ARLINGTON, Texas -- A few thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys' 20-17 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium.
What it means: So much for the six-game winning streak. So much for starting 2-0 in the NFC East. Now the good news: At least Tony Romo was able to return to the game after taking a nasty hit on a third-quarter sack.
The game ended when a fourth-down pass to Dez Bryant was knocked away by Bashaud Breeland as Romo felt significant pressure.
The Cowboys, now 6-2, lost a chance to take control of the NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles losing on Sunday to the Arizona Cardinals. They also now must answer more question about the health of Romo, not to mention the health of linebacker Justin Durant, who left the game with an arm injury, and guard Ronald Leary, who suffered a groin injury.
The Cowboys had two key turnovers in the first half, including one at the Washington 10, and the defense was unable to come up with key stops on Washington's two second-half scoring drives.
With a chance to add to his legend, Romo was unable to deliver in part because the Cowboys had no answers for the Washington defense all night.
Need to do more: The Cowboys' defense has benefited this season from being on the field less because of the offense’s prowess. It was not as fortunate on Monday. The big plays that plagued the defense last year cropped up Monday. DeSean Jackson had catches for 45 and 49 yards. Alfred Morris had a 29-yard run. The Redskins scored on two 80-yard drives in the second half, overcoming a first-and-25 in the first drive and a first-and-15 in the second drive. But the defense rose up late in the fourth quarter. Jeremy Mincey picked up his first sack of the season, dropping Colt McCoy for a 4-yard loss to force a punt instead of a field goal attempt. In overtime the Cowboys allowed gains of 23 and 16 yards that set up the Redskins’ go-ahead field goal.
Game ball: Brandon Weeden had not played in such a meaningful game in his short career before Monday. With Romo ailing, Weeden came in and completed 4 of 6 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown to Jason Witten. He had not taken a snap in the regular season and had not thrown a pass in a game since Dec. 1, 2013, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Cowboys were willing to cut Kyle Orton after the veteran chose to stay away from the team in the offseason after seeing Weeden perform well in the spring.
Stock watch: DeMarco Murray continued his NFL record with his eighth straight 100-yard game to start a season, gaining 141 yards on 19 carries. He also had a career-high 80 receiving yards, but he fumbled for the fifth time this season, which took away a scoring chance at the Redskins’ 10 in the first half. Murray should reach his career highs in carries (217) and yards (1,121) in next week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Perhaps his biggest play was recovering a fumble at the Dallas 5 with 59 seconds to play in regulation.
What’s next: The NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals visit AT&T Stadium on Sunday as the Cowboys close out a three-game homestand. This will be the Cardinals' first game at the stadium.