Rush Factor: Cowboys Open as 3.5-Point Favorites Over Washington
While the Dallas Cowboys might still have remnants of Ace Frehley’s 1978 hit “New York Groove” ringing in their ears, they are undoubtedly happy to be back home in Dallas heading into Week 4.
Coincidentally, the oddsmakers appear content in welcoming the ‘Boys back to the friendly confines of AT&T Stadium as they host the Washington Commanders on Sunday, October 2 at Noon CT.
According to most oddsmakers, the Cowboys are opening as -3.5 favorites for this upcoming matchup with Washington, as they attempt to improve their record to 3-1.
The surprising Cowboys, led by interim starting quarterback Cooper Rush, are still savoring their 23-16 victory over the New York Giants on Monday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Rush threw for 210 yards, including a one-yard touchdown to receiver CeeDee Lamb. Dallas’ top wideout made the one-handed scoring catch with 8:30 left to in the fourth quarter to cap the go-ahead drive, which ultimately gave the Cowboys the victory.
Dallas came into the game having allowed only one touchdown in each of its first two games, and the trend continued Monday night. The defense hounded Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, sacking him five times, with DeMarcus Lawrence tying his career high with three.
Though many had projected Dallas to do little more than tread water while incumbent starter Dak Prescott recovered from a hand injury (suffered during their Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), the team has turned in strong performances both on offense and defense to earn back-to-back wins.
Conversely, the Commanders are 1-2, following a 24-8 loss to their fellow NFC East-rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Washington struggled offensively, mustering only 50 yards by halftime. Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz completed 25 of 43 passes for 211 yards with two fumbles, low-lighting a dismal day for the team’s scoring aspirations. (Oh, and he was sacked nine times!) Washington did not fare much better on defense, as the trend of surrendering big-yardage plays continues to be a problem.
Dallas may be playing with house money as they prepare to start their backup quarterback for the third straight week. However Rush’s strong performance, along with solid contributions from each of Dallas’ units, has the team poised to prove the sports books correct in Week 4.
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