Cowboys Roll Over the Redskins, 38-3 : NFC: Aikman passes for two touchdowns and Smith regains NFL rushing lead in lopsided victory.

Troy Aikman, a fresh $50-million contract in the bank, completed two touchdown passes and Emmitt Smith regained the NFL rushing lead and scored a touchdown Sunday as the Dallas Cowboys rolled to a 38-3 victory over the Washington Redskins.

The most one-sided game in the 68-game history of the Cowboys-Redskins series moved Dallas into an NFC East championship showdown with the New York Giants at the Meadowlands next Sunday.

“I’d have to say it’s the biggest regular-season game since I’ve been here,” Aikman said.

Smith agreed, saying: “We know the Giants will be tougher than they were last time. It’s all on the line, the division and the home field.”

The defending Super Bowl champions are 11-4 after losing their first two games of the season without Smith, who eventually signed a $13.6-million contract.

The Giants are 11-4 after losing on Sunday, 17-6, to Phoenix. The winner gets home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Aikman completed 16 of 20 passes for 193 yards and Smith rushed 21 times for 153 yards. Smith has 1,318 yards to 1,283 for Jerome Bettis of the Rams.

“If Bettis wins it he wins it, but it’s no biggie,” Smith said. “I’d rather have a win over the Giants.

“All I know I was sitting on a couch watching my teammates play Washington the last time during my contract holdout. I wanted to make the difference this time around.”

In the first half, Aikman completed touchdown passes of eight yards to flu-stricken Michael Irvin and 15 yards to Alvin Harper.

The quarterback was brilliant after he fumbled on the Cowboys’ first possession.

Aikman completed passes of 30 and 20 yards to Harper to set up a one-yard scoring run by Smith to put Dallas ahead 7-3.

Irvin, a questionable starter, then beat cornerback Darrell Green on an eight-yard scoring pass from Aikman.

James Washington’s interception of Mark Rypien’s pass positioned Dallas for its third touchdown, a 15-yard pass from Aikman to Harper with 13 seconds left in the half.