Kevin's Wk 3 Picks

Last week 7-8-1,
Season 13-16-2

SF -3

Det +11 (Min wins)

NE -15

NO -4

NYG -3

Pit -3

Cin -4

Bal -11

Dal +3 (Dal wins)

Was -4

Phi -3

Ind -6

Oak +5 (AZ wins)

SD -6

NYJ +3 (NYJ wins)

GB -3

NFL Picks: Week 3

New York Giants -3 over Tennessee

Kansas City +3 against San Francisco

Minnesota -11 over Detroit

New England =15 over Buffalo

Atlanta -4 against New Orleans

Pittsburgh -3 over Tampa Bay

Cincinnati -4 over Carolina

Baltimore -11 over Cleveland

Dallas +3 against Houston

Washington -4 over St. Louis

Philadelphia -3 over Jacksonville

Indianapolis -6 over Denver

Oakland +5 against Arizona

San Diego -6 over Seattle

Miami -3 over New York Jets

Green Bay -3 over Chicago

College Football Picks: Week 4

Saturday, September 25

#1 Alabama at #10 Arkansas:

This game is arguably the most important and anticipated home game in Arkansas this decade.  Arkansas comes into the game after a late win at Georgia after a sparkling performance by Quarterback Ryan Mallet.  Worth noting though is that Georgia has really struggled this year and almost pulled an improbable comeback when Arkansas fell asleep in the fourth quarter.  Alabama has dismantled opponents behind the mistake-free production of Quarterback Greg McElroy and the bruising running back tandem of Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram.

Alabama 38-24

#12 South Carolina at #17 Auburn

South Carolina has struggled historically in big road games.  This year though, it seems that Gamecocks Head Coach Steve Spurrier has finally found a solid offense to go along with his normally stout defense.  Auburn might still be a little worn out after a hard fought victory last week over South Carolina’s in-state rival Clemson.

Auburn 24-20

NC State at Georgia Tech

 NC State Quarterback Russell Wilson looks like he is a ready to hit the national stage a year later than expected.  Provided he doesn’t get injured, he’s the best player on the field and he will lead the Wolfpack to a victory in Atlanta.

NC State 28-24

North Carolina at Rutgers

Rutgers has struggled this year against its two cupcake opponents (Norfolk State and Florida International).  North Carolina (while 0-2) has missed many of its starters due to suspensions but could just as easily been 2-0 with close losses to LSU and Georgia Tech.  Also, the Big East has by far been the worst of the BCS Conferences.

North Carolina 27-20

Temple at #23 Penn State

Temple has steadily improved after al Golden was hired in 2006.  The Penn State defense will be tested by Owls Running Back Bernard Pierce.  Penn State has dealt with a multitude of distractions this week involving the rumored “benching” of Running Back Evan Royster and the transfer of Wide Receiver Shawney Kersey.  Look for Penn State shut down Pierce and force the Temple passing game to beat them.  Don’t be surprised though if this is still a game late in the fourth quarter. 

Penn State 24-13

#16 Stanford at Notre Dame

Stanford is considered to be one of the frontrunners in the Pac Ten this season.  The Cardinal are led by Quarterback Andrew Luck and their explosive offense.  The Cardinal blew out the Irish last year when Notre Dame was fighting to make a bowl and had both Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate.  One has to wonder if the Irish suffer from a hangover effect from last week’s loss to Michigan State

Stanford 34-24

#24 Oregon State at #3 Boise State

This is the last chance for Boise State to impress voters.  Should Boise State build a huge lead, I would recommend that they run up the score to help their profile.  Unfortunately for the Broncos, Oregon State will not be intimidated by the trip to Boise and the blue turf.  They already traveled to Arlington, TX to face TCU and more than held their own.   My prediction is that Boise will pull away late behind Quarterback Kellen Moore

Boise State 41-20

GSG Radio Ep #3

Tune in tonight at 11 p.m. for Episode 3 of GSG radio!

