Redskins End Strikeball by Beating Cowboys, 13-7, to Take NFC East Lead

The Washington Redskins closed out the three-week National Football League strike-replacement season Monday night by beating the Dallas Cowboys, 13-7, on Obed Ariri’s two field goals and Ted Wilson’s 16-yard touchdown run.

A crowd of 60,415, second only in the three weeks of strike-replacement football to the 61,230 drawn to Denver’s Mile High Stadium last Monday night against the Raiders, looked on as Washington improved its strike-team record to 3-0 and its overall mark to 4-1, good for sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

Dallas (3-2) lost its first replacement game.

Washington took the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards in seven plays, with wide receiver Wilson scoring on on a reverse to give the Redskins a 10-0 lead.

Dallas came right back, with Danny White throwing a 38-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Edwards to cap an 80-yard surge.

Ariri kicked a 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for the Redskins, who had no veteran players. Dallas was favored by seven points because it had seven regulars available.

Two of those regulars, White and Tony Dorsett, got a hostile greeting from the crowd before the game, and each was hooted almost every time they touched the ball.

When Dorsett fumbled twice in the first period, he was booed off the field each time. His first fumble led to Ariri’s 19-yard field goal, which stood up for a 3-0 halftime lead.

A chant of “We Want Sweeney, We Want Sweeney” echoed through Texas Stadium as the crowd called for backup Kevin Sweeney after White was sacked three times.

The Cowboys drove to the Redskins’ 13-yard line late in the game, but White’s fourth down pass to Edwards was broken up by safety Joe Cofer.

Lionel Vital rushed for 136 yards against a Cowboys defensive front that included Randy White, Ed Jones, Don Smerek and Kevin Brooks, all regulars.