Redskins vs Cowboys History, Anecdotes, and Fan Memories

[kleese]

In line with my other history threads, when NFC East games arise, I focus only on history of where the game is being played. So this week's info only refers to games played in Washington.

--Redskins won the first ever meeting with Dallas in DC 26-14 in October of 1960.

--Redskins are 25-27 all time vs Dallas in regular season games played in Washington.

--Redskins are 2-0 all time vs Dallas in post season games played in Washington

--Redskins are 4-0 all time vs Dallas in regular season finales played in Washington (1961, 1996, 2002, 2007).

--Redskins longest home winning streak vs Dallas is 4 games (1972-1975).

--Redskins longest home losing streak is 6 games (1965-1971).

--Redskins struggled vs Dallas at home under the Gibbs I regime; going 5-7 in the regular season.

--The Redskins are 6-9 all time vs Dallas at FedEx Field.

My Memories:

1972 NFC Championship Game: I wasn't alive yet, but anyone who has studied team history understands the importance of this game. George Allen's "Over the Hill Gang" routed the Cowboys that day 26-3, advancing to the first Super Bowl in team history.

1982 NFC Championship Game: Where the glory years really started. I don't think I have actual memories of this game, but I've watched it many times over the years. Classic game...followed a very similar pattern to what would happen in Pasadena the following week. Darryl Grant's pick six off the Manley batted ball remains arguably the single greatest moment in team history. This also marked the Cowboys third straight loss in the NFC Title Game.

1983: Dallas gets revenge on the opening Monday Night of the season with a huge second half comeback. The most memorable moment of this game came when rookie Darrell Green chased down Tony Dorsett on a long run.

1986: The first Redskins-Cowboys game in DC where my memories are really sharp. Late season, late afternoon game at RFK..my favorite. We ambushed them that day...I specifically remember a long TD pass to Clint Didier early in the game. Somewhat similar to the 2005 game...Redskins held a 34-0 lead at the half and won 41-14. Avenged a 24 point loss in Dallas earlier that year.

1989: Sunday Night game...watched from my gameroom. Horrible, horrible night for the Redskins. The 0-8 Cowboys held our offense down all night long. It was tied at 3-3 in the third quarter before Dallas iced the game late and won 13-3. I remember feeling pretty numb after this one. Of course, this wound up being the lone win for the Cowboys in 1989.

1990: A somewhat rare early afternoon start in this series for games played in DC...very ugly game. A field goal battle under Darrell Green had a pick six to give us a 19-6 lead. Cowboys rallied, but we held on to win by 4.

1991: The Alvin Harper Hail Mary TD before the half ended really sticks out. A surprise onside kick also burned us that day. My biggest recollection here was that Jimmy Johnson really out coached Gibbs that day. He pulled out all the stops. They had us on our heels all game...it didn't really matter, but it was disappointing to lose our shot at perfection. I'm still thankful the Lions beat Dallas in the divisional playoffs that year...that would have been a scary proposition for us.

1992: This is detailed in my "pasta sauce" thread. My favorite all time regular season memory.

1993: Opening Monday Night and we ripped the defending champs a new one. I really thought Petitbone was going keep it rolling for us. Sigh...at least he had that night.

1994: Heath Shuler got abused that day.

1995: Pretty satisfying win. We caught a break with Wade Wilson subbing for Aikman and Terry Allen had a big day. Big upset at the time. Watched from our house in Houston and I was way down heading into that game. Pleasantly surprised to say the least. We weren't good in 1995, but that season did have an "up arrow" feeling to it.

1996: Bittersweet. I really wanted to pay homage to RFK, but I couldn't shake the disappointment of what had gone down that season. We were eliminated from the playoffs the week prior and Dallas was locked into their seed. Totally meaningless game and the Cowboys just went ahead and allowed us to have our little party that day. They didn't even attempt to put up a fight. I don't have it anymore, but a friend of mine I met at OU was from DC and he was home for the holiday and attended the game. He brought me back a chunk of RFK turf.

1997: Watched from my apartment sophomore year in college. First Cowboys game at FedEx (MNF). We looked good early and then held on for dear life for the win ala many Norv era victories.

1999: Ugh; I don't even like to talk about it. A classic game in the rivalry I suppose; watched surrounded by roommates and other college buddies at our off campus rent house...my first day with Sunday Ticket and I've had it ever since. Brad Johnson went bonkers, we had the game in the bag...a 35-14 lead. Then, the Triplets did their thing. Not sure I've ever see a RB lead a 21 point comeback, but Emmitt did that day...and Aikman was perfect down the stretch. Naturally, we blew a potential game winning FG attempt and then Aikman hit Ismail in OT to win it. Freakin' Matt Stevens. I pouted in my room the rest of the day. Sickening way to start a season.

2001: No idea why this game doesn't get talked about more. We had won 5 in a row and were rolling, playing a horrible Dallas team in another late afternoon slot. This was on a tee for us...and we crapped the bed. Quincy Carter torched us that day. Yes, Quincy Carter. Terrible loss and one reason I wasn't as sad to see Marty go as many others were.

2002: Final game of the season, but more notably Darrell Green's final game. Don't remember much from it...kind of melancholy.

