Dallas Cowboys open season against Washington Redskins
The Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins will add another chapter to their historic rivalry in week one of the 2010 regular season during Sunday Night football.
The Redskins are anxious to prove that they are not the same team that, last year, posted a mediocre 4-12 record, placing last in their NFC East division. But that was then, and this is now. Washington has added a new quarterback and a new head coach, and results are expected.
The Donovan McNabb era for the Washington is officially here, and he has vowed to start in Sunday’s game despite his ankle injury. "Yes, I will be starting this weekend," McNabb told ESPN980. "And I look forward to it. Is it 100 percent? No. But it's getting better.” The six-time Pro Bowler, who is about to turn 36, has, for the most part, struggled against the Cowboys. McNabb lost three games to the Cowboys last season, including the season finale in Philadelphia and the first round of the playoffs in Dallas, so he certainly doesn’t need any extra motivation for this game.
While he lost some valuable practice time nursing his injury, head coach Mike Shanahan, in his first year as Redskins coach after 14 seasons with the Broncos, isn’t overly concerned about his quarterback being lost in the offensive scheme saying "he [McNabb] is ready to go."
In fact, the entire Redskins roster are ready to take the field as they prepare for their division rivals. “Dallas week! Y'all know what time it is,” said linebacker Brian Orakpo. Everyone on the depth chart will be ready, including disgruntled defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.
Rumors ran rampant that Haynesworth might be dealt to his former team, the Tennessee Titans, but Shanahan put an end to those speculations by saying that his star defensive player was still in Washington and will be in the lineup against Dallas. "Albert will be with our team on Sunday," Shanahan said. "If he wasn't here, I think you'd call me a liar, wouldn't you? And you'd have the right to do that. Okay?"
The Cowboys also have concerns heading into the season opener, with their offensive line injured-right tackle Marc Colombo and left guard Kyle Kosier are both sidelined with knee injuries. The Cowboys also have unresolved issues on offence after a sloppy pre-season performance.
Maybe a date with the Redskins is all the Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo and running-backs Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice need to end their pre-season funk and set the 2010 season on the right foot. Dallas will get a boost from their rookie receiver Dez Bryant, who is expected to start on Sunday and make his NFL debut. Bryant missed the entire pre-season with an ankle injury, but said his ankle is 100 percent and he's cutting and pushing off it with no problems. "I'm just ready to get back on the field and play, because it has been a long time. I just feel like I'm just ready to unleash."
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