The “must win” movement has begun despite the Redskins’ best start since 1999.
Washington (6-3) meets Dallas (5-4) on Sunday with yet another postseason implication for the rivalry. It’s not a knock-out game, but the loser probably concedes the NFC East championship to New York (8-1) despite six games remaining. The wild card race has five teams contending for two slots so Sunday night’s loser will keep facing “must win” games the rest of the season.
“You start getting past the midway point of the season and they all become playoff games,” Redskins offensive tackle Jon Jansen said. “The Giants are trying to distance themselves from everybody else and we have to keep pace. The third quarter [of the season] … you have to be mentally tough to win at this time of year.”
“Must win” echoed through Redskins Park. This might be the first time in nearly two decades that a 10-win team misses the postseason. The Redskins haven’t won in three weeks and spent 10 days hating on a bad loss. Early-season road victories over Dallas and Philadelphia aren’t forgotten, but an extended offensive malaise has tempered one-time Super Bowl hopes around town. Running back Clinton Portis’ sprained knee doesn’t help.
“We’ve had some big wins and that built confidence that’s not easy to shake away,” Jansen said.
The Cowboys’ confidence seems shaky despite the return of injured quarterback Tony Romo. Dallas lost two of three while Jessica Simpson’s boyfriend’s hand mended, though two defensive meltdowns didn’t help the Cowboys. Coach Wade Phillips’ job security is suspect. If the Cowboys can’t afford another loss to reach the playoffs, owner Jerry Jones can’t afford to miss the postseason with a $1.3 billion stadium opening next year.
“It’s an important game, everybody knows that,” Phillips said. “We can still win 11 games [if losing to Washington], but this one is the most important.”
Redskins coach Jim Zorn echoed Phillips, saying, “If you want to stay alive and keep your goals ahead of you, and we certainly do, it actually should be billed as a ‘must’ game.”
Two “must-win” mantras in mid-November by winning teams?
“Both have positioned themselves to make a run,” said NBC analyst John Madden, who will call the game. “It’s a ‘must’ game to get started to make a run to get to the playoffs. … NFC East football in November sounds good and smells good.”
Rick Snider and Examiner reporter John Keim are among the co-authors of “America’s Rivalry! The 20 Greatest Redskins-Cowboys Games.” E-mail him at [email protected].
