Buckeye513
Stable Genius
Playoff push for NFC East rivals
EA Sports Preview: Cowboys vs. Redskins
The Cowboys had won 14 of the last 15 games in the rivalry before the Redskins rallied for a stunning 14-13 victory at Dallas on September 19.
Coach Bill Parcells was 77-0 when leading by 13 or more points in the fourth quarter. That was before wide receiver Santana Moss caught touchdown passes of 39 and 70 yards in the final four minutes for the Redskins.
Washington was trailing, 13-0, and facing a 4th-and-15 on the Dallas 39 when Mark Brunell connected with Moss with 3:46 left in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys had a chance to cement the game on the ensuing drive when Drew Bledsoe hit Keyshawn Johnson with a 17-yard pass on 3rd-and-7, but a holding call by tackle Flozell Adams nullified the play and forced Dallas to punt.
Acquired in the offseason from the New York Jets for his big-play ability, Moss burned the Cowboys again with his 70-yard catch with 2:35 to play. He finished with five catches for 159 yards.
Moss has enjoyed a Pro Bowl-type season for the Redskins, catching 73 passes for 1,167 yards and six touchdowns. Cornerbacks Terence Newman and Anthony Henry will match up against Moss on Sunday.
The Cowboys have won six of the last seven meetings here against the Redskins, who have not swept the season series since 1995.
Washington owner Daniel Snyder lured Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs out of retirement to help end their struggles against the Cowboys. But Gibbs had lost eight in a row against Parcells before the come-from-behind win in September ended the streak.
Having combined for five Super Bowl titles and seven conference championships, Parcells and Gibbs are two of the NFL's legendary coaches. As coach of the New York Giants from 1983-90, Parcells got the best of Gibbs, winning 11 of the 17 meetings, including a 17-0 victory in the January 1987 NFC championship game.
The Cowboys and Redskins are battling for a playoff spot. Dallas is one game behind the first-place New York Giants in the NFC East and tied with Minnesota and Atlanta for the second wild card spot.
Washington is also alive in the playoff race and hosts the Giants after this weekend's game against the Cowboys.
Re-signed last month after being released, Antonio Brown returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown to lead the Redskins to a 17-13 win at Arizona last week. Brown was cut after fumbling a kickoff in the season opener.
Clinton Portis recorded his sixth 100-yard game of the season, gaining 105 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries in the win at Arizona. Portis has rushed for 1,184 yards this season. The Cowboys rank 12th in the league against the run after yielding 161 yards on the ground in a 31-28 win over Kansas City last week.
Drew Bledsoe enjoyed perhaps his best game of the season, throwing for 332 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. His one-yard scoring pass to blocking tight end Dan Campbell with 22 seconds left lifted the Cowboys to the pivotal win.
The combination of rookie Marion Barber and Julius Jones combined for 123 yards on 27 carries.
Matchup to watch: Cowboys wide receiver Terry Glenn, who had six catches for 138 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a reverse last week, faces Walt Harris. In the first meeting this season, Glenn caught a 70-yard touchdown pass.
Series: Dallas leads, 54-35-2.
Next week: Dallas visits Carolina, December 24; Washington hosts NY Giants, September 24
Dallas at Washington
NFL.com wire reports
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 14, 2005) -- The Dallas Cowboys are feeling some desperation as they try to make the playoffs. The Washington Redskins' situation is even more dire.
With time running short for both teams to capture postseason berths, the NFC East rivals meet at FedEx Field in a game that should go a long way toward determining whether both clubs make the playoffs.
The Cowboys are one game behind the division-leading New York Giants and are holding down the final wild-card spot. The Redskins are one game behind the Cowboys, and may have to win their final three contests to make the playoffs.
"I like having the opportunity," Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said. "I think we're going to be in it until pretty close to the end here now. There are several (teams) that (don't) have that."
After losing two straight, Dallas earned a crucial 31-28 victory over Kansas City last week.
Drew Bledsoe's fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the final minute of the game, but a defensive holding penalty gave the Cowboys another chance. Two plays later, Bledsoe threw a 1-yard touchdown to tight end Dan Campbell with 22 seconds remaining for the winning score.
"This game gives us a lot of momentum," said Campbell, who had just his third catch of the season and first TD since November 2003. "We need that."
Dallas kept pace with Kansas City's high-powered offense, gaining 445 yards and scoring on a couple of trick plays.
