ARLINGTON, Texas - There's a reason why they say to throw out the records in rivalry games because you never know what's going to happen. The Cowboys had its six-game winning streak come to a screeching halt and fall 20-17 to the Redskins in overtime Monday night at AT&T Stadium.
The Redskins used the Cowboys formula to win: controlled the clock, played good enough defense and executed in critical moments. Give credit to Washington. They outplayed the Cowboys on this night and deserved the victory.
Big Picture:
The sky isn't falling, we'll monitor Romo's back daily from here on out, but the Cowboys clearly lost a golden opportunity on this night. They let one slip away and those dreams of a 9-1 record at the bye have gone bye bye because here come the Arizona Cardinals Sunday afternoon. They're a much better team than the Redskins and Dallas will have to get ready on short rest.
Turning Point:
Nobody doubts the toughness of Tony Romo, but the sack he took in the third quarter was that moment we've been dreading as fans of the Cowboys. He took a knee to the back and lay motionless on the AT&T turf for several minutes. Was it a missed assignment? Well-designed blitz? Doesn't matter, Romo was under duress all night long and he paid for it. After X-rays in the locker room, he returned to the game, but he wasn't the same.
Key Stat:
Colt McCoy completed 83.3 percent of his passes, (25-30 for 299 yds) the most in Redskins history by a quarterback with at least 30 attempts. This was McCoy's first start in the NFL since 2011 when he was playing with the Cleveland Browns. He showed veteran savvy and led the Redskins to a game winning 40-yard field goal from the boot of Kai Forbath. McCoy's performance was unexpected, however highly impressive. On the Monday night stage, he never made the big mistake that cost his team.
[embeddedad0]Unsung Hero:
DeSean Jackson's big games against the Cowboys continued, as he caught six passes on seven targets for 136 yards. It was the first time the cover has come off the top of this Rod Marinelli defense. Jackson never broke one, but it allowed the Redskins to dictate play and keep the Cowboys off balance. Credit Colt McCoy's ability to avoid the pass rush and keep plays alive at times. Jackson has always been a problem for the Cowboys and it seems that won't change now that he's playing with the Redskins.
Don't Forget About…
Two fumbles from Cowboys running backs. One by Joseph Randle and another by DeMarco Murray. It cost them points that ultimately proved costly. Murray extended his 100 yard game rushing streak to eight games (19 carries for 141 yards), but putting the ball on the turf is becoming an issue. That's his fifth of the year by the way, tied for the most in the NFL. Randle's was also costly but the Cowboys were able to get the ball back on an interception. The Cowboys may have one of the better records in the league right now, but few teams are good enough to continuously shoot themselves in the foot. The Cowboys proved they weren't on this night.
