The second Thanksgiving Day NFL game today on Fox is the one I have been looking forward to the most. The NFC East playoff picture will either clarify a little or become muddier as the 4-6 Washington Redskins visit the 5-5 Dallas Cowboys. The division leading New York Giants at 6-4 will be watching with a turkey leg in one hand and little Redskins flags in the other.
It was looking like the Giants might run away with the NFC East earlier in the season with Eli Manning clicking and the rest of the division struggling. Since then, the Giants have faltered and the Cowboys have crept back into the race. A win today will move the Cowboys to within a half-game of the Giants and put the pressure on the G-Men to win this weekend and avoid sharing the division lead.
The Redskins behind rookie phenom Robert Griffin III have been hanging around within striking distance most of the season, but have been unable to get over the hump and truly contend. Last week they disposed of the faltering Eagles 31-6 with authority which should build some momentum heading into today’s match. A win today will pull the Redskins into a tie with the Cowboys and leave them a game and a half behind the Giants.
A key to a Redskins victory will be how their defense fares against Tony Romo and the Cowboys offense. One of the wost defenses in the league had a breakthrough game last week against the Eagles in only giving up 257 total yards against, their best performance of the season. The Cowboys are far more proficient at moving the ball than the Eagles and are facing a Redskins squad without starters Brian Orakpo, Adam Carriker, Brandon Meriweather, and possibly London Fletcher whose participation will be a game-time decision.
History is on the Cowboys’ side as they have been perfect against the Redskins on Thanksgiving Day games, taking all six meetings. They will need to keep an eye on Robert Griffin III and make sure he doesn’t get happy feet and tear the Cowboys defense apart in the air and on the ground.
If you’re out and about for Thanksgiving Day and can’t catch the game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys televised on Fox in HD, you can watch a live streaming version here via NFL Sunday Ticket Max if you’re a subscriber. This lets you watch it on a computer, tablet or mobile phone wherever you are. There is no official free live streaming option for today’s Thanksgiving games. My prediction is the Redskins get hot and pull off a close 23-20 upset. Kick off for the second of three Thanksgiving Day games gets underway at 4:15 pm EST. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
