Cowboys Sweep NFC East

If nothing else, the Dallas Cowboys accomplished an unprecedented feat this season: sweeping the NFC East.

“Nobody else will ever be the first to do it,” Dallas Coach Chan Gailey said after the playoff-bound Cowboys defeated the Washington Redskins, 23-7, Sunday night, becoming the first NFC East team to go 8-0 against conference rivals.

“We wanted to do it, but it’s not like that was the only thing on our minds,” Gailey said. “We wanted to make sure we were healthy enough going into the playoffs.”

Emmitt Smith ran for two touchdowns, setting a NFL career record for rushing touchdowns, as Dallas (10-6) swept the Redskins for the first time since 1994. It was quite a turnaround from 1997, when Dallas went 6-10, costing Barry Switzer his job as coach.

The closest an NFC East team had come to sweeping was the 1997 New York Giants, who went 7-0-1.

“This was something special for Chan to do it,” Cowboy owner Jerry Jones said. “We didn’t even come close to doing it in our Super Bowl winning years.”

While Washington (6-10) saw its four-game winning streak end, Dallas will play a first-round game at home next Saturday against Arizona (9-7). The Cowboys beat the Cardinals, 38-10 and 35-28, during the regular season, and Arizona has lost nine in a row at Texas Stadium.

Smith broke the NFL record for career rushing touchdowns with a one-yard run that capped a 65-yard drive in the second quarter. A 51-yard pass from Troy Aikman to Michael Irvin set up the score, the 124th rushing touchdown for Smith, breaking a tie with Marcus Allen.

“It’s something I’m definitely proud of,” Smith said.