Ascension of Clausen Signals Panthers Preparing for 2011

Jimmy Clausen

            Technically it is still summer, but you can pretty much eliminate the Carolina Panthers from postseason contention.  The final nail in the coffin was placed Monday when Head Coach John Fox announced that rookie Jimmy Clausen will start at Quarterback for next week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.  Thus the Mat Moore era in Charlotte has ended after two miserable losses to the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

            The Panthers problems go much deeper than whether Clausen or Moore should be under center.  Offensively the main problem is that there is no capable wide receiver opposite Steve Smith.  Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney joined the “Primetime with the Packman” show during this past off-season and stated that the team’s main goal was to find better receivers to help relieve the pressure off of Smith.  Hurney’s so called solution to the problem was to add talent through the draft by selecting Brandon LaFell, Armanti Edwards, and David Gettis. 

Throughout training camp and the preseason it was blatantly obvious that the rookies would be hard pressed to fill the void at the receiver position.  LaFell showed some flashes, but has been plagued by a propensity to drop passes.  Armanti Edwards (who was converted to WR after playing QB at Appalachian State) “flunked” his initial tryout for the punt returner position by fumbling twice during the second preseason game against the New York Jets and has been inactive for the first two regular season games.  Gettis was inactive the first regular season game but earned a starting spot during Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.  Gettis’ promotion into the starting lineup is more of an indictment on 2007 draft bust Dwayne Jarrett who has yet to make an impact entering his fourth season in the league. 

What is a bigger disappointment this year has been the Panthers inability to run the football which has been the team’s bread and butter the last two seasons.  Entering the 2010 season, the Panthers returned two running backs (DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart) who rushed for over 1,100 yards the previous season.  The offensive line was also seen as a potential strength as it returned Pro-Bowl type talents in Jordan Gross, Ryan Kalil and Jeff Otah as well as the steady Travelle Wharton.  So far this season, the Panthers’ running game has struggled due to teams stacking the box to stop the run because they are not scared of the Panthers anemic passing game.

Another problem has been the lackluster play of the offensive line.  Over the first two games of the season, the line has allowed eight Quarterback sacks which helped lead to Matt Moore suffering a concussion in the Giants game.  Some of these problems could be attributed to Otah’s absence due to injury.  Schematically though, the Panthers are not built to come from behind due to a lack of weapons and without the threat of a run game, opponents are able to tee-off on the Quarterbacks when the offense is forced to pass.

The biggest disappointment for Panther fans has been the play of the defense.  The defense was among the best this preseason by registering 20 sacks and by stifling the Titans and Jets at Bank of America Stadium.  Fans were hoping that these trends would continue onto the regular season.  However through two games, the defense has allowed 31 points to the Giants and 20 points to the lowly Buccaneers.  Some common themes have been miscommunication in the secondary (notably Charles Godfrey), critical penalties resulting in first downs (that’s you Richard Marshall), and a lack of a consistent pass rush.  The only bright spot has been the play of the linebackers most notably All-Pro Jon Beason and first year starter Dan Connor. 

Schedule wise, the Panthers are staring at 0-4 with the Bengals at home and the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints on the road as their next two opponents.  That is what made last Sunday’s game against the Bucs so crucial.  Entering the season fans/experts alike agreed that the Panthers should beat the Bucs, while the Giants/Bengals game could be seen as toss-ups.  With arguably the easiest game on paper already penciled in as a loss, what does that say about the Panthers prospects for this season?

John Fox

What adds to the chaos has been the “lame duck” status of Head Coach John Fox.  Fox has been the most successful coach in franchise history leading the Panthers to three playoff appearances, two berths in the NFC Title Game and one Super Bowl Appearance.  What Fox hasn’t been able to do is build a consistent winner in Carolina.  The Panthers have failed to qualify for the playoffs in back-to-back years which most certainly bothers owner Jerry Richardson.  Fox is currently on the final season of his contract and is certain to leave after he was not offered an extension by Richardson.  Fox figures to be one of the most sought after coaches at the conclusion of the season and will likely price himself out of the Panthers range (if the Panthers even want to keep him).  It is expected that Richardson will try to find a coach much like Fox was when he was hired in 2002, a young assistant waiting for his first shot as a Head Coach.  One candidate who fits that bill would be Vikings Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier. 

