Inside Dallas, 'Boys-'Skins Edition

The Cowboys are going into this game trying to figure out if they'll have enough guys on offense to suit up and play. Miles Austin won't be available for this game, and might be out until after the bye week.  Starting Center, Phil Costa, re-injured his knee on Sunday, and is most likely not playing. Starting Left Guard, Bill Nagy, who missed last Sunday's game, is questionable. Felix Jones, who separated his shoulder, says he will suit up but the injury will surely hinder his play, although you probably won't notice. Dez Bryant, as of Thursday, is "highly questionable." Most importantly, Tony Romo, nursing a cracked rib and punctured lung, is anything but a sure thing.

Luckily, the Cowboys have an extra day to prepare for the Redskins and heal their wounds. Head coach Jason Garrett has given the team an additional day off to rest, and it is much needed after playing on both coasts in back-to-back weeks.

Escaping San Francisco with an over-analyzed overtime win saved the season. The Cowboys now face an undefeated Redskins team, and if they lose this game, they'll already be two games behind Washington in the NFC East. September is too early for "must win" games, we'll file this under "you really need to win this."

Yup, Santana Moss is still in the NFL.


The Washington Redskins fly into Dallas in better shape. They have a 2-0 record, they have a division win already under their belts, they have exceeded expectations thus far, and they are healthy. Starting 'Skins safety, LaRon Landry, should be back after missing the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury so that should help shore up a young Redskins defense that has at times looked dominant. Rex Grossman has looked downright competent at quarterback leading the 'Skins to victory in two consecutive home games. And last time Grossman faced the Cowboys, he torched their secondary for 322 yards passing and four touchdowns. With the current state of the Cowboys' secondary, it's not a stretch to think it could happen again.

Yet everything will rest on Romo. If Romo doesn't play, the Cowboys will struggle to move the ball, as their running game has done little-to-nothing so far. Reading the tea leaves, I believe Romo suits up. He toughed it out in the fourth quarter against the Forty-Niners when the pain was at its worst, and there's no reason to think he can't play after eight days of rest. The Cowboys are having a flak jacket made that will help prevent Romo's injury from worsening. I also believe Dez Bryant will tough it out and play, even if his quad injury hasn't completely healed -- he's a key decoy the Redskins have to monitor all night. Terence Newman, via Twitter, has already announced that he's playing Monday night despite missing all of training camp and the past two games with a groin injury.

Frankly, the Redskins struggled against a thus-far average Cardinals team at home and should've lost. Even with the Cowboys' injuries, they should beat an over-achieving Redskins team at home. Yet an opportunistic Redskins win would legitimize their bandwagon. It'll be ugly and tense, but the Cowboys win, 20-17.

Bold:  DeMarco Murray scores his first NFL touchdown.
Not Bold:  The Cowboys' defense sacks Rex Grossman five times.

-- Hatley Vittitow
Twitter: @hatley_vittitow