My first job — I was a 16-year-old high school junior — as a cashier at Office Depot (shout out to Store #372). It was a really fun and valuable experience I legitimately believe helped mold me into the person I am today. I’m grateful it all happened while I was still young and growing up (not that I’ve stopped in any way).
Remember, this is important, I was 16 years old. I didn’t know a whole lot about anything really. It was my first job.
As the cashier, no big deal but I was Cashier #1, I had a few responsibilities besides running the register. I had to keep the front area tidy, re-stock certain supplies, and I was in charge of cleaning the Men’s Room. Uh oh.
I learned of these responsibilities on my first day, and I learned when they asked me to go clean the restrooms. I do what I’m told… so I went. They told me everything I needed would be in the supply closet. Alrighty then.
Upon entering the supply closet I closed the door, pulled out my phone, and (really) called my Mom. I had no freaking clue what I was supposed to do here.
I was totally and completely lost.
Thankfully, Moms know everything and mine is the best one ever, so after a little bit of chuckling, she guided me through what cleansers to grab and told me to sweep, scrub, and mop. Bam.
The sweeping and scrubbing were pretty self-explanatory, but the mopping confused me.
The mop was in this gigantic yellow apparatus that I’d never seen before. There was this weird handle and bucket where I assumed the water went. I tossed in some high-quality H20 and, upon my Mom’s recommendation, Pine Sol.
After mixing it up with the mop I assumed I was ready to go.
I just tossed the mop in and brought it out. It made a HUGE splat as water went everywhere, but I just brushed the mop around to spread it. Simple, right? When I was “done” mopping, the floor didn’t have the same look I’d seen on freshly mopped floors. It looked like the sink had flooded in this bathroom! Water was everywhere!
I didn’t know much, but I definitely knew this wasn’t right.
I’m a pretty quick-thinker so, in a move of innovation, I found a way to “dry” the floor. I fashioned two stacks of, at least, 15 paper towels and put them on the ground. I then stepped on them and proceeded to literally skate around the bathroom to dry this bad boy up, so it didn’t look like a swamp.
It took me a month to learn that the apparatus was the mop handle that you use to squeeze the excess water off the mop. Not my finest hour.
Sometimes in life we’re accidentally bold, like the mop and I, and things ultimately work out for the best. That’s the spirit this week. Welcome to my 5 Bold Predictions. Let’s roll.
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Ezekiel Elliott And Alfred Morris Both Have Over 100 Rushing Yards
Do you have any idea how the time of possession battle went last Sunday between the Cowboys and Giants? Dallas won 36:43 to 23:17.
This is how the Cowboys want to win games, and they damn near did it last Sunday before Terrance Williams had to go and ruin everything. They want to dominate TOP, obviously implying you score touchdowns instead of field goals.
If we’re calling a spade a spade, then we need to admit the New York Football Giants beat us at our own game. Washington doesn’t have the personnel to do that. They can, and will, be run on. Just ask the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh’s DeAngelo Williams strung together a measly 143 yards on 26 carries in Washington on Monday Night. Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris were likely watching and licking their chops. They’re both far more talented than Williams and will get their carries.
The Steelers won the TOP battle 33:18 to 26:42 against the Redskins, and they manhandled them. In order for the Cowboys to carry out that same game plan, it’ll require a lot of rushing, which will mean a lot of yards for Zeke and The Butler.
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Byron Jones Will Tip A Pass Intended For Jordan Reed That Will Be Intercepted
Jordan Reed really picked up a lot of attention on a national level last season. Through 14 games, he put together a nice 87 catch, 952 yards, and 11 touchdown season.
And that makes sense because that’s impressive.
The most targets Reed saw in a single game was 11, the second most was nine, and the third most was eight. That’s a lot of volume going one player’s way, and again it makes sense that, as a result, Reed would have serious success.
Reed’s worst statistical game came on one of the days he saw eight (or Ocho… which is appropriate considering who’s penning this) targets. He only hauled in three of them for 33 yards.
What game was that, you ask?
The December 7th, 2015 Monday Night Football matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins in Washington… when Jordan Reed was covered exclusively by then-rookie Byron Jones.
I’ve decided we should call Byron Jones “Late Night Ice Cream” because he eliminates tight ends. That’s his thing. He takes them completely out of the game.
While doing so on Sunday, he’s going to get his hands on a ball that is floating up in the air, and a Cowboy is going to be there when it comes back down. It’s the laws of gravity and Late Night Ice Cream going into action.
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Kyle Wilber Will Get A Sack While Lining Up At DE
I have this idea in my head that the Cowboys coaching staff just walked into a room one day and said, “Who thinks they can rush the passer?” and when Kyle Wilber raised his hand, he had no idea what he was getting into.
Rod Marinelli spent part of Week 1’s Giants game lining up the linebacker at defensive end. I’m not a defensive guru like him, but I think I speak for all of us when I say – wut?
Last season’s Cowboys/Redskins matchup in Washington was kind to America’s Team in the sacks department as Dallas roped up a hat-trick on the night. There’s something about playing at FedExField, the site of the last Dallas victory, that gets our ‘Boys riled up.
Kyle Wilber will line up at defensive end again on Sunday.
