If this didn't work for you see detailed instructions
By David Elfin
LANDOVER, Md.—In Week 3, the Dallas Cowboys beat the visiting Washington Redskins on a late Dan Bailey field goal that was set up by a big catch by Dez Bryant against DeAngelo Hall on third-and-long.
On Sunday at FedEx Field, the script was repeated.
Bryant's 26-yard catch from Tony Romo on third-and-15 with Hall covering put Bailey in position for the 39-yard field goal that lifted Dallas to a 27-24 win with 5:39 left overtime.
Hall, a three-time Pro Bowl pick, blamed himself for the loss.
"The way I'm playing right now, they need to cut me because I'm definitely not worth what I'm getting," Hall said. "You can't slip. I'm the reason we lost. Second time in a row against Dallas."
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan credited Romo with buying time with his feet to allow Bryant to get open, but the quarterback, who improved to 18-2 in November with 50 touchdown passes and just 12 interceptions, credited his receiver.
"Great job by Dez, wrapping in, then cutting back out on his route," said Romo, who might have been the goat if he had been penalized 5 yards for calling a timeout Dallas didn't have before the winning field goal, which barely tucked inside the goalpost. As it was, the refs charged a timeout to the Redskins, as coach Mike Shanahan was signaling for a timeout simultaneously.
Bryant, Romo and Bailey wouldn't have had a chance for the late heroics if Washington's Graham Gano hadn't been wide right on a 52-yard field-goal attempt 5:40 into overtime.
"No excuses, just missed it," said Gano, who was wide right on a 49-yarder in the third quarter with the Redskins having overcome a 10-0 deficit to take a 17-10 lead. "I love those opportunities (he beat Green Bay, Tennessee and Jacksonville in 2010 with overtime field goals), and to not pull through is very disappointing."
After Gano's miss in overtime, the Cowboys took over at their 42. On third-and-15, Romo stepped up in the pocket and got the ball to Bryant at the Washington 23-yard line. Bailey's kick came three plays later.
With its third straight victory, Dallas improved to 6-4 and moved within a half-game of the division-leading New York Giants, pending the Giants' night game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Washington, meanwhile, fell to 3-7 by losing a sixth straight game for the first since an 0-7 start in 1998.
The Cowboys have won three in a row this month and six of their past seven meetings with the archrival Redskins, although only two of the last 11 games have been decided by more than six points.
The Redskins led 17-10 as the fourth quarter began, but Romo scrambled and found receiver Laurent Robinson for a 7-yard touchdown on third-and-goal 17 seconds into the period. Seven plays after the Cowboys got the ball back, Romo rolled left and hit open All-Pro tight end Jason Witten, who raced 59 yards to the end zone with 8:48 remaining.
Orlando Scandrick intercepted Rex Grossman's bomb for receiver Anthony Armstrong on Washington's subsequent play, but the Redskins still had one threat left in them. Grossman completed passes to veteran receivers Jabar Gaffney (15 yards) and Donte Stallworth (20) and fullback Darrel Young (27), and with a holding call on Scandrick on fourth down, advanced the Dallas 16 with 1:16 to go.
A 9-yard toss to tight end Fred Davis made it first-and-goal at the 2. Stallworth beat reserve corner Alan Ball to the left corner on third down with 14 seconds left to force overtime, the third in the 42-year rivalry.
It seemed as if it was going to be all Dallas when the game began. The Cowboys gained 47 yards on their first six plays before the drive stalled at the Washington 35. Davis fumbled on the Redskins' third play. Safety Gerald Sensabaugh recovered at the Washington 24, and three plays later, Bryant got between Hall and Oshimogho Atgowe to grab Romo's 22-yard touchdown pass at the right pylon.
Early in the second quarter, Cowboys reserve receiver Jesse Holley beat Hall's soft coverage for 17 yards on third-and-12. Bailey booted a 37-yard field goal six plays later to extend the Cowboys' lead to 10-0.
Washington then dodged a bullet when a replay review determined that Grossman was down before the ball came loose on a quarterback sneak at his own 29.
After Dallas went three-and-out and Mat McBriar shanked a 32-yard punt, the Redskins had the ball at the Dallas 32. A 23-yard catch by receiver David Anderson, who had been signed on Nov. 8, with Scandrick (subbing for injured cornerback Mike Jenkins) covering on third-and-7 made it first-and-goal at the 6. Grossman took it over on third down with 3:59 to go in the second quarter for Washington's first touchdown in the first half since Week 4.
On the first possession of the third quarter, Grossman completed passes to Gaffney for 28 and Davis for 24 to set up Gano's 40-yard kick that made it 17-10. Later in the quarter, Banks' career-long 55-yard punt return gave Washington the ball at the Dallas 34, but Gano's 49-yard try was wide right.
