After their Week 16 dismantling of the Philadelphia Eagles, ‘Skins fans would head into Christmas having already received the gift they’ve wanted for a long time: a home game against their arch-rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, with a trip to the playoffs on the line. Though the ‘Skins could have clinched a playoff berth with losses by Chicago and Minnesota, they were heading into this game looking to secure their own fate.
This, dear readers, was a huge game. It was a challenge even for those Washington intellectuals that scoff at the ephemeral insignificance of brutish sport not to be swayed by the impact this game would have on their more-passionate fellow residents. The ‘Skins-Cowboys rivalry is one of the deepest of all, and the talk all week has been about just how big this game was in comparison to some of their other classic matches throughout the years. The consensus was that this would fall somewhere in between their last home game at RFK in 1996, and the 1983 NFC Championship Game, both won by the ‘Skins. This would be the first time the ‘Skins could capture the NFC East division championship since 1999, and they would have a chance to do so against Them Cowboys. This game was to be historic.
The game kicked off with early mistakes from the Cowboys’ love/hate quarterback, Tony Romo, who threw two interceptions in the first quarter. The turnovers would be opportunities for the ‘Skins to squander, resulting in a missed field goal by kicker Kai Forbath (his first miss of the season) and a punt. The quarter would end with a lot of action, but no scores.
How did Robert Griffin III look in his biggest game yet? He looked better than the other quarterback, that’s for sure. There was some concern about the health of his knee after his injury three weeks ago, but he would be the team’s second-leading rusher, carrying the ball six times for 63 yards and a touchdown. Though he would complete just nine of 18 pass attempts for 100 yards, he would throw no interceptions. This would compare favorably to Romo’s three picks thrown over the course of the night.
The true star of the game, though, was the other rookie sensation for the ‘Skins: running back Alfred Morris. The sixth-round draft pick went on to shred Dallas’ defense for 200 yards on 33 carries, going for three touchdowns. Having 1,613 yards, Morris now holds the rushing record for a franchise now in its 80th year. Clinton Portis was the last back to hold the franchise record, and he was there to lead the standing ovation at FedEx Field when Morris took the crown.
The offensive scheme that coordinator Kyle Shanahan and Head Coach Mike Shanahan have molded to fit the athletic talents of Griffin is really a unique sight seen in professional football. The game plan is filled with “pistol formation” read-option plays designed to look exactly like each other at the onset. The Cowboys linebackers were left to freeze up at the start of plays, trying to decipher if they were seeing a zone-blocked cut from Morris, a bootleg run from Griffin or a play-action pass.
The ‘Skins took the Cowboys greatest threat—the pass-rushing ability of linebacker DeMarcus Ware—and would expose it as a weakness to their innovative offense. There were many plays throughout the course of this game in which Ware would be single blocked to divert to an outside pass rush, while Morris would run the ball to the inside, right by the perennial Pro-Bowler. Ware would finish the game with only an assisted tackle. The ‘Skins offensive line would give up just one sack.
That one sack was at a significant portion of the game, however. The porous secondary of the ‘Skins would allow the Cowboys to battle from an 11-point deficit to score a passing touchdown and a two-point conversion, bringing the score to 21-18 with just under six minutes left in the game. The sack would come on the ‘Skins next drive, and cause them to punt the ball back to their rivals.
Fortunately for the ‘Skins, Tony Romo is as good at throwing interceptions as this writer is as good at wearing pajamas all day. (Very damn good.) With the team’s hopes at making the playoffs on the line, Romo threw his third interception of the game. This would set the ‘Skins up for Morris’ third touchdown run. The ‘Skins would go on to defeat the Cowboys, 28-18.
After Week 9, the ‘Skins were heading into their bye week with a 3-9 record and their Head Coach Mike Shanahan announcing to the media that he would be “evaluating players” going forward into the next season. The players responded by electing Griffin a team captain, a rare honor for a rookie in the NFL. The rookie quarterback would help guide the team on a string of victories to take the division championship and rights to host a playoff game next week.
Seventy-five years ago, in the ‘Skins inaugural season in Washington, their first-round draft pick quarterback Sammie Baugh would lead the team to win the league’s championship. He would go on to an illustrious Hall of Fame career. Is history repeating itself? ‘Skins fans—including a very elated bunch that tackled a Christmas tree after the team’s win—sure hope so.