Wide receiver Terry Glenn scored on a 71-yard flea flicker and a 6-yard end around -- the first rushing touchdown of his 10-year career.
Bledsoe threw for 332 yards with three touchdowns, and Glenn had six catches for 138 yards.
"The more we get Terry involved, the more explosive we're going to be," Bledsoe said. "It seems like when we get him a couple of plays, we score pretty quickly."
Clinton Portis will try to power the Redskins to a win over rival Dallas.
The Cowboys' win was their 10th game decided by seven points or less this season. Their five losses are by a combined 20 points, including two on game-ending field goals.
The Redskins dealt the Cowboys one of those close losses, stunning Dallas 14-13 in Week 2 on Mark Brunell touchdown passes of 39 and 70 yards to Santana Moss in the final 3:46.
Washington looked to be on its way to ending any suspense about its playoff fate by losing its last three games in November, but has since won two straight to stay within striking distance of a postseason berth.
"You're playing games with three games to go that mean a lot," Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. "That's exciting."
The Redskins defeated Arizona 17-13 last week despite totaling just 231 offensive yards.
Brunell came in leading the league in interception percentage (five in 370 attempts) but had three passes picked off in the first half. He finished with just 122 yards and has thrown for less than 200 in four straight games.
Clinton Portis ran for 105 yards, giving him back-to-back 100-yard games for the first time in his two seasons with the Redskins.
As Washington tries to beat the odds to make it to the postseason, the Redskins defense is playing well at the right time. Washington forced four Arizona turnovers and held them to 62 rushing yards. The Redskins have allowed only 22 points in the last two games, and six of the team's 10 interceptions have come in the last four contests.
The defense, and the rest of the team, will have to play its best football of the season over the next three weeks if the Redskins are going to make the playoffs. Following the Dallas matchup, Washington is home against the Giants and at Philadelphia to close the season.
The Cowboys and Redskins have played 91 times in one of the NFL's most storied rivalries, and the Cowboys have dominated of late, winning 14 of the last 16 meetings.
STANDINGS: Cowboys - 2nd place, NFC East. Redskins - 3rd place, NFC East.
COWBOYS LEADERS: Offense - Bledsoe, 3,035 passing yards and 20 passing TDs; Julius Jones, 685 rushing yards; Marion Barber, 5 rushing TDs; Keyshawn Johnson, 58 receptions; Glenn, 979 receiving yards; Glenn and Johnson, 6 receiving TDs. Defense - Greg Ellis, 8 sacks; Aaron Glenn, 4 INTs.
REDSKINS LEADERS: Offense - Brunell, 2,634 passing yards and 16 passing TDs; Portis, 1,184 rushing yards and 8 rushing TDs; Moss, 73 receptions, 1,167 receiving yards and 6 receiving TDs. Defense - Marcus Washington, 4 1/2 sacks; four with 2 INTs.
COWBOYS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 113.9 yards per game (14th in NFL); Passing Offense - 218.5 ypg (14th); Total Offense - 332.4 ypg (13th). Rushing Defense - 106.4 ypg (13th); Passing Defense - 194.3 ypg (13th); Total Defense - 300.7 ypg (10th).
REDSKINS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 131.2 yards per game (5th); Passing Offense - 199.3 ypg (19th); Total Offense - 330.5 ypg (14th). Rushing Defense - 106.3 ypg (12th); Passing Defense - 192.5 ypg (11th); Total Defense - 298.8 ypg (9th).
LAST MEETING: Sept. 19; Redskins, 14-13. At Dallas, Washington's late rally gave the Redskins their first road win against the Cowboys in 10 years.
STREAKS AND NOTES: Cowboys - Dallas has lost 16 of its last 19 road games in December, but two of the wins came at Washington. ... Terry Glenn needs 21 receiving yards to record his third 1,000-yard season and his first since 1999 with the Patriots. ... The Cowboys lead the NFL in time of possession at 32:59 per game. Redskins - RB Portis has rushed for 100 yards in 10 of 13 December games (1,640 total), with 23 TDs. ... Brunell has gone four straight home games without an INT. ... The Redskins are looking to win two straight division games for the first time since 2001.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Cowboys - 3-3 on the road; Redskins - 4-2 at home.
My prediction - Dallas 27 : Washington 10. Although Washington's literally in a must-win situation, I think my Cowboys get their revenge.
