MNF: Cowboys Top Redskins
L A N D O V E R, Md., Sept. 19, 2000 -- Troy Aikman might not get his job back asthe Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback.
Washington’s Brad Johnson may not keep his.
Randall Cunningham, filling in while Aikman recovers from theninth concussion of his career, threw two touchdown passes Mondaynight as Dallas beat stumbling Washington 27-21.
That left Washington, which entered the season as a prohibitivefavorite to win the NFC East, 1-2 and two games behind the unbeatenNew York Giants entering Sunday night’s game at the Meadowlands.
So the first question for coach Norv Turner was whether JeffGeorge, one of the many big-ticket free agents acquired by theSkins in the offseason, would replace Johnson next week.
“We’ve got to play better in all areas for the quarterback toplay better,” Washington coach Norv Turner said after anotherragged game by Johnson, who was 30-of-48 for 241 yards but threw acritical interception late in the fourth quarter.
“There are 11 guys out there and they have to perform in sync.We’re not in sync.”
Asked directly about George, Turner replied: “That’s not aquestion I’m going to deal with now.”
First Win for Dallas
It was the first victory of the season for the Cowboys, whoallowed 73 points in losing to Philadelphia and Arizona.
Cunningham threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Chris Warren and a16-yarder to Jackie Harris. The 37-year-old quarterback passed for185 yards and scrambled for 32 yards on three carries, and also hada 44-yard completion to Rocket Ismail to set up the pass to Harristhat made it 24-14 with 9:19 left.
“That’s why we got him. We felt he could play for us if Troywas hurt,” said Dave Campo, who won his first game as Dallas’ headcoach. “The thing he did was move around and make plays with hislegs.”
The Redskins made it 24-21 with a nine-play, 69-play drivecapped by Johnson’s 7-yard TD pass to Mike Sellers. But Izell Reeseintercepted Johnson’s pass with 2:09 left to set up Tim Seder’s38-yard field goal.
It was Dallas’ sixth consecutive victory over Washington.
‘We Needed a Victory’
“It could have been any team out there. We needed a victorybadly,” Warren said. “If we were 0-3 it would have been tough.Who knows what can happen now.”
It also makes the next two games absolutely critical for theRedskins, whose free-agent signings during the offseason made themone of the Super Bowl favorites—at least in their own minds andthe minds of their fans. After the Giants, they take on unbeatenTampa Bay, arguably the NFL’s best team right now.
“We can’t worry about who we play,” Turner said. “We justhave to play better.”
Washington, which looked sluggish in a win over Carolina thefirst week and a loss in Detroit last week, was even shakier thisweek against what had been a porous Dallas defense.
Dallas had a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Washington scored first on a 7-yard fourth-down run by StephenDavis in the first quarter on a 32-yard drive set up by ChampBailey’s 54-yard punt return on a handoff from Deion Sanders.
But six minutes later, Cunningham dropped the snap on a firstdown from the Dallas 24, but managed to pick it up and hit Warren10 yards ahead of Sam Shade for the TD that tied the score. Shadeappeared to be looking at the fumble as Warren breezed by him.
The second Dallas TD came after Leon Lett knocked the ball fromJohnson’s hands and Greg Ellis recovered at the Washington 49.Eight plays later, on fourth and inches from the 3, Emmitt Smithtook a pitchout from Cunningham and drove into the end zone.
Smith: 24 Carries, 83 Yds
Smith carried 24 times for 83 yards.
Seder’s 32-yard field goal on the first series of the secondhalf made it 17-7. The key play on that drive was a 27-yardpass-interference call on Darrell Green.
But the next time Dallas got the ball, Cunningham’s first-downpass deflected off Warren and into Shade’s arms at the Cowboys’ 24.Davis carried five straight times, going in from the 1 to cutWashington’s deficit to 17-14.
Then came the final flurry and Dallas survived.
“I felt like we made progress last week,” Smith said. “Ithink we grew up this week.”