Irvin, Cowboys Break Losing Streak, Finish Redskins’ Reign, 24-17

After playing all season with the Dallas Cowboys, Michael Irvin knows a patsy when he sees one.

Irvin beat reserve cornerback Dennis Woodberry for three touchdowns Sunday and the Cowboys won for the first time since September by knocking the defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins out of any chance to make the playoffs, 24-17.

“I told the coaches I could beat him deep,” Irvin said. “The name of the business is that everybody is trying to put everybody else out of a job.”

Steve Pelluer hit Irvin behind Woodberry, who came in when Darrell Green broke his hand in the second quarter, for a 12-yard touchdown with 4:50 left to break a 17-17 tie and put an end to Dallas’ 10-game losing streak. Irvin had 2 touchdown passes in the previous 14 games.

The winning touchdown came four plays after Dallas’ Robert Williams intercepted Mark Rypien’s pass and returned it 12 yards to the Redskin 24.

The Cowboys (3-12) last won on Sept. 25, beating the Atlanta Falcons, 26-20, to even their record at 2-2.

“We thought we had (won) the Super Bowl,” Cowboy Coach Tom Landry said. “Everyone was looking for the champagne.

“They missed Green, obviously. When a team loses its best guy, you try working on his substitute.”

Pelluer, enjoying a third straight impressive outing after a two-game hiatus on the bench, completed 21 of 35 passes for 333 yards. Irvin had 6 catches for 149 yards.

The Redskins (7-8), who earlier fought back from a 14-point deficit, almost pulled even again when quarterback Doug Williams moved them from their own 15 to the Cowboy 13. But four straight incompletions killed the drive with 1:59 left.

Williams, who missed much of the second half with a bruised right shoulder, had one final chance to force an overtime. But his fourth-down pass into the end zone to Don Warren was tipped away by Michael Downs with 22 seconds remaining.

“We got down inside the 20 twice and couldn’t capitalize,” Redskin wide receiver Ricky Sanders said.

Pelluer hit Irvin on a 61-yard touchdown pass-play to give the Cowboys a 17-3 lead with 3:30 gone in the third quarter.

But the Redskins owned the rest of the quarter. Williams found Sanders on a 40-yard scoring pass, and after Williams was injured, Rypien connected with Terry Orr on a 55-yard pass to tie the score, 17-17, with 1:01 left in the third quarter.