The Cowboys Better Watch out for the Giants

Ever since week 1, the Cowboys have been on a 11 game winning streak. But their one loss was against the team they are playing this Sunday. The New York Giants. Here are three reasons why the Giants might beat the Cowboys.

1. The Giants have allowed the least amount of rushing yards to Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot. Even though Elliot has gotten a lot better since then, the Giants defense only allowed 51 rushing yards from Elliot, and 2.5 yards per carry. The Giants have a defense that perfect for stopping running backs like Elliot. With Jason-Pierre-Paul on the outside, the eliminates the outside run game. Then, they have Damon Harrison and Jonathon Hankins at defensive tackle to clog up the middle.

2. The Giants have also allowed the lowest completion percentage of Dak Prescott. When they played each other in week one, Prescott completed just 55.6% of his passes.He also had zero touchdown passes. I think in this match up, Prescott throws one interception against this Giants secondary. They have a lot of talent in their secondary. Landon Collins has really improved this year. He is one of their hard-hitting safeties.


3. The Cowboys defense will not be able to handle the Giants offense. We have seen in past weeks when that defense has played teams with a stacked receiving core. When they played the Redskins on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys allowed 449 passing yards. The Giants have a similar offense. They have two amazing slot receivers in Victor Cruz and rookie Sterling Shepard. Then they have Odell Beckham Jr. on the outside who has had some big games against the Cowboys.  

I think the Giants will win this game 26-17. I think Dez Bryant will have 5 receptions for 43 yards. On the other side, I think Odell will have a big game with 7 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Can the Redskins Still Make the Playoffs?

After the Redskins have had two consecutive losses, people are starting to doubt their ability to make the playoffs. I think it's still possible for them to get a playoff spot. Here's why.

If you look at Washington's upcoming schedule, you'll see that 3 out of their last 4 games are against teams with losing records. They will play the Eagles[5-7], the Panthers[4-8], the Bears[3-9]. Their last game is against the Giants, who do have a winning record of 8-4. As long as the Redskins win their games, they mostly won't have to worry about other teams winning or losing. In my opinion, they pretty much have to win every single game left to make the playoffs. But if they start losing, it could get pretty hard. The Packers have been on a recent winning streak, and they definitely have a shot at the playoffs. They are 6-6 as well as the Vikings, who have been going downhill lately. They are mainly competing with the Buccaneers who are 7-5. The Redskins are 6-5-1, so they're not even a full game behind the Buccaneers. All it takes is a win for the Skins and a loss for the Buccaneers against the Saints, and the Skins would be in the playoffs.

Offense

The offense has been fine. The only thing with the offense is that they have to score on drives that the defense creates for them. With all the talent that they have, they should be doing much better than they are doing now. I think they should be throwing the ball down the field more to Desean Jackson. I have also been surprised by how much Kirk Cousins has been targeting Pierre Garcon. I thought going into this year, he wouldn't have the same amount of energy, but I was wrong. Otherwise, the run game is solid with Robert Kelley, who is hard to tackle, and Chris Thompson as their third down back.

Defense

Defense for the Redskins has been their problem. They can't seem to come up with a stop when they most need it. Against the Lions in week 7, they were up 17-13 with a couple minutes left in the third quarter, and the defense allowed a Matthew Stafford game winning drive. Last week against the Cardinals, they had them on 4th & 1, and they let them convert. A few plays after, they gave up a 42 yard touchdown pass. They were also horrible against third and long. Also, starting the game off  well on defense has been really hard for the Redskins defense. They usually end up giving the other team possession first, and their defense is just letting the opposing team to just march down the field. At the beginning of the season, the Redskins defense was actually creating some turnovers. But now, they are just giving up long drives and big plays. I also wish that Joe Barry [defensive coordinator] would let Josh Norman follow the opposing team's best receiver. When they put Kendall Fuller on the best receiver in the slot, it doesn't work out well. The pass rush has been pretty good. If the secondary can start covering better, they will turn into a good defense.

A lot of people are doubting that the Redskins will make the playoffs. It won't be easy, but I have a feeling that they will come away with a second straight year going to the playoffs.