The Washington Commanders host the division rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EDT in Landover, Maryland.
The Commanders are coming off their first straight loss with Jayden Daniels under center and have a chance to regain some momentum with a big win over the Cowboys.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy could have another year with the team after losing Dak Prescott. Jerry Jones will have a hard time firing McCarthy without a legitimate quarterback, although this is Jerry Jones, so anything is possible.
With all the chaos in Dallas, it was hard to narrow it down, but there are three reasons for optimism for the Commanders in Week 12.
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
The Cowboys have no offensive leadership
Starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a torn hamstring against the Atlanta Falcons a few weeks ago and will be out for the rest of the season. For him, Cooper Rush was not an adequate replacement. The Cowboys lost 34-6 and 34-10 in their two games with Rush as the starter. While he managed 354 yards against the Houston Texans, he only managed 45 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Some of that is play calling, but that's a big difference.
Rush can barely play his position, let alone lead his offense. That may be harsh since he lacks playing experience, but it doesn't change the facts. It's down to Mike McCarthy and his playmaking talent, which hasn't done the Cowboys much favors this season either.
This lack of leadership on the offensive, this lack of cohesion, will allow the commanders to stop their offensive attack.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Cowboys have the fourth-worst run defense in the NFL
The Commanders do one thing better than anything else: run the football. Whether it's Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson, Jeremy McNichols or Jayden Daniels, the ground game is the most reliable part of the Commanders' offense. The Cowboys have the fourth-worst run defense in the entire NFL, allowing 1,510 yards on the ground this season.
The Commanders' ground game will carry them forward on Sunday, and they will be successful against the Cowboys' defense.
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Dallas lacks a ground game
Last week, the Commanders' bottom-ranked run defense had no answers for Saquon Barkley.
This week they face a Cowboys team that has almost no run game, so the Commanders' inability to stop the run won't matter. Rico Dowdle is nowhere near the same type of defender as Barkley, and Ezekiel Elliott would rather not be with his team than show up at a game. Full-back Hunter Lüpke is not really used as a runner.
Their lack of ground game is killing them right now. Opposing teams know they're going to throw it, and it's easy to defend against a one-dimensional team. This is good for commanders as their defense is their weakest link.
