Redskins Beat Cowboys Almost by Default : Dallas Is Never in the Game and Takes 41-14 Whipping in Washington

Where-oh-where was Dallas? The fans here at RFK Stadium had no idea. Right before halftime Sunday, this stadium rocked with the chant, “We Want Dallas! We Want Dallas!”

Well, the Dallas Cowboys were there all right, but they weren’t all there. For the first time in Cowboy history, the team gave up 34 points in a first half. They gave up the NFC East title, too, because the Washington Redskins mauled them, 41-14, and set up a Dec. 7 first-place showdown with the New York Giants.

“Luckily, our next game is in just four days--Thanksgiving,” Cowboy quarterback Steve Pelluer said. They’ll play the Seattle Seahawks that day, but it’s doubtful the Seahawks will be very impressed. Abe Gibron, the former Chicago Bears coach who is now a Seattle scout, watched the Redskin-Cowboy game and spent much of the day wondering the same thing:

“Where’s Dallas?”

At one point, Gibron spoke into his tape recorder: “Randy White’s not even in the game. I mean, I see him, but you wouldn’t even know it. Man, when Randy White’s not in the game, you got trouble.”

The 10-2 Redskins were into this game. Defensive end Dexter Manley came out extra early to lead the fans in some pregame cheers. Owner Jack Kent Cooke was psyched, too. Every Sunday, an hour before game time, he arrives with his entourage and takes a private elevator ride up to his seat. But when he got to the elevator this Sunday, some Cowboy people (they obviously didn’t know whom they were talking to) said there wasn’t enough room for him. He’d have to wait, they said.

“That’s OK!” screamed Cooke, 74. “I’ll walk, you lazy bums.”

And he was gone.

The Cowboys (7-5) were gone soon after the opening kickoff. Darryl Clack fielded the kickoff, ran a few yards, was hit by Washington’s Tim Morrison and fumbled. The Redskins recovered and, three plays later, were in the end zone. George Rogers, who later left with a shoulder injury, scored on a 14-yard run up the middle. Tight end Clint Didier, who lined up at fullback, made the key block.

“I don’t usually line up at fullback,” Didier said. “But we wanted to give them different looks.”

Something not very different was Pelluer running for his life. Coming into Sunday, he had been sacked 24 times in his last four games. After the Chargers sacked him 11 times last week, he was given the game ball for “surviving.” On this day, the Redskins sacked him five times, and Manley got him twice.

“Dexter Manley is the best pass rusher right now in the NFL,” CBS’ John Madden screamed.

Clearly, Cowboy tackle Mark Tuinei was overmatched by Manley. Tuinei was replaced by Howard Richards in the second half, but Richards got hurt, and Tuinei had to trudge back in.

“I had fun,” Manley said. “I tell you, I think maybe we got Dallas so scared today they were shaking in their boots.”

The Redskins’ second touchdown came on a 71-yard pass play from Jay Schroeder to Didier (who later broke a bone in his left hand). The Cowboys had blitzed free safety Michael Downs, but Schroeder never flinched and fired it long toward Didier. Didier caught the ball over Bill Bates and outran Everson Walls to the end zone.

Gibron again spoke into his tape recorder: “Clint Didier? Hah! I can’t believe it. He outran ‘em all. He outran the Dallas secondary.”

Meanwhile, Pelluer was helpless. Danny White, the regular Dallas quarterback, was injured and was signaling plays from the sideline. White looked very Tom Landry-like, too, wearing a tie and all. But Manley said that Pelluer is much better than White, so it wouldn’t have mattered if White had played.

The rout was on.

Herschel Walker was held to 5 yards in 3 carries and Tony Dorsett was held to 13 yards in 11 carries. Neither player would speak to the media. And, in the second quarter alone, the Cowboys had minus-one yard total offense. By halftime, they were outgained 336 yards to 43.

“Your pride’s hurt, your ego’s hurt,” said Doug Cosbie, the Dallas tight end. “You feel like someone’s kicking mud in your face and you’re standing there and letting them do it.”

Redskin receivers dropped two touchdown passes in the first half and had a touchdown called back. The score could have been a lot worse. In the second quarter, two Max Zendejas field goals, a 22-yard Kelvin Bryant run and a 11-yard pass from Schroeder to Gary Clark made it 34-0 at the half.

Gibron again spoke into his tape recorder: “Where’s John Dutton? No. 78? I don’t know what happened to him. I see him, but he ain’t hitting nobody.”

Apparently, Dallas Coach Landry did some serious screaming at halftime (several players confirmed this), and the Cowboys came out and scored a quick touchdown in the second half, but never made the game serious.

“Sure, I’m worried about playing again Thursday,” Landry said. “You don’t just get over games like this tomorrow.”

Seven weeks ago, the Cowboys had routed the Redskins in Dallas, 30-6. The difference then was that Walker kept catching passes in the Washington secondary. This time, the Redskins had a safety (Todd Bowles) covering Walker, not a linebacker. What a difference seven weeks make.

Incidentally, this was the one-year anniversary of Schroeder’s first NFL start. He’s already a superstar--here, anyway. Local sporting good stores have had thousands of requests for No. 10 jerseys, but they haven’t gotten any in as of yet. So Redskin fans can only buy No. 7 jerseys (Joe Theismann’s number). Also, Schroeder missed a day of practice this week with a back injury, and it was a major media event. One of the lead stories on the local television news was, “Will Schroeder play?”

He played, all right. He threw for 325 yards.

Did Dallas play?

Gibron spoke into his tape recorder in the fourth quarter: “Still haven’t heard from No. 54--Randy White. Haven’t heard his name mentioned all day.”