What hurts is that Fox’s status as a “lame duck” coach could lead to the season spinning out of control if the team’s fortunes continue to slide.  Fox could lose some of the amount of authority he has in the locker room since the players would realize that he (Fox) will not be their head coach next year.  It also hurts young players such as Clausen because even though they will be gaining experience, they will be doing so under a playbook and philosophy that most assuredly won’t be there next year.

To make matters worse, many fans are upset with Richardson for cutting payroll and for not adding anyone significant in free agency.  Richardson has been revered in the Carolinas as the Panthers owner since he helped bring NFL football to the area in 1993.  Nowadays, Richardson seems more concerned with the precarious labor situation involving the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement.  Richardson is the main voice of the owners in these negotiations and delivered a passionate speech in March to his fellow owners in which he pleaded that they (the owners) stick together.  He vowed that they should “take back our league” by creating a better CBA that is more favorable to the owners.

With Richardson as an important figure in these negotiations is it a coincidence that the Panthers didn’t spend much in the offseason?  Many fans feel that Jerry has put the NFL and its labor situation above the fortunes of the Panthers and its paying customers.  Richardson was interviewed by the Roar Magazine (an official publication of the Carolina Panthers) and stated that the team’s offseason moves have nothing to do with the NFL’s labor situation.  Then Richardson had the audacity to raise ticket prices after an 8-8 (and non-playoff season) and an offseason when the team didn’t add any free agents and lost valuable veterans such as Julius Peppers, Jake Delhomme, Chris Harris and Brad Hoover.

Jerry Richardson

            Expect another major overhaul for the Panthers if and when a new collective bargaining agreement is signed.  Pat Yasinskas (of ESPN) rationalized the Panthers offseason by saying that the team dumped veterans such as Delhomme because 2010 is an uncapped year.  By releasing these veterans (many of whom have high cap figures) the Panthers would be able to have no cap consequences for these actions.  If a salary cap is in place under the new CBA, the Panthers will have only 70 million dollars committed towards the cap.  Only the Chiefs, Raiders, and Buccaneers would be below the Panthers.  Some of this money would be used to resign current players such as Beason, and Kalil.  Either way, the Panthers would have mass amounts of money to spend prior to the 2011 season.  Fans hope that when the labor situation is settled, Richardson will once again push for success on the football field.

Lessons From Week Two

Green Bay 34 Buffalo 7: With six sacks in two games, Clay Matthews has emerged as an early Defensive MVP candidate, the second in two years for the Packers. Buffalo’s offense is completely inept and the Bills were totally overmatched.

Miami 14 Minnesota 10: Maybe Brett Favre should have stayed retired. Sure he’s missing his favorite target, Sidney Rice, but everything about Favre looks old right now. The 0-2 Vikings are in serious trouble. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have become one of the early-season’s most intriguing teams. With a deep running attack, improving quarterback, and surprisingly solid defense, Miami may make the AFC East a three-team race.

Kansas City 16 Cleveland 14: It wasn’t as exciting as their win against the Chargers, but the 2-0 Chiefs got the job done. The big-play capability of the Chiefs is the team’s biggest weapon, and a primary reason gamblers should avoid KC; it’s just impossible to tell when a kick return, pick-six, or dump pass could change the momentum of a game. The Browns really struggled to move the ball on the ground, but with Seneca Wallace at QB, Cleveland’s options were limited.

Chicago 27 Dallas 20: The 0-2 Cowboys have benefitted from equally rocky starts by the NFC East’s other teams. Still, Dallas has all kinds of problems. Tony Romo has been erratic at best, the team can’t run the ball, and its attitude just seems to be missing. This was a huge win for the 2-0 Bears who seem to have regained their swagger on defense and are quietly becoming decent offensively as well.

Atlanta 41 Arizona 7: Atlanta produced only nine points in Week One, but that was against the vaunted Steelers defense. The 41 point outburst against Arizona was more in line with what I expected out of the Falcons this year. Even without Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood, the Falcons pounded the Cardinals. Arizona is in for a very long year, just too many huge losses on both sides of the ball.

Tampa Bay 20 Carolina 7: The efficient Matt Moore from 2009’s final weeks has disappeared. Carolina just seems lost offensively, and Coach John Fox has already announced that rookie Jimmy Clausen will start in Week Three. The Bucs have shown some feistiness in getting to 2-0. They’ve got an interesting group of young receivers and have showcased good young talent in the defensive front seven. They’ll come crashing down to earth for sure, but the Bucs have already met the expectations of many for this season.

