Washington Redskins 2013 Schedule: Cowboys, Redskins Renew NFL’s Greatest Rivalry In Week Six
By Les Bailey
I’m sure the Dallas Cowboys have their calendars marked for a Sunday Night renewal of the greatest rivalry in the NFL. Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins come to town for the first of their two annual meetings. The Cowboys were swept by the Redskins in 2012, and I’m betting Tony Romo and company will be seeking revenge in the Oct 13th matchup which airs on NBC at 8:00 PM.
The Washington Redskins will be coming off their bye week, and looking for a repeat of the December meeting when they beat the Cowboys 28-18 to capture the NFC East title. The Redskins are 12-12 when coming off a bye-week and Coach Mike Shanahan is 11-6. If Washington can win this matchup, it would be the first time since they beat the Cowboys in three consecutive road wins from 1987-89.
Quarterback, Robert Griffin III will be looking for his second win at Cowboy Stadium in as many years. The youngster who played his college football at nearby Baylor University in Waco, beat the Cowboys 38-31 on November 22nd. Eleven of the last 12 road games with the Cowboys have been settled by seven points of less.
Griffin hopes to be healthy for the start of the 2013 season, but second string quarterback, Kirk Cousins has been told he will have the opportunity to practice with the first team unit during the scheduled OTA’s so he would be ready for the Monday Night opener against the Philadelphia Eagles if needed. The Redskins still have Rex Grossman on the roster, and acquired Pat White a few weeks ago.
White was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2009, but was released the following year when Miami decided to abandon the Wildcat. He has not been with a team since 2010, and would be a major project.
The Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboy rivalry goes all the way back to 1960, and the old NFL days. The Redskins won the first meeting on Oct 9th 1960 at Griffith Stadium 26-14. Over the years, Dallas holds the winning edge with 62 wins to Washington’s 40 in the regular season. The Redskins are 2-0 in playoff wins.
One of the best games I saw in this storied matchup was on December 16, 1979. Both teams were playing for the NFC tile, and home field advantage in the playoffs. Quarterback, Roger Staubach engineered a 4th quarter come-back, and the Cowboys won 35-34. He completed a 26 yard pass to Ron Springs, and an 8 yard pass to Tony Hill to seal the victory.
As this rivalry goes, In the week leading up to the game, Cowboys’ defensive end Harvey Martin received a funeral wreath, allegedly sent by the Redskins. He kept it in his locker all week for motivation and after the win, he raced into Washington’s locker room, opened the door and heaved it into the room, breaking up a team prayer.Adding insult to injury, the Chicago Bears defeated the St Louis Cardinals 42-6, the Redskins lost the tie breaker to the Bears for the last Wild Card spot.
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