Contrary to what you may be hearing, the Redskins have won a game on Thanksgiving Day.
They came up big on both sides of the ball on turkey day in 1973 with a 20-0 win.
But the win was over the Lions in the only time they have played in that other traditional Thanksgiving game. Yes, they are 0-6 against the Cowboys on the fourth Thursday in November.
Here is a quick walk down that lane of not-so pleasant memories.
1968—Jim Ninowski, filling in for a flu-ridden Sonny Jurgensen, rallied the Redskins from a 17-0 deficit to the 20-19 fourth-quarter lead. But the Cowboys came back and took a 29-20 win.
1974—Clint Longley. Enough said.
1978—It was the home team all the way in this one as the Cowboys led 20-0 at halftime and coasted to a 37-10 lead.
1990—The Redskins and Cowboys were tied at 17 going into the fourth quarter but the Cowboys clinched their 27-17 win with a 48-yard Emmitt Smith touchdown run.
1996—Smith was the Redskins nemesis again as the scored three touchdowns in Dallas’ 21-10 win.
2002—Danny Wuerffel threw three touchdowns but he also threw three picks and one of them was a killer. With the Redskins holding a 20-10 third-quarter lead Wuerffel threw short from his end zone and was picked off by safety Roy Williams, who dashed five yards for the momentum-swinging score.
So, there you go. Six in a row. At least the turkey was good.
But Ninowski, Wuerffel, and Smith will not be playing on Sunday. The players will be Robert Griffin III, Tony Romo and Alfred Morris.
As we noted earlier today, the Cowboys are 5-0 on Thanksgiving with Romo in the lineup and it’s no coincidence. And it’s no coincidence as he has a 115 QB rating with 16 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions.
However, it is safe to say that Romo has never had to operate on Thanksgiving behind an offensive line like the one he will have in front of him tomorrow, especially if Tyron Smith, the left tackle and the best offensive lineman, is unable to go. Even the Browns’ mediocre pass rush was able to get seven sacks of Romo. That has to have the Redskins, who have struggled get to the passer all years, licking their chops.
But this game, like almost every Redskins game this year, will come down to RG3. If he can move the Redskins, protect the ball as well as he has all year, and put some points in the board, the Redskins can break Dallas’ Thanksgiving domination.
Usually the short preparation time for the Thursday game favors the Cowboys since they are so used to it and have it ingrained into their corporate DNA. But they need every available moment to prepare for Griffin and the Redskins zone read game. The quick turnaround will work against them this time around.
The Cowboys won’t know what hit them. This is the year.
Redskins 31, Dallas 21
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