News: SAEN: Three keys to victory and a prediction

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Prepare for the pre-surgery RG3: The last time Robert Griffin III played in Arlington, he threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns to lead Washington to a 38-31 Thanksgiving Day win. But that was before offseason knee surgery that limited his mobility through the first four weeks of this season. Coming out of the bye week, though, Griffin said he’s finally feeling like himself again. “He’s a lot better than he was at the beginning and is starting to feel comfortable,” coach Mike Shanahan said. What does it all mean? Griffin could once again thrive running the read option Dallas struggled so much with in getting swept by the Commanders last season, but given the sorry state of the Cowboys pass defense, don’t be surprised if he challenges the secondary with deep balls like he did last Thanksgiving.

KO Kerrigan and Orakpo: The Commanders are last in the league in total defense, yielding an average of 440.5 yards per game. But that’s not because of a lack of pressure. With defensive coordinator Jim Haslett moving them around, edge rushers Ryan Kerrigan and Texas-ex Brian Orakpo have combined for 8.0 of the Commanders’ 15 sacks. “They change up their looks, especially in their sub packages, which is when they get real creative,” Dallas offensive coordinator Bill Callahan said. “They come from everywhere.” With that said, Tony Romo and center Travis Frederick must be on top of their games when it comes to changing plays at the line of scrimmage and calling out protection schemes.

Mash Morris: After a split of 58 percent pass and 42 percent run through the first four games, the Commanders will be seeking balance coming out of their bye. That means they’ll likely try to control the clock and limit Romo’s possessions by feeding the ball to running back Alfred Morris. His carries and production are down after he rushed for 1,613 yards and scored 13 touchdowns as a rookie. But it can’t be forgotten that he twice topped 100 yards against Dallas last season, including season highs in carries (33), yards (200) and TDs (three) in the finale. Middle linebacker Sean Lee has to be at his best to keep Morris in check.

Prediction: Kiffin’s defense continues to struggle, but Romo comes out ahead in this shootout. COWBOYS 38, Commanders 30

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