Tag: “Dallas Week”

Commanders don’t do ‘Dallas Week’ these days

Washington fans from long ago remember how special “Dallas Week” was through the years.

Those old enough to recall Washington vs. Dallas NFL games will recall the term “Dallas Week.”

Dallas had won the division five consecutive seasons from 1966-1970 and Washington only had one single winning season those years (1969) when they were 7-5-2.

George Allen was hired to be the new Washington head coach, and he instantly talked of how Dallas had owned the division but Washington was going to fight for the division.

In his first season, Washington headed to the old Cotton Bowl Stadium to face the Cowboys in Week 3. During the week, Allen began to refer to the week as “Dallas Week.”  What followed shocked one city and excited the other.

Both teams were 2-0 when Washington went to Dallas to face the defending conference champs in a wet, rainy game. Washington shocked the NFC Champion Cowboys 20-16.

Allen had fired up the city the week of the game, and when the team arrived at Dulles Airport Sunday night, thousands of fans were at the airport to greet the victors back home. “Dallas Week” had been born!

“Dallas Week” continued to be huge through the George Allen years (1971-77). There were huge wins for both teams, and both became in the top tier of NFC teams.

Dallas won the Super Bowl that 1971 season and Washington returned the next season to defeat Dallas in the NFC Championship game 26-3 at RFK.

In 1973, Brig Owens had a fourth-quarter pick-six, and then Ken Houston stopped Walt Garrison on the one-yard line to hold on for a 14-7 win at RFK. In 1974, Roger Staubach was concussed, and his replacement Clint Longley threw two touchdown passes leading Dallas to a 24-23 Thanksgiving Day win.

Dallas, in 1979, won perhaps the greatest regular-season game in the storied rivalry. Washington led at Dallas 34-21 after a long John Riggins touchdown run. But Staubach brought back Dallas to win 35-34 in the final seconds.

Joe Gibbs (1981-92) had his fair share of big wins and losses against Dallas. Washington won the 1982 NFC Championship game over Dallas 31-17 at RFK. In the 1983 season opener, Washington led 23-3 at the half at RFK, but Dallas stormed back to win 31-30. When the teams met late in the year at Dallas, both were 12-2. Washington crushed Dallas 31-10. The next season in Dallas, the Cowboys led 21-6, only to see Washington come back and win 30-28.

1989 was a miserable year for Dallas as they went only 1-15. Yet, that win was at RFK against Washington. In 1991, Dallas at home led Washington 21-10 on MNF. But Washington came back to win 33-31, went on to win their first 11 games of the season, and then lost at RFK to Dallas.

The 1995 Cowboys were again dominant, winning their third Super Bowl in four seasons. But strangely they lost both times to an ineffective 6-10 Washington team.

Yes, back in those days, it was “Dallas Week.” Today, the DMV appears to have mostly fickle, bandwagon fans, nothing like the 70-90s years. “Dallas Week” means little to the fan base compared to what it did for 30 years dating from George Allen’s arrival.

Tuesday, former Washington tight end Rick “Doc” Walker was filling in for Kevin Sheehan on his Team 980 radio program. Walker talked often of “Dallas Week” of how he missed the energy it once provided the DMV.

Walker also talked with two former Washington defensive greats, defensive tackle Darryl Grant (1981-1990) and defensive end Dexter Manley (1981-89) who were both teammates with Walker (1980-85).

This week has no energy, no juice as the rivalries’ games did in the past. We can only hope the new administration will bring back “Dallas Week” once again to the DMV.

When they Last Met: Dallas at Washington

Dallas and Washington last met just two weeks ago. Washington certainly hopes for a much better start this time around.

“When They Last Met” is an ongoing series during NFL seasons, recalling the preceding game between Washington and the next opponent on Washington’s schedule.

Dallas 27, Washington 20 – Week 14, December 12, 2021

In a game that was merely two Sundays ago, yet Washington fans would like to forget altogether, Dallas scored five times in the first half, going up by 24 points on their way to a 27-20 win over Washington.

The Washington offense (both running and passing) was virtually impotent in that first half. Washington permitted the Dallas defense to put them in terrible third-down situations throughout the half.

In fact, Washington faced seven third downs in the first half. Not once was a Washington third down where they needed less than six yards for a first down. https://washingtonfootballwire.usatoday.com/2021/12/14/did-you-notice-the-third-downs-washington-football-team-dallas-cowboys/

Washington QB Taylor Heinicke had a screen pass intercepted and returned 12 yards by Randy Gregory, leading to a Dak Prescott to Amari Cooper 7-yard TD. Heinicke then coughed up a fumble in which Dorance Armstrong returned 37 yards for a touchdown, and it was 18-0 before the second quarter began.

Heinicke’s day was his worst thus far, completing only 11 of 25 for a mere 122 yards (4.9 ypa) one touchdown, one interception and one fumble lost for a touchdown.

The Dallas defense was THE dominant factor of the game and interestingly enough Prescott was not impressive either. He completed 22 of 39 passes for 211 yards (5.4 ypa) with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Dallas up 27-8 early in the fourth quarter, seemed to relax when Kyle Allen led Washington on a 73-yard 13 play drive as Jonathan Williams’ 1-yard run made it 27-14.

Prescott then compounded matters when he threw a pass directly to Washington linebacker Cole Holcomb who promptly returned it 31 yards, narrowing the Washington deficit to 27-20.

Unfortunately for Washington, its comeback ended when Allen was sacked on the WFT’s final drive, leading to a questionable fumble.

Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said Cowboys ‘will win’ Sunday

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said his team “will win” Sunday. Has “Dallas Week” returned?

Dallas Week may have returned to Washington, at least for this year anyway.

If you were not around following the Washington – Dallas rivalry of George Allen years, you just don’t know what “Dallas Week” meant.  During the Joe Gibbs years, certainly Washington had huge games with Dallas, yes, but the buildup of George Allen (1971-77) remains unmatched. In fact, it was Allen who coined the term, “Dallas Week”.

Today, Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said, “We are going to win this game. I am confident in that. The prep that is going into it; more importantly we want to improve too along the way… They are working hard, we are working hard. But we are clearly planning on going to Washington to win the game. There is no doubt about that.”

Personally, I don’t think he sounded that confident when he felt he needed to explain it.

Yet, it was a sound bite that would attract responses.

WFT coach Ron Rivera responded.

I certainly agree with Rivera “that is interesting, but it is not important.”You don’t focus on those things; you focus on preparing yourself to play on Sunday”. On the other hand, why then feel the need to explain your response further? Sometimes less is more.

In my personal opinion, Jonathan Allen had the best perspective when he replied, “The only guarantee in this world is death and taxes” (Benjamin Franklin).

Bobby McCain added, “We will let him (McCarthy) focus on being confident. We will focus on winning…”

As J P Finlay reminded Thursday amidst all the “talk”, Dallas’ three best pass rushers Randy Gregory, DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons could all be together again for the first time since Week 1.

So I am hoping for the WFT to keep their mouths shut, and simply come out and run the ball straight at the speed of the Dallas pass rushers.

Today, words also came to mind my dad told me more than a few times growing up in Berryville, VA, “Boy, there is a good reason why God gave you two ears and one mouth”.

In other words, the wise man is quick to listen and learn and much slower to speak.