He’s going to get a sack.
We are going to go wild.
It’s going to be incredible.
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Dez Bryant Will Have No Fewer Than 3 Catches For 40 Yards And 1 Touchdown
Counting last Sunday, Dez Bryant has had precisely one catch in a game six times. This is a list of the games he had following his one-catch performances:
| Targets | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
| 7 | 4 | 52 | 2 |
| 8 | 3 | 71 | 1 |
| 4 | 4 | 40 | 1 |
| 5 | 3 | 87 | 1 |
| 16 | 9 | 86 | 0 |
| ? | ? | ? | ? |
Dez Bryant doesn’t like only having one catch in a game. He goes out and proves it the following week, each and every time.
So much has been made about the five targets Dez saw and how insultingly low it was. If the Cowboys want to win, and they do, they know they have to rev this engine up.
Vroom vroom goes the Dez.
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Dan Bailey Nails A 60-Yarder To End The First Half
The golden foot of Dan Bailey is a perfect 24/24 when counting both extra points and field goals in FedExField. He owns that joint.
He’s so good, Cowboys Nation had full confidence in his ability to win us the game with a potential field goal over 60 yards during the final moments of last week’s contest against the Giants.
I’m here to say Dan Bailey is going to get his chance, and he’s going to dominate, like he always does.
Envision the Cowboys getting the ball on their own 20-yard line with 47 seconds left. Dak Prescott leads a charge. Terrance Williams gets out-of-bounds. With a poetic five seconds left, Dan Bailey comes in — on a prayer — and boots it through.
Huzzah.
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Bonus Bold Prediction #1
Remember, if you want YOUR Bold Prediction featured here, tweet it at me! It’s that simple! Here are this week’s contributions, thanks to all those who shared!
@rjochoa bold prediction: Alfred Morris rushes for 122 yards and a long touchdown.
— ???? (@JohanNDaCut) September 14, 2016
The subject of Alfred Morris’ domination, specifically against the NFC East, is one I tackled on Thursday here at Inside The Star. So I dig this.
The Butler has crossed 122 yards three times in his career; however, he has never had a long touchdown run in any of these contests. What’s worth nothing is that in two of these three instances Alfred had a 1-yard touchdown.
Is that a sign? Is Johannn predicting the future?!
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Bonus Bold Prediction #2
https://twitter.com/ATXCowboysFan/status/776159404596924416
ATXCOWBOYSFAN and I park our cars in the same garage. We both think Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred are going to have big days on the ground as far as yardage is concerned. What I really like about this Bold Prediction is the Dez element.
I’ve said before — on OchoLive — the last time we truly saw Dez be Dez was the 2014 game in Washington. He caught 4 passes for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns. This also happens to be the last instance where Dez had at least two touchdowns. History is repeating itself!
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Bonus Bold Prediction #3
@rjochoa Dez Bryant has more than one reception against the Redskins #BoldPrediction
— Armond Atbin ✭ (@AAtbin) September 14, 2016
Armond is a loyal Inside The Star reader and Twitter follower. After a rough week and loss against the Giants… this was a much-needed chuckle.
You can slam dunk this one.
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Bonus Bold Prediction #4
Bold Prediction , Cowboys Get 2 int's
One From Sean Lee , one from Byron Jones https://t.co/RXUAZUAzcT— ???? (@bigbvby) September 15, 2016
Sean Lee has indeed picked off the Redskins before (9/26/11), but he did it at home in Arlington. The only division rival Sean has intercepted in their house is actually the Philadelphia Eagles.
Lee made the Pro Bowl for the first time last season, and he did so partly due to the monster game he had in our nation’s capital. It’s time for him to add Washington to his list of houses he owns, and it’s time for Byron Jones to get his first career interception as well.
Terrence… please don’t be out-of-bounds here.
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Bonus Bold Prediction #5
Dak 3 td passes in cowboys win
— Chase Aguiar (@chaseaguiar) September 15, 2016
Considering Dak Prescott has only played one NFL game and still hasn’t thrown a touchdown… this is pretty bold.
It’s worth nothing, this past Monday night Ben Roethlisberger did toss a hat-trick of TDs against the Redskins. I happen to see this game as a high-scoring affair myself, and I like the confidence Chase has in our QuarterDAK… I can get on board with this! Bold!
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Bonus Bold Prediction #6
@rjochoa Dez Bryant will return a punt for the game winning TD!
— JPcards (@JP_cards51) September 15, 2016
The very first touchdown Dez Bryant scored with a Star on his helmet was actually a punt return, and as a fan of nostalgia I am ALL ABOUT this Bold Prediction.
That was all the way back in 2010 and, for what it’s worth, Dez did it again four weeks later, and it hasn’t happened in any other calendar year since. That’s the kind of bold we were missing today!
A punt return played a big part in last season’s Cowboys win in Washington (love you DeSean Jackson), maybe Jones is onto something here and it’s about to become a tradition!
[signoff author=”rjochoa” source=”rjoshow”]
What are YOUR Bold Predictions for this week’s Cowboys/Redskins game? Let us know! Comment below, Email me at RJ@RJOchoaShow.com, or Tweet to me at @RJOchoa!
