The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders will clash this weekend in a game that could have huge playoff implications. Neither team is off to the start they envisioned, but a win this weekend could change the trajectory of their entire season and propel them towards the NFL playoffs.

These two teams have one of the most storied rivalries in all of football. They’ve met 130 times, with the Cowboys boasting a 79-49-2 record. These two love to give us an entertaining game, so hopefully this weekend is no exception.

Here are some key storylines, players to watch, and bold predictions for Sunday’s game.

Key Storylines

What will we get from this quarterback matchup?

Dak Prescott is playing at an MVP-level, and I know Jayden Daniels hasn’t been as good as he was a year ago, but this is still a special quarterback matchup that should give us some fireworks.

Prescott has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league this season, throwing for 1,617 yards and 13 touchdowns to three interceptions through six games. He’s yet to have a bad game this season, and now he faces a Washington defense that ranks 32nd in coverage grade, per PFF.

Daniels isn’t off to as hot a start as many expected after an excellent rookie year, but he’s been injured and is finally back to 100 percent (or at least close to it). He played well against the Chicago Bears last week, throwing for 211 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 52 more, and now he plays a horrible Cowboys defense.

I think we’re going to get one of the best QB showdowns of the year. Both of these defenses have had their struggles, especially in coverage, so I’m excited to see how both of these guys play.

Can the Cowboys establish the run again?

The Dallas Cowboys have surprisingly had one of the best rushing attacks in football. Javonte Williams is having an excellent season, but was just shut down against the Carolina Panthers, averaging just 2.2 yards per carry. Part of his success has been due to the fact that defenses have to focus on stopping the pass, but he’s still running very well this year outside of last week.

The Commanders have the third-best run defense in the league, per PFF. If they’re able to stuff Williams consistently and force Dak to throw it 30+ times, they won’t be able to shut this offense down, but they can certainly slow them down just a little bit. And that little bit could be the difference in this game.

Can the Cowboys get the stop they’ll need?

Ultimately, this game is going to come down to whether or not the Cowboys can get a stop on defense. We’ve seen this story time and time again. No matter how many points the Cowboys’ offense scores, their defense is going to keep the other team in the game.

I can already envision this game coming down to the wire. The Cowboys’ defense is going to have to stop Jayden Daniels and the Commanders’ offense in the fourth quarter, and so far, they haven’t proven they can step up in those big moments. But if they can do it this week and help Dallas secure the win, they could build some momentum for the rest of the year.

Key Players

Luke McCaffrey (WR, Washington Commanders)

With Terry McLaurin out again on Sunday and Deebo Samuel questionable, it’s going to be up to Luke McCaffrey to step up in the pass game. He’s having a pretty solid sophomore season. He’s caught only eight passes, but has 179 yards and three touchdowns on the year. He hasn’t been forced to play the WR1 role yet, but he may have to this week.

Obviously, the Cowboys have been very susceptible in the pass game. They’ve given up a ton of big games to opposing wideouts, so McCaffrey could have a big game as the Commanders’ WR1 (or WR2 if Samuel does play).

Jake Ferguson (TE, Dallas Cowboys)

Jake Ferguson quietly ranks fourth in the NFL in receptions with 44 through six games. He leads all tight ends in receptions and is sixth in yards, and even with CeeDee Lamb coming back, Ferguson should still be heavily involved in the pass game.

Part of the reason Dak Prescott is having such a good season is because of Ferguson. When nothing is open downfield, he knows his tight end is going to be available for a dump-off. He may only be averaging 6.9 yards per reception, but he’s been invaluable to this Cowboys offense.

The Commanders are (rightfully) going to pay a ton of attention to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, which should open things up for Ferguson. Don’t be surprised if he has a massive game this weekend.

Dorance Armstrong (DE, Washington Commanders)

Dorance Armstrong, a former Cowboy, has been the Commanders’ best pass rusher this season. Through six games, he has 5.5 sacks and 22 pressures this season, and he could be the X-factor in this game.

It’s very hard to stop a quarterback like Dak Prescott, but you know one way to get under any quarterback’s skin? Put pressure on him. That’s why edge rushers are paid so much money. They can completely wreck a game, and if the Commanders want to slow down the Cowboys’ offense, Armstrong is going to have to be a game wrecker.

Bold Predictions

George Pickens out-produces CeeDee Lamb

CeeDee Lamb said he expects to play on Sunday, but I wouldn’t be surprised if George Pickens ends up out-producing the Cowboys’ star wideout. Lamb is coming off an injury and hasn’t played in three weeks. He’s going to be a bit slow coming back, and while he was out, Pickens and Prescott built a really strong connection.

Pickens has had 100+ yards in two of the last three games and has scored at least one touchdown in every game without Lamb. I expect the Commanders to give a lot of attention to Lamb, which could open things up for Pickens. We know Prescott is going to throw for 250+ yards, and if Lamb is double-teamed, someone’s got to catch the ball.

Both quarterbacks combine for 600+ total yards

Yards are down all across the league. With the new kickoff rules, teams are starting their drives further up the field than ever before, and as a result, we’ve seen fewer and fewer 300-yard passing games. However, with the way these two defenses have been playing this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see 600+ total yards between these two QBs.

It’s not hard to imagine a world where Prescott can throw for nearly 300 yards on Sunday. We haven’t seen that type of production from Daniels this year, but he’s playing the worst defense in the league, so he can easily hit the 250-yard mark. Then, add what he can do with his legs, and it’s easy to imagine these two combining for 600+ yards.

Jayden Daniels leads game-winning touchdown drive

Points are going to be scored in this game. There’s no question about that. I can see this game being in the 27-30 range late in the game, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this game comes down to the final possession.

In our weekly staff picks, I picked the Commanders to take down the Cowboys in a close one, so I’m going to stand on that and say Jayden Daniels leads a game-winning touchdown drive. They’ll have a chance to tie it with a field goal, but Daniels and the Commanders forgo that opportunity and take a few shots to the end zone, and Zach Ertz comes down with a big score to win it.