The Associated Press
LANDOVER, Md.—Dez Bryant’s tantrum on the Dallas Cowboys’ sideline was not a good look.
Neither was Darren McFadden’s two-fumble performance. And Matt Cassel’s passes often sailed nowhere near his receivers.
All in all, it was an ugly game—devoid of any style points or many scoreboard points until the final 90 seconds.
Perhaps fittingly, a fumbled punt return by Washington’s DeSean Jackson deep in his own territory led to Dallas’ only touchdown.
And yet, none of that mattered to Dallas, really, because by beating Washington 19-16 on Dan Bailey’s 54-yard field goal with nine seconds left last night, the Cowboys somehow kept themselves in the thick of the playoff chase in the woeful NFC East.
“We have everything to gain and everything to lose,” Bryant said.
“We are still in this thing.”
Hard to believe but true.
The last-place Cowboys (4-8) won for the first time this season without quarterback Tony Romo and only are one game behind the Redskins, Giants, and Eagles, who all are 5-7.
“Our guys don’t blink,” said Dallas coach Jason Garrett.
“We’ve given ourselves an opportunity to stay in it.”
After combining to score 18 points in the first 58-and-a-half minutes, the teams combined for 17 the frenzied rest of the way.
Dallas scored the game’s first TD with 74 seconds left to lead 16-9 after recovering Jackson’s miscue, Washington tied it on Jackson’s 28-yard TD catch, and then Bailey booted the go-ahead kick.
“A roller-coaster,” Redskins’ quarterback Kirk Cousins called it.
Washington had won its past five home games but this loss continued a pattern: the Redskins have not won in consecutive weeks all season.
“We just had some unforced errors,” noted coach Jay Gruden.
None bigger than Jackson’s.
With the score knotted at 9-9, Jackson, who hadn’t been used as a punt returner this season until last week, caught the kick at his 16 and began running up the field.
He got past the 20 before reversing course and heading backwards.
As he again tried to move forward, Jackson was surrounded and the ball popped out—recovered by punter Chris Jones at the 15 with 86 seconds to go.
“Well, it didn’t end up the way we wanted it to,” Gruden deadpanned about that play.
Jackson did not deflect blame.
“I take that one on my chin,” he said.
“I’m a veteran in this league and I know I need to protect the ball.”
Dallas needed only two plays to cash in—jumping in front on McFadden’s six-yard touchdown run.
A 41-yard kick-off return plus a 15-yard facemask penalty on J.J. Wilcox set the Redskins up at Dallas’ 43, and four plays later, Jackson hauled in a perfect pass from Cousins to pull even with 44 seconds to go.
That left just enough time for Cassel to lead Dallas 20 yards in five plays for Bailey’s fourth field goal.
“One of the crazier games I’ve ever been a part of,” Cassel said.
He previously was 0-4 as a starter in place of the injured Romo this season.
Both QBs were mediocre, with Cousins going 22-for-31 for 219 yards, the one TD, and no interceptions—marking the first time Washington has lost this season when he avoided throwing a pick.
Cassel, meanwhile, finished 16-for-29 for 222 yards, with several of his throws landing nowhere near teammates.
Bryant was yelling and cursing and generally carrying on along the Cowboys’ sideline in the first half—apparently upset about not being thrown the ball.
By halftime, he had zero catches and had been targeted just twice.
He finished with three receptions for 62 yards, including a diving 42-yard grab that led to—what else?—a field goal.
“I have to do a better job of giving him more opportunities,” Cassel said.
