The Washington Redskins may not be ready to supplant Dallas atop the NFC East, but they are making inroads in unseating the Cowboys as the division's most popular soap opera.
The longtime rivals open the season with Redskins hosting the Cowboys in a prime-time matchup on Sunday night.
With the additions of two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan and perennial Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb, Washington appeared poised to make the leap from also-ran to contender.
Instead, the bulk of the team’s preseason has been dominated not by soaring expectations, but by a festering controversy centered around disgruntled Pro Bowl tackle Albert Haynesworth.
Signed to a $100 million contract prior to the 2009 season, Haynesworth was a meager contributor in his first year with the Redskins, who stumbled to a 4-12 record.
The arrival of Shanahan was greeted with great fanfare in Washington - with the rather large exception of Haynesworth, who balked at the notion of switching from a tradition 4-3 defense to Shanahan's preferred 3-4.
Haynesworth stayed away from all of the team's offseason drills, and when he did return, he continued to spar with Shanahan over his failure to pass a conditioning drill as well as the magnitude of his injuries.
Just this week, there have been media reports that the Redskins were in trade talks with Haynesworth's former team, the Tennessee Titans, but Shanahan insisted the massive nose tackle would be on Washington's roster for Week 1.
The theatrics have overshadowed what should be issue No. 1 for the Redskins - the health of McNabb's ankle.
Acquired from the division rival Philadelphia Eagles in early April, McNabb injured his ankle in a preseason game on Aug. 21 and did not return to practice until Monday.
Although he admitted the ankle is not 100 percent, McNabb said he will be under center for Sunday's game against the Cowboys.
It was be the third time in as many games that McNabb will be staring across the line of scrimmage at Dallas. He lost his final two games as a member of the Eagles to the Cowboys - both on the road and both in lopsided fashion, 24-0 and 34-14, respectively.
McNabb was sacked four times in each contest, putting extra pressure on Redskins rookie left tackle Trent Williams, who will have to protect his quarterback's blind side against Dallas pass rusher extraordinaire DeMarcus Ware.
The Cowboys, who won the NFC East with an 11-5 mark a year ago, enter the season with lofty aspirations – particularly since the Super Bowl will be held in their home stadium.
Quarterback Tony Romo is coming off a season in which he threw for a career-high 4,483 yards and a career-low nine interceptions.
He’ll have plenty of weapons at his disposal, including Miles Austin, who was rewarded with a six-year, $57 million contract extension Thursday following a breakout 2009 season in which he had 81 receptions for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Highly touted rookie wideout Dez Bryant, the team’s first-round pick, also will be in the mix along with Romo’s favorite target, tight end Jason Witten.
The running game, which could alternate Felix Jones, Marion Barber and Tashard Choice, may struggle early behind an offensive line that could be missing two starters Sunday.
The Cowboys have won three straight season openers.