I would love to see the Dallas Cowboys stuff the ball down their opponents’ throats for 150 to 200 yards per game on the ground. But that’s not going to happen if this team is going to make the playoffs. If the Dallas Cowboys can pick up three first downs on the ground on one drive, they should consider themselves lucky (and probably do).

Running the ball will not work for this offense. Passing the ball barely works for this offense. Should the Dallas Cowboys abandon the run? Of course not. They should find a way to get the offensive line to not commit so many penalties and cost them unnecessary yards. The passing game will open up a lot if they are able to put a consistent running game together.

But, all that said, the Washington Redskins’ defense is not really that bad. All in all, they’re pretty solid. Washington is a talented team trapped in a bad situation. Which is great for the Dallas Cowboys (and us as Dallas Cowboys fans).

The Cowboys are still leading the NFC East. They have an extremely winnable game coming up Thursday. They should still be in first place come December 6 when they take on the New York Giants.

And really, that’s all you can ask for.