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The Washington Football Team are set to face the Dallas Cowboys for the second time in three weeks. The Football Team lost the first time out against Dallas in Week 14 at home, 27-20, and they will now look to return the favor to the Cowboys. After the loss to the Cowboys, Washington sustained another loss in Week 15 on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-17.
The four-game win streak from Weeks 10 to 13 feels like so long ago for Washington, which will need a win this week to keep their dim playoff hopes alive, But regardless of their playoff chances, the Football Team would want to beat their divisional rivals on Sunday in Arlington to at least prevent getting swept in the regular season by the Cowboys.
For more insight on Washington's Week 16 matchup against the Cowboys, listen below:
With all that said, here are four bold predictions for the Washington Football Team showdown with the Cowboys in Week 16 of the 2021 NFL regular season.
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Washington Football Team Week 16 Predictions
4. Taylor Heinicke returns and balls out
Having missed Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Heinicke is certainly filled with energy and excitement, as he looks to rescue the Football Team from a disastrous three-game losing skid. While catching the Cowboys at the top of the NFC East is a long shot for Washington, given how many weeks are left in the regular season, the Football Team are still theoretically in it to come away with the last wild card spot in the NFC, which is currently in possession of the San Francisco 49ers (8-6).
This game against the Cowboys is sort of a make-or-break for Washington, so if there’s a match that they definitely need to take care of business, it’s this one. Assuming Heinicke returns this week, look for him to step up and deliver the goods for a desperate Washington side.
3. Washington holds Dak Prescott to just 200 passing yards
The last time Washington faced off with the Cowboys, the Football Team held Prescott to only 211 passing yards and a touchdown on 22/39 completions. These are not numbers that jump out of the page, and it gets even worse when you consider that he got intercepted twice and sacked four times for a loss of 10 yards. Washington’s pass rush has turned up the heat of late.
Although the Football Team are only 21st in the NFL in defensive sack rate at 5.86%, they have recorded nine sacks in their last three games, during which their defense also posted an 8.04% sack rate – seventh-best in the league in that span. Conversely, Prescott’s pass protection has been porous of late, with the Cowboys quarterback absorbing seven sacks in his last two starts.
2. Terry McLaurin goes off
McLaurin had a quiet game against the Eagles, as Philly’s defenders were all over him like sauce on spaghetti. Prior to that, the former Ohio State Buckeyes star had zero catches on three targets in the loss to the Cowboys. He exited that game in the third quarter with a concussion, which largely explains his poor production.
It just feels as though a great receiver like McLaurin is due for a big game that would remind everyone why he is among the best in the business. The Cowboys have a stingy pass defense, but that’s not going to stop Heinicke from looking in McLaurin’s direction.
1. Ricky Seals-Jones scores a touchdown
Look, it’s the fantasy football playoffs. Some managers who have managed to drag their teams to this portion of the season might be trying to stream for a tight end. Ricky Seals-Jones feels like a dart throw, but if you put just enough trust in him, he could be the surprising difference between your team making it to the next round and you getting eliminated this coming week from contention for your league’s football fantasy glory. To be clear, Seals-Jones shouldn’t be started unless you’re desperate for tight end help.
But with Logan Thomas done for the rest of the year and the potential of Heinicke returning to action, the ceiling of Seals-Jones for this upcoming game against the Cowboys should be a little bit higher than in Week 16. Seals-Jones had a forgettable performance in the previous meeting with the Cowboys, catching just a pass on four targets.
However, in Week 15's loss to the Eagles, Seals-Jones was tied for the team lead with seven targets, catching four of them for 29 receiving yards. But if there’s one number that you need to know about Seals-Jones, it’s that he has 12 red-zone targets this season, the most among any Washington players, including McLaurin, who only has 10, thus far.
