Cowboys Were Aware Redskins Are Half Bad

The main topic in the Dallas Cowboys locker room at halftime: the Washington Redskins always fall apart in the third quarter.

Sure enough, the Cowboys drove 71 yards in seven plays on their first drive of the second half to take a two-touchdown lead on their way to a 31-10 victory Sunday.

The Redskins (0-5) didn’t score in the second half as the Cowboys (3-2) improved to 3-0 against NFC East teams.

“That was the issue [at halftime],” guard Nate Newton said. “And we tried to play to that. We tried to come out and not make any mistakes.”

In the process, Jason Garrett, Emmitt Smith and Chris Warren became the latest players to put up great numbers at the expense of a struggling defense.

Garrett completed 14 of 17 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown as he improved to 2-1 as a starter while Troy Aikman recovers from a broken collarbone.

“He’s an average quarterback,” Redskin cornerback Cris Dishman said of Garrett. “But today he was hot.”

Smith ran for 120 yards and a touchdown in 28 carries and Warren finished with 104 yards in 14 rushes and two six-yard touchdown runs. The Cowboys rushed for 224 yards against a defense that has allowed a back to rush for 100 yards for four straight weeks.

It was the first time two Cowboys have rushed for 100 yards in a game since Tony Dorsett and Robert Newhouse did it on Nov. 12, 1978.

The Cowboys, rebounding from a 6-10 season, have already defeated division rivals Arizona, New York and Washington.

“We’re not a contender,” Newton said. “Not right now. It’s too early, man. Anybody can get on a run and make something happen, so we’re just trying to stay tight.”