2005: A glorious day; one of the better games of the past 20 years. Again, late afternoon start. First time in about 15 years a late season Redskins-Cowboys game mattered for both teams. Watched with my wife from our living room at our house in the Tulsa suburbs. Phillip Daniels and Cooley will both always be remembered for their dominance that day. I will also never forget some of the facial expressions from Parcells and many of the Cowboys players...Like I said, glorious.

2006: I think this game is a bit overrated by our fans. It was a cool ending, but we stunk, Dallas was average, and the game really didn't mean much.

2007: Watched from a sports bar in Breckenridge with an absolute blizzard raging outside. We were vacationing with my sister in law and several friends. I don't ski, but I was particularly anti social that day, informing everyone I'd be out of pocket all afternoon. My wife made her way to the bar as the game ended. I was thrilled with our easy win a clinched playoff berth...as we made our way to the car I was almost disoriented from the white out and got a little concerned at one point because I fell down and when I got up I literally couldn't see my wife. That day was worth the hypothermia though.

2008: The game where it became painfully clear that the success Zorn and crew had earlier in the year was a mirage. Cowboys were hardly great that night, but we couldn't take advantage. Didn't Marty B score the go ahead TD? Marion Barber ran out the clock and our offense was essentially over after that.

2010: Kind of exciting because it was the opening Sunday Night game and the first game for Shanny, but it was an ugly affair. Thank God Tashard Choice was such a moron and allowed us to score the Hall TD on the last play of the half. Weird ending...deflated when Roy Williams caught the TD pass and then elated to realize the flag ended the game. But all in all, this was a forgettable game for me.

2011: For some reason, I really got into the game last year; the rivalry I suppose. Highly entertaining. Romo sits to pee continued his trend of playing pretty darn well in Washington- especially in the clutch. Witten killed us. Nice moment for Grossman and Stallworth, but it was a loss any way you slice it. A little like 2010... I was into the game at the time, but it has not lingered with me like so many other games on this list.

[Yeen80]

2003: Getting shut out 27-0 in some of the worst weather Ive ever seen at a Skins home game. Vintage Spurrier.

[balki1867]

It's funny: Growing I felt like I always heard about great Redskins-Cowboys games but that the best days of the rivalry were behind (Ken Houston's tackle; 'WE WANT DALLAS', Clint Longley, 1979, etc), but looking back, I feel like I have quite a few remarkable Redskins-Cowboys memories of my own -- Hail Mary to Alvin Harper, end zone play in december '92, MNF upset in '93, blowing the 3-TD lead in '99, Monday Night Miracle in '05, Hand of God, Orakpo getting headlocked on the last play of the game, Dallas' only win in '89.

There's never a dull game between these two. In my experience the crazy endings have usually favored Dallas, but that trend has flipped in recent years.

[Sussudio]

I was so pissed at that 2001 game I hit a wall and scraped my hand!

2005 was the best game I've ever been to (that includes 2006 and 2007 Cowboys games). Hopefully the game Sunday will be my new best game ever!

And the 1997 game is memorable because it was on my birthday and we won. I seem to remember Scott Gailbrath catching a TD.

[deejaydana]

Living in So Cal @ the time (while the Rams were fairly new to the Orange County market) and loving the Skins dismantling them 51-7 @ RFK in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Yup, John Robinson was never cut out for the NFL (lucky for him Frontiere would never fire his ***).

[kleese]

Living in So Cal @ the time (while the Rams were fairly new to the Orange County market) and loving the Skins dismantling them 51-7 @ RFK in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Yup, John Robinson was never cut out for the NFL (lucky for him Frontiere would never fire his ***).

I am seriously missing something here

[deejaydana]

I am seriously missing something here

Ooops, just noticed it was 'Dallas themed.' Good memories nonetheless LOL.

[redskins4ever28]

Heres what bugs me about this coming Sundays game. Its probably going to come down to the wire, and this means Im going to have a freaking heart attack regardless of the outcome. I just wish we would blow these guys out and NOT let them come back in the game. On Thanksgiving, I honestly was about to throw up when they got the 2 pt conversion to make it a 1 score game. It seems like theres always something when it comes to this rivalry, always close, and nothings for sure til the final horn blows.

[hail2skins]

People talk about how crazy FedEx is going to be this Sunday night and wonder if its going to be like the Lions playoff game, the first half of which was probably the loudest I've continually heard FedEx. However, having attended probably 90 percent of the games at the place since it opened, the loudest moment I remember from the stadium was during the 2004 game against the Cowboys. I think it was a Monday Nighter which we eventually lost during the first year of Gibbs 2, but there was a moment late in the third quarter when the Cowboys were in a 3rd down situation where the crowd was just ear-piercing. Lets hope it gets that way again in about 48 hours.

[RichmondRedskin88]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVT9yud6X60

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1uEyZKJ0o8

[MWCREDSKINS]

2005 35-7 is by far my finest memory. But the other game I love is the 33-31 battle in 1991. Emmitt Smith runs a huge run on us and things look blrak but then he develops a stomach ache and suddenly the Redskins gain all the momentum and pull out a great win, easily my favorite non playoff game of 1991 season

[kleese]

2005 35-7 is by far my finest memory. But the other game I love is the 33-31 battle in 1991. Emmitt Smith runs a huge run on us and things look blrak but then he develops a stomach ache and suddenly the Redskins gain all the momentum and pull out a great win, easily my favorite non playoff game of 1991 season

That game was in Dallas