NFL Monday Night Football takes place tonight with a huge game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. This all NFC East clash will see whether the Redskins can take the initiative and get their noses in front at the top of a division where no one seems to want to stand out. The game has a scheduled start time of 8.30 p.m. ET and takes place from FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. The game can be watched on TV on the ESPN network or online through live stream via the link below.

With the New York Giants losing on Sunday and slipping to 5-7, and the Philadelphia Eagles pulling off a stunning upset to defeat the New England Patriots in Foxborough at the weekend, and also moving to 5-7, the NFC East has been thrown wide open.

The Washington Redskins have the chance to pull out in front tonight; coming into the game on 5-6, a win here would move them to 6-6 to top the division as the only team on a measly .500.

However, the way this division has gone so far this year it would not be unexpected to see the Redskins blow it tonight and allow the Cowboys to gain a rare victory. If that does happen then the Redskins will join the Eagles and Cowboys at the top of the NFC East, with all teams on 5-7, and the Cowboys would still be right in the mix on 4-8.

So there is a massive incentive for the Cowboys to come out and put on a performance tonight, but the way Kirk Cousins has been playing in recent weeks at home, he could potentially put the Cowboys' season to bed once and for all today.

The Redskins are on the back of a five game win streak at home, and Cousins has been near perfect throughout that run of victories. The Cowboys oppositely have looked toothless without Tony Romo, and their star quarterback will be missing once again tonight. All smart indications point to the Cowboys' season effectively coming to an end tonight.

But that would be ignoring the way the NFC East has been going this season. Without fail, every time a team has been given the opportunity to take hold of the division they have fallen flat. The Cowboys themselves looked like the early good bet after getting off to a winning start in their opening games. But first they, and then one by one each of the NFC East teams has disappointed to leave this effectively being one of the most competitive divisions remaining in the league, with every one of the four teams still in the race in December.

The Cowboys will send out Matt Cassel tonight, and will be hoping he can snap the team's inability to win games without Romo. In Romo's absence this season the Cowboys are yet to win a game, with Brandon Weeden going 0-3, and Cassel himself dropping all four when he has started.

But if Cassel and Dallas are to cause an upset today they will have to break the Redskins longest single season home win streak since 1991. And that means they are going to have to find a way to stop Cousins, who has thrown 10 touchdowns and no interceptions, with a 76 percent completion rate and a 121.2 passer rating over his last five home games.

In comparison, the Cowboys have the fewest completions of at least 20 yards in the NFL this season. Dallas are also the worst team in the league when considering turnover margin, with minus 12.

Whether the Cowboys can cause an upset remains to be seen.

Tonight's NFL Monday Night Football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins has a scheduled start time of 8.30 p.m. ET and can be watched on TV on the ESPN network or online through live stream by clicking here.