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When the NFL schedule comes out each year, the first game I track down is when the Washington Redskins travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys. In addition to being a rivalry game, this annual match-up always appeal to me because of the two and a half years I was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. In related news, I’ve covered nine of the last 10 times the Redskins played in Dallas — missing only the 2013 trip.

For the second time during my 12 years covering the team, the Redskins faced the Cowboys on Thanksgiving day. While it’s tough to leave your family behind for a holiday, the fact that these two franchises look playoff bound this season only added to the excitement of this grudge match.

Unfortunately for the burgundy and gold, their chance to avenge a Week 2 loss to the Cowboys got off to a less-than-desirable start when their first four drives resulted in two made field goals and two missed field goals. Things weren’t much better on the defensive side either, with the Redskins seemingly incapable of slowing down quarterback Dak Prescott and/or running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Considering the last time these two franchises played on Thanksgiving day Washington was led to victory by a dynamic rookie duo, it seemed only fitting that Dallas returned the favor just four years later. While they made a game of it late, the Redskins’ sluggish start ultimately sealed their fate as Dallas emerged victorious, 31-26.

The Washington Redskins’ 2015 season ended abruptly when a supposedly vulnerable Green Bay Packers team came to town for a first-round matchup and steamrolled the burgundy and gold in stunning fashion, 35-18. Even though the Packers once again arrived in town looking less than stellar, most ‘Skins fans were still very much aware of what happened this past January.

Add in the fact that the Redskins had lost 20 of their last 25 appearances, including their last seven at FedEx Field, and this game was potentially what nightmares are made of. Fortunately for everyone involved, quarterback Kirk Cousins, running Rob Kelley and the rest of the Redskins offense doesn’t pay attention to the franchise’s pathetic recent history.

In front of a national audience, Cousins threw for 375 yards with three touchdowns, Kelley rushed for 137 and three scores and the burgundy and gold routed the Packers, 42-24. With more than 500 yards of total offense, seemingly everyone who lined up for Washington had the chance to make plays during a night that featured howling winds and way too many Packers fans in attendance.

By the end of the fourth quarter, Green Bay sat down Rodgers, ‘Skins fans were chanting, “We Want Dallas!” and Redskins players were trashing foam cheeseheads. You know, just like everyone expected.

After starting the season with consecutive losses, the Washington Redskins put together a highly-enjoyable four-game winning streak thanks to a productive offense and a much-improved defense. Although their games continued to come down to the wire each week, the Redskins continually found a way to emerge victorious.

In Detroit Sunday, Washington once again found itself in a tightly-contested battle that wasn’t decided until the final possession. This time around though, their magic appeared to run out and the fortuitous bounces didn’t go their way. The Redskins rushing attack twice fumbled the ball away and the usually clutch Dustin Hopkins had a rare miss on a 45-yard field goal attempt. Failing to put points on the board on those three drives ultimately proved to be the difference as the Lions rallied to win 20-17.

After dominating the Lions for 40 years, winning 22 out of 24 games against Detroit from 1968-2008, the Redskins have now lost four-straight games to Matthew Stafford and friends. The 4-3 Redskins must now travel to London, where they’ll try to bounce back against the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.

Considering how infrequently the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns play one another, it’s amazing how similar the two franchises are.

For starters, both teams have struggled with constant turnover at football’s most important positions — head coach and quarterback — which ultimately leads to disfunction and turmoil. As the losing seasons have piled up over the last decade and a half, the Redskins and Browns have both become a punchline to the rest of the NFL.

And then you’ve got the quarterback looking for a shot at redemption against his former team. Of course I’m talking about Colt McCoy, who played for Cleveland for three seasons before he was traded to San Francisco. Oh, and I guess the same could be said about Robert Griffin III, who might have spent some time in Washington as well. Sadly, for both guys, McCoy and Griffin were nothing more than spectators Week 4.

But Griffin wasn’t the only player making a return to FedEx Field. Defensive lineman Stephen Paea, center Austin Reiter (who apparently tore his ACL in his NFL debut Sunday) and former Redskins offensive coordinator Al Saunders (and his 700-page playbook) also returned to our nation’s capital Sunday. Even the Browns current head coach, Hue Jackson, spent two seasons in Washington — serving as a running backs coach under Marty Schottenheimer and Steve Spurrier.

And yet, with all of those similarities, the Redskins defeated the Browns 31-20 in a very different fashion. For three weeks, Washington has lacked a consistent ground game and struggled to score in the red zone. The Redskins excelled in both areas against Cleveland — with touchdowns on four trips to the red zone and Matt Jones finishing with 117 yards on the ground.

The Redskins defense hasn’t been very good in 2016, allowing tons of yards and points while failing to create many turnovers. With injuries mounting Sunday, Washington’s defense limited the Browns to just three second-half points while creating three turnovers when the outcome of the game was still very much in the balance. There’s still plenty of room left for improvement, but things look way better than they did two weeks ago when the 2016 season was on the verge of disaster.