On the eve of Halloween all of the Dallas Cowboys dreams of winning their week eight game turned into a nightmare in the most bizarre way possible. The Washington Redskins came into this game as a heavy underdog, having won just one out of seven games this season.
Things weren’t looking good for the Redskins as they trailed ten zero following a late touchdown by Cowboys WR Terrance Williams and a last minute field goal by Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey.
Late in the 3rd quarter the Redskins managed to get another three points on the board to cut the deficit to four. But, on the ensuing kickoff Ryan Switzer ran the ball 108 yards back to the en
d zone to give the Cowboys an eleven-point lead following the extra point. The Redskins looked all but done. However, their luck turned when free safety D.J. Swearinger intercepted a pass intended for Dez Bryant just as the quarter was coming to a close.
Following the turnover the Redskins wasted no time and just three plays later half back Chris Thompson scored his first rushing touchdown of the season to cut the Cowboys deficit to five. The Cowboys on their next drive were unable to get a first down thanks to a huge play by Redskins MLB Ryan Kerrigan. Kerrigan deflected a screen pass intended for Ezekiel Elliott that, had it connected, looked like it could of gone for a first down or more. The deflection and a tackle on 3rd down by CB Kendall Fuller forced the Cowboys to punt the ball on 4th down. The punt did not go the way the Cowboys would of liked as Redkins LOLB Junior Galette blocked Chris Jones‘ punt attempt, which was then picked up by SS Deshazor Everett and returned for a touchdown. The touchdown gave the Redskins a one point lead so they opted to go for a two-point conversion. The 2 point try was good to, unbelievably, give the Redskins a three-point lead.
The Cowboys confidence looked rocky as they came out to try and get the lead back with just over five and a half minutes remaining in the game. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott began the drive with a five-yard rush, then a pass for a fourteen yard gain. Then, on the third play of the drive Prescott overthrew his TE Jason Witten and once again it was SS Deshazor Everett who took the ball and ran it back for a touchdown to give his team a nine point lead, which turned into a ten point lead following the extra point.
Cowboys head coach Andres Perez was livid on the sidelines and could be heard telling them to wake up. The speech seemed to have worked, as the Cowboys drove 31 yards up the field on just
three plays, then on the fourth play Prescott found his second string TE James Hanna wide open for a 35 yard touchdown reception. The touchdown cut the Redskins lead to just four. Dan Bailey lined up to kick the extra point to make it a three point game with four minutes to go. But, again, another Redskins player came up big. This time it was CB Quinton Dunbar who would block Bailey’s kick and allow Redskins SS Su’a Cravens to pick up the ball and go 85 yards for a 2 point return touchdown. So, instead of a three point deficit for the Cowboys, they now trailed by six.
The Redskins took full advantage of their next possession by managing the play clock down to under two minutes and putting three more points on the board to give them a 24-32 lead with 1:52 left in the game. With no timeouts and under
two minutes to play, the Cowboys did all they could to get a touchdown, but instead ended up scoring only a field goal with 37 seconds left. Their onside kick try was unsuccessful and gave the Redskins a 26-32 victory.
“This is what happens when you get cocky! It’s ridiculous what happen out there just now!” said coach Perez. “Every single one of us should be ashamed at the piss ass effort we put out there. This should be a wake-up call for all of us. No lead is safe and no team is just going to roll over when they’re being beaten.”.
Noteworthy
- The 108-yard kickoff return by Ryan Switzer was the longest in league history.
- The Redskins set a new record for special teams plays. No other team has ever blocked a punt and an extra point and returned them for a touchdown.
- Going into this game the Redskins had lost five straight games against the Cowboys. Their last win against the Cowboys was in week 13 of season 7.
- Cowboys HB Ezekiel Elliott might have a long time to think about this loss. His suspension that was set to take effect earlier in the season, is expected to go into effect this week depending on what a judge in a court of New York decides.
Up Next
The Redskins will be on the road next week to take on the Seattle Seahawks. While the Cowboys will head home to take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
