It is one of the best times of the year for Dallas Cowboys fans. The Cowboys head to Maryland to battle their most hated rival, the Washington Redskins. What makes the Nov. 20 game even better is that the Redskins are in the middle of a free fall. As a Cowboys fan, there is nothing better than a struggling Redskins team.
The problem is that this does not mean the Redskins are not a dangerous team.
In 1989, Jimmy Johnson's first year as head coach, Dallas was horrible. Thanks in large part to a lineup of aging veterans, the Cowboys were out of contention. Dallas drafted two quarterbacks, hoping one of them might pan out. Troy Aikman was the first round draft pick for the Cowboys and they also brought in Steve Walsh in the supplemental draft.
Dallas also traded Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five players and six draft picks, including future stars in Emmitt Smith, Daryl Johnston and Mark Stepnoski. That trade made Walker more valuable than he was during his entire playing career for Dallas. It was obvious that Dallas was in the middle of a rebuilding year and they almost became the first team to finish a season without a win.
However, on November 5, 1989, Dallas went to Maryland to take on the Washington Redskins. The Redskins were sitting at 4-4 and the game seemed to be a foregone conclusion against a horrible Dallas team. It was also an important game for the Redskins, who were looking for a spark to get them moving in the right direction.
Somehow, Dallas stormed into Washington and held the Redskins to three points in the game. Meanwhile, Dallas running back Paul Palmer rushed for 110 yards and the only touchdown in the game. Steve Walsh started at quarterback over Aikman, throwing for 142 yards and Dallas kicker Roger Ruzek chipped in with two field goals. By the end, the Cowboys won their only game of 1989, beating the Redskins, 13-3.
To add salt to the wounds, the Redskins missed the playoffs in 1989 by one game. 1989 was a horrible year to be a Dallas fan, but thanks to Washington, there was one shining moment.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the '90s and the hard times of the '80s, Shawn never turned his back on America's Team.
Source: pro-football-reference.com
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