Philadelphia 35 Detroit 32: Michael Vick may yet become an effective NFL quarterback. In what was arguably his best game as a pro, Vick showed incredible balance and evasiveness in the pocket while still making accurate throws and good decisions. I can’t remember a time when Vick looked less like a running back than yesterday. He has baggage obviously, but Vick looks poised to be a starter somewhere in 2011. Detroit actually played well without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. Rookie Jahvid Best has been electric thus far, and the team has shown plenty of flashes on both sides of the ball. They are still doomed to a losing season, but the Lions are creeping toward respectability.

Cincinnati 15 Baltimore 10: The Bengals defense has arrived. I expected Baltimore to really break-through offensively this season, but with 20 points through two games I have concerns. Still, against the Jets and Bengals maybe 10 points is all that can be expected. Cincinnati continues to have problems scoring points because Carson Palmer is a shell of himself. But the D is now one of the league’s best.

Pittsburgh 19 Tennessee 11: The Steel Curtain is back. The Steelers have been just dominant on defense through two games and Ben Roethlisberger or not, the Steelers are playoff bound. A healthy Troy Polamalu is just as important as Big Ben and the Steelers showed it doesn’t matter who is under center when their D is healthy. Pittsburgh made the great Chris Johnson look mortal. The Titans play strong D and can run the ball, but once again questions at quarterback are becoming problematic.

Denver 31 Seattle 14: Seattle got smacked a week after shocking the 49ers. Most people thought the Seahawks would really struggle this year, and their Week Two result was much more in line with expectations. The Broncos got a very good game from Kyle Orton and should hover around .500 this year.

Oakland 16 St. Louis 14: Two of the league’s doormats engaged in a typically boring struggle. The Raiders got a second dynamic performance in a row from Darren McFadden. His health and production are crucial to the Raiders’ success. This year is obviously all about Sam Bradford for the Rams. His development is the only story Rams fans should care about. Expectations should remain low though as Bradford has no weapons to speak of.

Houston 30 Washington 27: The Texans are extremely resilient. Two comeback wins in the season’s first two weeks against two good teams have proven that the Texans have arrived. They have arguably the league’s best receiver, one of its best quarterbacks, and an impressive young running back on top of and up and coming defense. Houston also certainly seems to have some arrogance now and the “it” factor. Washington really got screwed out of a win that would have put them in the NFC East driver’s seat. The ‘Skins are a different team with Donovan McNabb at QB and a competent coaching staff. They will be in it till the end this season.

New York 28 New England 14: The Jets made a huge statement by crushing the Patriots in the second half. Even without Darrelle Revis, the Jets are a superior defense. They also have to be thrilled with LaDanian Tomlinson and Mark Sanchez. This was the team Rex Ryan spent the whole summer bragging about. Conversely, the Pats defense looked atrocious. Without a running game, New England is extremely one-dimensional. Most weeks they’ll be able to score enough points to win through the passing game alone, but against true contenders like the Jets, the Pats will be exposed.

San Diego 38 Jacksonville 13: The Chargers showed that even without Ryan Matthews, Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeil, they can be a force offensively. Their shocking Week One loss to Kansas City is now in the rearview mirror, and the Chargers should have no problem cruising to a division title. The Jaguars are simply a very mediocre team made worse by very poor quarterback play. Those pining for Tim Tebow last April probably aren’t very happy right now.

Indianapolis 38 New York 14: And it wasn’t that close. The Colts are a superior team to the Giants and probably 31 other teams in the league right now. They’re an absolute juggernaut on offense, and with a surprising running game they’re essentially un-defendable. The Colts also reminded everyone why they’re so good at protecting leads with the dominant play of defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. The Giants seemed to realize they were out-matched halfway through the Colts’ first drive. After that, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride panicked and the rest of the offense began thinking about what they’d do after the game. The defense was gashed also, but to be fair, there aren’t many teams that can contain the Colts.

