A year ago, the Cowboys were 10-1 and the NFL's best team. The Redskins were 6-4-1 and in the thick of the wild-card race. Now, both teams are 5-6, on the wrong side of the playoff bubble, and barring a sudden change in fortunes, are destined to spend January on the couch. Put another way: This isn't the Thursday-night primetime matchup the league had in mind when they put the schedule together.

For Dallas, the obvious issues are that the Ezekiel Elliott is in the middle of a six-game suspension and the offensive line was in shambles when left tackle Tyron Smith was sidelined for two games earlier this month with a groin injury. Smith is back, but the offense looks nothing like it did a year ago. Partly because Elliott's out and the O-line has been uncharacteristically mediocre, but also because second-year quarterback Dak Prescott hasn't found the form that made him one of the biggest surprises in 2016.

But once you get past the offense, which is still ranked 11th in efficiency among all teams, according to Football Outsiders' metrics, it's the defense that has been wholly disappointing. They're currently ranked 28th among all defenses, ahead of only the Patriots, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Raiders. One of those teams is not like the others. A season ago, the Cowboys' defense finished 18th -- basically replacement level -- which was mitigated by an offense that was No. 3. behind the two Super Bowl participants, the Patriots and Falcons.

For Washington, it's been one step forward, two steps back. And going backwards has coincided with key injuries -- currently 16 players are on injured reserve. The lack of continuity on the depth chart has translated into inconsistency on the field from one week to the next. Football Outsiders' estimated-wins metric says the Redskins should have 5.7 wins through 11 games. At 5-6, Washington has won two games in a row just once and have twice had two-game losing streaks only to bookend them with wins. If you're looking for a bright spot, here are two:

1) At 5-6, the Redskins are currently two games out of the final wild-card spot. Not-so-bright spot: There are four teams, including the Cowboys, between them and said spot. But that leads to this:

2) Washington's remaining schedule ranks as the fourth easiest while the remaining slate for Dallas is the 10th-toughest.

Redskins plan to frustrate Cowboys' offense

Several weeks ago, in the wake of Dak Prescott being on the business end of eight Falcons' sacks -- and six courtesy of Adrian Clayborn -- we wrote that left tackle Tyron Smith was more important to Dallas' offense than Ezekiel Elliott. We still believe that, and even though Smith has returned to the lineup, the offense remains an enigma in part because the running game isn't what it was a season ago.

"With [Elliott], he has the speed to pop it and go to the house," Redskins linebacker Zach Brown said this week, via ESPN.com's John Keim.

Former Redskins back Alfred Morris is now the primary ball carrier in Dallas who has rushed for 296 yards and is averaging 5.8 yards per carry this season.

 "With Alfred Morris, it's different," Brown continued. "He's more stiff. He's not going to see the cuts like Zeke sees the cuts. He still can make the cuts, but it might take him some time. They're not having those big explosive plays no more. Now everybody is forcing them to pass the ball. For our game, we [have to] force them to pass the ball, too."

The Cowboys like to run the ball, control the clock and use play-action to set up the passing game. A season ago, that game plan made a lot of sense and was extremely effective. But with a less-than-explosive backfield, a suspect-at-times offensive line and a group of pass catchers that have been underwhelming at times, Dallas looks exactly like a team that's hovering around .500.

Don't worry about Jason Witten

Witten is 35, in his 15th NFL season, and remains one of the NFL's best tight ends. He ranks 13th in total value this season, even as the Cowboys' offense struggles. And while it's unclear what Witten will do after the season, the future Hall of Famer and former University of Tennessee standout won't be leaving the team immediately to take the Vols' coaching job. 

There was a report that Witten had spoken to Tennessee's athletic director but on Tuesday the tight end set the record straight.

"My feet are planted firmly here," he said, via the team's official site. 

"I feel too good to consider something like that at this point," said Witten, via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. "I don't see that [next year, either]. ...I got the best job in the world. I feel too good right now and what we're trying to do not only this year but years to come."

Witten signed a four-year extension last offseason that keeps him in Dallas through the 2021 campaign.

Dispatches from Fantasy Island

If you missed the latest personnel news for your fantasy lineups, CBSSports.com's Chris Towers gets you up to date:

  • Jordan Reed (hamstring) did not practice again Tuesday… With just one more day to prepare for Thursday's matchup against the Cowboys, Reed looks likely to miss his fifth game in a row. It's time to stop waiting on him at this point.
  • Darren McFadden announced his retirement… McFadden went from the back to own in Dallas this offseason amid Ezekiel Elliott's suspension to waivers, and now he's calling it a career. The former No. 4 overall pick rushed for 5,421 yards and 28 touchdowns in 10 NFL seasons. 

They said it

The word of the week is "consistency" -- for both teams that have struggled with it for much of the season.

"Inconsistency from the whole team probably is where we stand," Redskins coach Jay Gruden said on Monday. "Offensively, defensively, special teams, we've had flashes of being really a good football team, we've had flashes of being mediocre."

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett shares the sentiment.

"I do think just the consistency throughout the game of execution is something that we're focused on more than anything else," Garrett told reporters this week. "We've been in good positions the last three weeks at halftime to win ballgames, we just haven't played the last 30 minutes at a high enough level in any phase of our team."

Who ya got?

All four CBSSports.com experts have the Redskins beating the Cowboys in the Jerry Dome.

"The Cowboys have major problems right now, especially on offense. Dak Prescott hasn't picked up his play without Ezekiel Elliott. He has to do so in this one, or the Cowboys will be done. I think Kirk Cousins is playing well, and Philip Rivers shredded them last week. Cousins will get the best of it here." -- Pete Prisco, who has the Redskins winning, 28-24