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http://www.redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=12382

Redskins On Verge Of Franchise Milestone

12/10/2003

Inside the Redskins

By Gary Fitzgerald

Redskins.com

It seems appropriate that the Redskins’ first crack at their 500th regular-season franchise win comes against the Dallas Cowboys. Simply put, there is no other NFL team that the Redskins and their fans love to beat than the Cowboys.

Especially now. Dallas has won 11 of the last 12 meetings between the two storied franchises—including a 21-14 win earlier this season—and that’s a trend the Redskins want to reverse.

What’s more, Dallas is at 8-5 and still in the playoff hunt. While the Redskins still have a glimmer of hope for the postseason, in a realistic sense the playoffs are unlikely. So who better for the Redskins to knock down a rung in the playoff race than their top NFC East rival?

That sort of scenario has occurred before in recent history between the Cowboys and Redskins—with Dallas usually playing the role of spoiler.

In 1988, the 7-7 Redskins still had playoff hopes when they hosted Dallas at RFK Stadium. The Cowboys, who only had three wins that year, upset Washington 24-17.

In 1991, it was an upstart Dallas team who ruined the Redskins’ 11-0 start with a 24-21 upset at RFK Stadium. Of course, Washington went on to a 14-2 regular-season record and a Super Bowl championship that year.

In 2000, the Redskins were 7-6 and still with playoff aspirations despite the fact that Terry Robiskie took over the head coaching reins from Norv Turner one week earlier. They traveled to Texas Stadium and were defeated handily 32-13 by a 4-9 Dallas squad.

A year later, the Marty Schottenheimer-led Redskins churned out five consecutive wins after a disappointing 0-5 start. Talk of making the playoffs began to surface. Then a 2-8 Dallas team came into FedExField and ended the Redskins’ winning streak with a 20-14 victory.

Time for a turnabout? Even though some Redskins bristle at the notion they’re playing the role of spoilers, they are clearly charged up to play the playoff-contending, Bill Parcells-led Cowboys. The game is on national television, with a 4:15 p.m. EST start time. The team wants to continue their momentum started last week in the 20-7 win over the New York Giants and become a force to be reckoned with in the NFC East.

For those Redskins who have been in Washington the longest and endured part of the 10-game losing streak from 1997 to 2002, the Dallas games are always circled on the calendar.

“I try not to look at it as payback, but I want to beat them bad,” Champ Bailey said. The Pro Bowl cornerback has been a Redskin since 1999 and has enjoyed only one victory against Dallas—last year’s 20-14 win in the season finale at FedExField.

So there’s plenty of motivation for the Redskins this Sunday. None more significant, however, than the milestone 500th regular-season franchise victory, though.

The possibility of earning franchise win number 500 at FedExField this Sunday against Dallas has not gone unnoticed by the current coaching staff, even though most of them have been here for two years. During a weekly team meeting on Wednesday morning, head coach Steve Spurrier mentioned the milestone to the players.

The Redskins franchise record is 499-444-27, with 13 NFC East championships, five NFC titles and three Super Bowl victories.

Heading into this weekend, the Chicago Bears had won 639 regular-season games, followed by Green Bay with 599 and the New York Giants with 571. Washington is fourth with 499.

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