The 2019 NFL season finale is upon us. It seems just like yesterday we were anxiously awaiting the season opener, but here we are. The Dallas Cowboys will finish the year against the Washington Redskins, a team that has had a surprisingly similar season as America's Team.
Yes, you read that right. The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins seasons have practically mirrored one another. It's strange to think about considering the Cowboys were considered a Super Bowl contender prior to the start of the season, but sadly it's true. They have reached bottom dweller status along with the Redskins.
Upon doing a little research into both of these teams prior to this Week 17 matchup I stumbled upon something that left me both surprised and disgusted. I uncovered something that no one is talking about, but probably should be. These two teams aren't that dissimilar, despite what their current records may indicate.
Head Coach Situation
The 2019 season finale/Week 17 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins could just be the start of a much bigger competition between these two organizations. Both of these ball clubs could be in direct competition with one another to find their next head coach this offseason. It could be more entertaining than anything that happens on the football field this Sunday.
Unlike the Cowboys, the Redskins already parted ways with their HC, Jay Gruden, when they fired him earlier in the season. But, it looks as if Jason Garrett could be following him to unemployment shortly. He is after all in the final year of his contract and it's hard to imagine him being retained. Although, I wouldn't put anything past Jerry Jones.
Jason Garrett may have lasted longer than Jay Gruden this season, but that doesn't take away from the fact that both of these organizations will be looking for their next head coach this offseason. It could turn into a Battle Royale between these bitter NFC East rivals, however this is just one of the similarities I happened to uncover.
2019 Win/Loss Record
On paper no one would argue the Dallas Cowboys are the more talented team, but unfortunately that didn't help them outperform the Washington Redskins by much in 2019. If you look at the Cowboys current record (7-8) and the Redskins (3-12), you will notice just a four-game swing. It's those four games that sadly separate these two organizations this year.
As NFC East rivals, the Cowboys and Redskins played the same teams this year. If you were to look a little deeper at each teams schedule and who they won and lost against, you would know where the difference lies. Luckily, I've already done the homework for you and was surprised to learn the difference in their seasons are due to divisional play.
The current four-game difference between Dallas and Washington mostly has to do with their win/loss record within the NFC East division. The Cowboys were undefeated within the division until the Eagles beat them last week, but the Redskins haven't been as fortunate. They are currently winless in division this year, although that could change this week.
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I'm typically not one who likes being the bearer of bad news, but I felt this was something that needed to be shared. It really puts things into perspective about how disappointing the Dallas Cowboys 2019 season has been. To have a similar year as the Washington Redskins has to come as a shock, at least it was for me.
Thankfully though, the Cowboys still have more going for them than the Redskins do heading into the offseason. Yes both organizations still have to find their next head coach, but at least Dallas has the core of their team in place. The same can't be said about Washington. Regardless, both teams will have a lot of work to do before the start of the 2020 NFL season.