NFL Picks: Week 2

Atlanta -7

Baltimore -7

Kansas City +3

Chicago +8

Philadelphia -7

Green Bay -14

Pittsburgh +6

Miami +6

Carolina -4

Denver -4

Oakland -4

New England -3

San Diego -7

Washington +3

Indianapolis -6

New Orleans -6

College Football Picks: Week 3

Saturday September 18:

Kent State at #22 Penn State

Penn State will look to avoid a hangover from last week loss (and learning experience) to #1 Alabama. Look for the Penn State offense to try and discover its running game for the first time this season. If the Nittany Lions continue to struggle running the football, it would not bode well for Penn State’s chances later in the Big Ten schedule. Statistically, the Golden Flashes have the best run defense in college football. In an interesting note about Kent State Quarterback Spencer Keith, his high school team ran an offense in which they refused to punt the football. Now that’s like playing Madden Football in real life.

Penn State 30-17

Georgia Tech at North Carolina:

Georgia Tech will look to rebound from last weekend’s disappointing loss to Kansas. Quarterback Jamar Nesbitt and Tech’s triple option offense often prevents matchup and schematic problems to many teams. Luckily for the Tar Heels, they have had two weeks to prepare for this game. The big question is if Carolina QB T.J. Yates can build on his solid performance two weeks ago against L.S.U.

Georgia Tech 20-17

#9 Iowa at #24 Arizona

Quarterback Nick Foles and Receiver Juron Criner lead a high octane Arizona offense who has cruised to two easy victories over Toledo and the Citadel. The Wildcats though have not faced a defense as tough as Iowa. The Hawkeyes have arguably the best defensive line in the country led by Pre-Season All American Adrian Clayborn and his line mates Karl Klug, Christian Ballard and Broderick Binns. Iowa’s offense (which is often overlooked) is paced by QB Ricky Stanzi, Running Back Adam Robinson, and Receivers Marvin McNutt and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos.

Iowa 27-17

#8 Nebraska at Washington

Quarterback Jake Locker will look to add to his pre-draft hype as he faces arguably one of college football’s best defensive minds in Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. Nebraska’s ground game led by Quarterback Taylor Martinez will look to keep Locker off the field.

Nebraska 20-14

#10 Florida at Tennessee

Tennessee kept this game close last year against a much better Florida team. They will look to do the same this year, but they do not have the talent coaching wise after losing Lane Kiffin and his brother Monte (the longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant. Tennessee’s defense will keep it close for a while until the Volunteers offense makes crucial mistakes.

Florida 23-7

Clemson at #16 Auburn

Auburn has surprised many observers this season led by the play of Florida transfer Quarterback Cameron Newton.  Freshman sensation Michael Dyer gives Auburn a solid running game as well.  Clemson has devoured two so called “cupcakes” so far this year. We’ll see how Clemson stacks up against better competition without last season’s workhorse C.J. Spiller. For Clemson to have any chance, Defensive lineman DaQuan Bowers and Jarvis Jenkins will need to control the line of scrimmage.

Auburn 34-20

Notre Dame at Michigan State

This game boils down to the injury status of Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist. If Crist’s vision is still blurred, look for Sparty to roll over the Fighting Irish. If Crist is healthy, this game is literally a tossup. Notre Dame’s offense will face their toughest test yet against All-American Linebacker Greg Jones and his teammates. Look for Michigan State to try and employ a 3-4 defense to take advantage of their depth at linebacker to counter Notre Dame’s multitude of weapons.

Michigan State 31-27

Kevin's Wk 2 Picks

Last week 6-8-1

Atlanta -7

Baltimore -3

KC +2 (KC wins)

Dallas -8

Philly -6

GB -14

Pitt +6 (Pitt wins)

Mia +6 (Min wins)

Carolina -4

Den -4

Oak -4

NE -3

Jax +7 (SD wins)

Hou -3

Ind -6

NO -6

Episode Two GSG Radio

Listen tonight at 11 p.m. for Episode 2 of GSG Radio or click on the player to the right

Week One Thoughts

Week one brought a few surprises, plenty of controversy, and lots to talk about. My quick thoughts on each game:

Saints 14 Vikings 9: This sure wasn’t the high scoring affair we expected it to be. Good first win by the Saints who looked like they might blow Minnesota out early on. Credit the Vikings for hanging in there without top reliever Sidney Rice and considering Brett Favre missed most of the summer. The Saints still look like a favorite and Minnesota isn’t going to hand Green Bay the NFC Central without a fight.

