Redskins Complete Sweep

A perfect day for the Washington Redskins would include a start-to-finish, no-let-up humiliation of the Dallas Cowboys. Make it a game that puts the playoffs within serious reach, and it would look like the Redskins’ 35-7 victory Sunday in front of 90,588 at FedEx Field.

From the raucous pregame chants of “We Want Dallas” to the seven sacks, four turnovers and four touchdown passes, the Redskins did stop celebrating their most one-sided victory in the 45-year history of the rivalry.

“You don’t even know how enjoyable it was for us to get this win and get a sweep,” the Redskins’ Renaldo Wynn said. “It hadn’t happened since ’95.”

Chris Cooley caught three of Mark Brunell’s four touchdown passes, and Clinton Portis ran for 112 yards. The score was, 28-0, at halftime, with the Redskins scoring on drives of four, eight, two and two plays.

Yet there was a price for the Redskins, whose starting guard Randy Thomas broke his right leg. Thomas will have surgery today and may miss the rest of the season. He left midway through the fourth quarter after his leg was caught under another player while Thomas was being pushed backward.

“It was a freak accident,” Thomas said. “I was trying to block downfield.”

Thomas has been Washington’ most consistent offensive lineman this season, often leading the way on Portis’ runs. “We’re going to miss him terribly, Redskin Coach Joe Gibbs said.

Ray Brown, who turned 43 a week ago, will take Thomas’ starting spot. Dallas also lost its starting guard, Marco Rivera, who was hurt late in the fourth quarter when he landed on his head during a running play. The Cowboys said he would be hospitalized overnight for tests.

Washington’s third consecutive victory gave the Redskins (8-6) the tiebreaker over the Cowboys (8-6) because of their first Dallas sweep in 10 years. Washington’s 8-2 conference record also puts it in position for a wild-card berth and its first postseason appearance since 1999.