Salvation or Failure: The Redskins Enjoy a Rare Call and the Creepy Management of Cowboys

A look at the good (Hi!) And the bad (Failure!) Cowboys win 20-17 win over Redskins Sunday at FedEx Field.

Hail: Washington's Pass Rush

The Redskins came in Sunday with 10 sacks in their first five games, but they went to Prescott four times. Ryan Kerrigan had two of Washington's attempts in a dominant defensive effort, including a strip-tack that led to Preston Smith's scoop-and-score in the fourth quarter. Kerrigan, who has up to three sacks, still has work to do if he wants to reach double-digit bags for a third year in a row, but Smith and he have done well in recent weeks after a slow start.

"We're still there, even though, statistically, people may think that we do not have enough bags or that we may not be effective enough," Smith said. "We are always around the ball, no matter what they think."

The top seven in Washington also helped tie Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott's running back to 33 yards in 15 carries.

Failure: Tony Romo, M.D.

Listen, Romo is an excellent analyst who can predict the pit pieces before they happen, but he does not have the ability to diagnose concussions by far. That did not prevent him from deciding prematurely that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was missing for the match after suffering a crushing strike from Greg Stroman on the helmet, during a frantic race. along the sideline at the end of the first quarter.

"It's a concussion," Romo said after Prescott had absorbed Stroman's blow as he plunged for a first run. "He'll be done. He does not know where he is. "

Prescott was taken to the medical tent on the side of the Cowboys, where he passed the concussion protocol and was allowed to return to the game. The CBS cameras showed him using a smell of salt before taking the direction of the next Dallas possession.

Hi: Rich Tandler

The Redskins honored Tandler, the long-time NBC Sports Washington reporter, who passed away unexpectedly last week, with a moment of silence and a video tribute, as well as flowers and a framed photo at his usual press location. . The Redskins have announced that they will give Tandler's wife, Andi, a baseball. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder handed Tandler's family a No. 15 framed jersey signed by Redskins coach Jay Gruden and the team. (The number representing Tandler's headquarters in the press gallery, which will remain forever vacant.)

Failure: Alex Smith's Conscience

Alex Smith had a tough game. He completed only 14 out of 25 passes for 178 yards, but his worst mistake was getting off the court after a six-yard run on the third and ninth in Washington's 26-yard line with just over a minute to go. to play. In doing so, Smith stopped the clock and allowed the Cowboys to keep their last waiting period.

"You saw that, huh?" Said Smith when asked about the game after the game. ". . . For me, I knew that a first try would have ended the match and I had a glimpse of myself. They were nice on the construction site to do, I saw the line and potentially jump for it. I obviously did not arrive at this position and, suddenly, I found myself quite awkward on the sideline. I can not have it. That may have cost us the match after the fact. At this point, I think I have to abandon the ship and go on the sidelines. "

Hi, luck

The Redskins made a huge break in the final seconds when Cowboys center Louis-Philippe Ladouceur was called for an immediate offense as Brett Maher set out to score a 47-yard tying goal.

"They told me it was me who was responsible for the false start," said Ladouceur, a 14-year veteran. "I did exactly the same thing as usual. … bad turn of events there. . . I'm not trying to get it. I know the situation. I have never had this before. I do exactly the same thing every time. That's what I said to referees: I'm doing exactly the same thing.

The penalty cost the Cowboys five yards, converting the striker to Maher's 47-yard goal in a 52-yard effort that hit the left post. The controversial call was a hot topic of discussion at the halftime of the match "Sunday Night Football".

"It was a terrible call," said analyst Tony Dungy. "An illegal instant call must be a sudden move or something unusual. The center of Dallas is neither one nor the other – it is neither abrupt nor unusual. This is his normal movement, he did it on the spot before. "

Failure: Jason Garrett Clock Management

The management of the Cowboys clock at the last minute was somewhat lost in the madness of the last part. An 18-yard pass for Cole Beasley allowed Dallas to score the first goal and 10 shots on the Redskins' 46-yard line with 52 seconds remaining. Redskins cornerback Fabian Moreau was injured in the game, stopping the clock. At the next play, Prescott completed a nine-yard pass over Beasley's center, and the Cowboys, who still had a timeout, dropped the clock. At 28 seconds, Prescott dropped and found Beasley over center for a six-yard gain. Officials stopped the clock with 12 seconds to play to review the catch. After the confirmation of the call on the field, the Cowboys played a final game, led by Ezekiel Elliott, a distance of two yards, before calling a timeout of three seconds. If they had a little better run the clock, the Cowboys could have taken at least one shot in the end zone or try to reap a few more meters.

Hi: The Waterboy

Redskins cornerback Josh Norman arrived at FedEx Field in Bobby Boucher's Mud Dogs jersey in south-central Louisiana. The jersey is part of the line of merchandise recently released by Adidas to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Adam Sandler's film "The Waterboy". Intentional or not, Norman wearing it could be interpreted as a subtle dig at his old boyfriend Odell Beckham Jr., who told reporters last week that he was often dehydrated because he did not like not really water. The Redskins will play against the Giants on Sunday, and Norman should definitely prepare Boucher's number 9 for the trip.

Fail: Nourishing Jordan Reed

With wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Paul Richardson Jr. injured, Jordan Reed has turned out to be even more at the center of the Redskins' pass offense than usual. This was not the case, perhaps in part because the Cowboys made the center of the game the center of their defense. Reed has caught two of his four targets for 43 yards and has not scored since the first week.

Learn more about the Redskins:

The Redskins are holding on to beat the Cowboys, 20-17, remain alone at the top of the NFC East

Redskins are resilient and provocative. And the season begins to make its way.

Four takeaways from the Redskins Cowboys victory

The first seven Redskins were a handicap last year. Now this leads to the first place.

Cowboys injured by call following questionable offense at equalizing goal

The Redskins overcome a litany of injuries in the victory over the Cowboys

The "mere presence" of Adrian Peterson was at the origin of the match of Redskins. So does his 99 yards.