Buccaneers 17 Browns 14: Both teams stink, but on this day Tampa stunk a little less. Jake Delhomme looked decent early on for Cleveland, but he still threw two interceptions. Tampa has to be encouraged by what it saw out of Josh Freeman.

Dolphins 15 Bills 10: Not a bad road win for the Dolphins who could surprise this year. The offense wasn’t explosive, but give the team time to click. Chad Henne is still new as a starter, Ronnie Brown could take a little time to bounce back from injury, and Brandon Marshall is still just thrilled to be away from Denver.

Patriots 38 Bengals 24: Nice opening salvo by New England. A healthy Wes Welker, happy Tom Brady, improved special teams, and decent defense combined to propel the Patriots to a big win. Many analysts liked Cincinnati this season but they seemed to lack a little toughness in week one. Still, it would have been very tough for the Bengals to beat the Pats on the road.

Texans 34 Colts 24: The story of the first weekend of the NFL season was Houston finally upending Indianapolis. The Texans seem to be on the cusp of the playoffs every year, and by knocking out Indy in Week One they just made that task a whole lot easier. Running back Arian Foster was excellent, and the Texans may be well on their way. Not a whole lot to worry about for the Colts, but they had better beat the Giants in Week Two.

Jaguars 24 Broncos 17: Solid victory for the Jags in Week One. Three touchdown passes by David Garrard paced Jacksonville. Denver got a big game out of Brandon Lloyd, but it’s clear the team lacks a true No. 1 receiver.

Steelers 15 Atlanta 9: Huge, huge win for the Roethlisberger-less Steelers. They have a tough test next week at Tennessee before taking on Tampa on the road and Baltimore at home. It might be tough to go better than 1-2 in those games, but Pittsburgh will certainly take a 2-2 overall record when Big Ben returns. The Pittsburgh defense was ferocious with Troy Polamalu healthy. Atlanta’s so-called high octane offense was mediocre, but that’s more a product of the Steelers defense than the Falcons offense.

Titan 38 Raiders 13: Chris Johnson’s quest for 2,500 yards got off to a good start against the hapless Raiders. Many thought Oakland might surprise this year, but so far, ugh. Still, Oakland has to be happy about getting a full game from Darren McFadden. He could be productive if he stays healthy.

Giants 31 Panthers 18: The Jimmy Clausen era could begin as soon as next week with Matt Moore’s concussion. This game was sloppy all the way around, but the Giants had more firepower on offense and were able to survive a good first half from Carolina. The losses of Kevin Boss, Will Beatty and Chase Blackburn could be costly though.

Bears 19 Lions 14: The Calvin Johnson play at the end of the game was ridiculous. This should have been a great road win for the Lions, who lost Matt Stafford in the second half. Instead, this cursed franchise handed over a game to the Matt Forte-led Bears. Forte looked great.

Cardinals 17 Rams 13: The Cardinals may miss Kurt Warner more than any team has missed any player in league history. They went from Super Bowl contender to possible cellar-dweller. Not a bad first performance for Sam Bradford, though he was asked to throw way too much. He’s got the talent, but boy does he need some receivers.

Packers 27 Eagles 20: The Pack should have rolled over Philly, but seemed to let up once they got a lead. Philly got nothing from Kevin Kolb, but forgotten man Mike Vick had an impressive second half. Green Bay seems to have let the expectations go to their heads a bit and need to focus on producing on the field instead of reading about how great they are.

Seahawks 31 49ers 6: Everyone’s NFC West favorite was trounced by Seattle. The Seahawks have more veteran presence than the other teams in the division and let everyone know it. Very good first win for Pete Carroll. San Francisco has the defense, but questions at quarterback may hold them down.

Redskins 13 Cowboys 7: Boring game. But Dallas looked awful offensively despite all its weapons. Marion Barber just isn’t as effective now that he’s slimmed down. Only Miles Austin looked like he came to play. The Redskins weren’t exactly on fire offensively, but good coaching and fewer mistakes gave them this game. Lessons here: Washington will no longer hand opponents games, and Dallas is just as confusing as ever.