Redskins Newsletter

Volume 12 #16

January 1, 2008

Redskins beat Cowboys 27-6

REDSKINS EARN TRIP TO SEATTLE

The Redskins knew that a win over the Cowboys would win a place in the playoffs, and they prevailed 27-6. Before 90,910 screaming fans they earned a spot in a playoff game in Seattle on Saturday and if they win that game the Redskins get a return trip to Dallas the following weekend.

Santana Moss caught eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown, and Clinton Portis had 131 combined yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Todd Collins finished with a 104.8 passer rating, completing 22 of 31 passes for 244 yards. He has won three consecutive starts for the first time in his career. Collins has completed 64 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and no interceptions.

The defense limited Dallas to one rushing yard, and just 63 total yards in the first half, as the Redskins grabbed an early lead. That was not a typo; Dallas was limited to one rushing yard, the lowest number of rushing yards in the Cowboys franchise history. "To think four weeks ago where we were and where we are tonight," Gibbs said, "it is a great experience and a great ride." The worst moment for the Redskins was in the second quarter when Collins was sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys took over at the Washington 18 but could not advance the ball, and had to settle for a field goal.

"Clinton's in peak form," said Joe Bugel, assistant head coach-offense. "Him and Santana Moss, they've kind of taken over. Those are the big play guys that we need, and they're making plays for us." "We're playing really strong," Coach Williams said. "We're playing really focused. I like how we're playing." "Oh, man," London Fletcher said. "I've been on two Super Bowl teams. But I've never been on a team where we lost a teammate and needed to win four straight games to get into the playoffs. This has been the most special to me, the most special run." "To get in the playoffs was a dream of ours, and four weeks ago, obviously everybody would have said, 'You know, it looks next to impossible."'

It was hard to judge how seriously Dallas took Sunday's game. The Cowboys rested anyone who was questionable with an injury. Still, the Cowboys played their healthy starters most of the game and were trailing 20-3 when quarterback Tony Romo was pulled in the third quarter. Still, when asked after the game for a reason why his team had been overwhelmed, Cowboys Coach Wade Phillips said: "They were inspired. They were fired up and playing hard. They did some good things that way."

"We didn't even show up on the field," Dallas safety Roy Williams said. "We may have showed up physically, but mentally and everything else, we didn't show up."

"Win for Sean" was evident on Sunday among the players and coaches. Kick returner Rock Cartwright gave a fiery speech on the field before the game. "Play for the guy who's on your jersey, the guy who's not here, who should be here. We know how he played the game. That's why I think guys came out and played so hard." Defensive end Phillips Daniels commented: "To win by 21 on this day, to get into the playoffs. Oh, man, that's a great feeling."

Coach Gibbs wore a white "21" on the front of the black baseball cap at his postgame news conference, and commented: "We don't think it was by accident we won by 21. "I was on the sideline and guys were talking about the score, and then it hit me -- we won by 21," left tackle Chris Samuels said. "I came in the locker room and I yelled it out, and immediately I just kind of broke down in tears. Because I miss Sean, you know."

The Redskins will travel to Seattle on Saturday for a 4:30 p.m. game, a rematch of a 2005 division playoff won 20-10 by Seattle. Sunday the Redskins could have lost the game and still backed into the playoffs. But who wants to go to the playoffs 8-8. Minnesota lost 22-19 to Denver and New Orleans fell 33-25 to Chicago, giving Washington the two out-of-town results it needed to make the postseason without having to beat the Cowboys. But beat the Cowboys they did.

Miscellaneous:

There were four replay reviews in the first half. The Redskins lost all four. Dallas has lost its season finale for the eighth straight year. Clinton Portis yards from scrimmage during the Redskins four-game winning streak was 122, 126, 124 and 131. The Dallas offense went 0-for-11 in converting third downs.

The last trivia question of the season was: What was the year and who was the last Redskins quarterback to play all 16 games? Answer is Brad Johnson in 1999. Also Johnson played against the Redskins in the Dallas game replacing Romo