Cowboys Get Six Sacks and Bag a 13-7 Victory : Theismann Throws Three Interceptions and Jeffcoat Throws Him Five Times

Jim Jeffcoat knew his day would be easier without All-Pro Joe Jacoby to contend with.

With Jacoby sidelined by a knee injury, Jeffcoat overpowered rookie Dan McQuaid to register a team-record five sacks Sunday as the Dallas Cowboys overcame the Washington Redskins, 13-7.

“I studied a lot of films on him and saw the weaknesses he had and worked on that,” said Jeffcoat, the Cowboys’ first-round draft pick in 1983. “It was my best game as a pro.

“It was just one of those days when you can’t do anything wrong.”

McQuaid, at 6-7 and 278 pounds, is two inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than Jeffcoat.

Jeffcoat fooled McQuaid on his pass rush, going right after the bigger offensive tackle.

“He was just bull-rushing me,” McQuaid said. “I expected him to go inside or outside. He just went straight up and drove me straight back.”

The Cowboy defense had six sacks and three interceptions against Redskin quarterback Joe Theismann.

Dallas (7-3) remained tied for the NFC East lead with the New York Giants and swept the season series from the Redskins (5-5) for the first time in four years.

“I think we’ve got to win five out of the last six to get a wild card,” Redskin safety Curtis Jordan said.

The victory was especially good for Coach Tom Landry, who won his 250th game as a head coach in the NFL. “Anytime you come off being embarrassed in a Monday night game and you come back to beat Washington, it’s very important,” Landry said.

The Cowboys lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 21-10, last Monday.

Danny White’s 48-yard touchdown pass play to Tony Dorsett and two Rafael Septien field goals provided the only offense for the Cowboys in a game marred by 17 penalties, 11 against the Cowboys.

Dorsett beat linebacker Monte Coleman for the touchdown, his 76th as a Cowboy, tying the club record held by Bob Hayes.

“The play was I would go down to the defender and hesitate a little,” Dorsett said. “I had Coleman guarding me so I did a little stutter-step and went past him. Danny made a great throw.

“I’ve been trying for nine years to be a big part of the passing game. A guy with my natural speed opens up the offense.”

Dorsett, the Cowboys’ leading rusher, ran 22 times for 86 yards. White completed 16 of 29 passes for 245 yards.

Trailing, 13-0, after three periods, the Redskins scored on an 11-yard pass from Joe Theismann to Gary Clark two minutes into the final period. The Redskins moved into scoring position on the final play of the third quarter when Theismann connected with Art Monk on a 44-yard pass play.

Theismann, who threw five interceptions in Washington’s 44-14 season-opening loss to Dallas, completed 14 of 31 passes for 195 yards and 1 touchdown. He was intercepted eight times by the Cowboys this season.

“They are playing as well as I’ve ever seen them in 12 years of lining up against the Cowboys,” Theismann said. “I’d put this football team against anybody in the league.

“I don’t think we had the ball outside our own 25 all day. If you’ve got to go 75 yards against them all afternoon, percentages are not necessarily in your favor.”