13 points Dallas lead and Rippon airs it out for Sanders and overthrows him by a good six or seven yard and that's an easy Washington touchdown.
Ricky Sanders was two to three yard past the closest Dallas player.
That was almost out of the same area code, wasn't it?
He was wide open. All he had to do was lead him to the corner and you got a quick six.
On its opening night nobody's going to win the Super Bowl tonight but Dallas is sending a pretty good message out.
One of the men that's been kind of subtle because he has not gotten to Rippon that much has been the play of Charles Haley.
What they didn't do last year, they had 23 sacks, they only had 12 interceptions.
He's going to make a major difference in their pass defense.
I mentioned the word attitude before. I mean the attitude tonight has belonged to the Dallas Cowboys.
They have out hustled the Redskins.
And Rippon gets hit as he throws as Leon Lett.
Leon Lett who didn't figure to play that much tonight but is getting an opportunity because of the injuries to the defensive line, the absence of Casillas in Maryland and very much making his presence felt all night long.
Out of emporious state.
Big 6'6", 287 pounds and he has been going sideline to sideline tonight.
Third and 10.
Cowboy offense exhorting the defense.
Lunk in motion.
Here comes Haley with a spin move. Rippon throws, gets it away. Catch is made by Biner, knocked down by Gant.
Short of the first down. This is a critical deal now for the Redskins. They almost have to go for it.
I mean there's no hesitation.
Donnie Warren coming right into the lineup with two touchdowns giving you the win.
A field goal is really not of any importance.
You would still need two more scores after a field goal so the Redskins have to get a first down.
Fourth and three at the 35 yard line.
Rippon looking over the Cowboy defensive alignment.
And after the short count, looking to the right, lofting it for Monk who turns around, can't make the catch but draws the flag.
Isaac Holt holding him.
Isaac Holt is going to draw the flag but he could have just let him go and chances are that ball would not have been caught. The coverage was there.
Pass interference, defense number 30. First down, it's a foul.
You're exactly right Frank.
Guy who has consistently drawn the wrath of Jimmy Johnson is Isaac Holt. He's a free-wheeler, he's prone to gamble.
And that time the biggest penalty of the game for the Cowboys results in a Washington first down on fourth down.
And the ball was there.
But Holt was just tied up with Art Monk.
That's Kevin Smith, the number one draft pick out of Texas A&M.
And the Southwest Conference record.
There's Schlereth moving. There's Schlereth moving at right guard and we'll have another false start on the Redskins.
Smith, the number one draft pick and not brought in just to push Isaac Holt either.
False start, offense number 69 prior to the snap.
Five yard penalty, still first down.
This is, I have never seen the Redskin offense. Here's Schlereth right here watching him come rocking back out.
I mean just as Ripon is reaching under center, I have never seen the Redskin offense this sloppy and unorganized.
First and 15 at the 32 yard line.
Sanders run out of bounds by Norton.
That time Schlereth doesn't even come up out of his stance. And Ripon's down but now up.
Yeah and Jimmy Jones just blows through the line.
They are having some kind of a miscommunication. Watch this.
I mean it's like we're not even exploding, we're not even getting back off the ball and Ripon is paying a terrible price.
There's Jim Hannafin, the offensive line coach and it's, I don't think it's coaching.
It appears to be something between line and quarterback.
Here comes Jones on a blitz on second and 11 and the rookie from East Carolina comes flying through to force that issue.
That's blocking. That's got nothing to do with the quarterback. That's just not picking up the middle linebacker.
Ripon's slow getting up again and nobody even touched Jones coming right up the middle.
And Joe Gibbs says let's regroup. I want a little time to talk to my quarterback and I want to regroup.
A nightmare for Jim Hannafin, the line coach. It's a safety blitz and a middle linebacker blitz.
You can only pick up one of them. Bostic elects to pick up Horton but the closest man comes through untouched.
That picture of Joe Gibbs really said it all calling for a timeout after an incomplete pass.
Just to get regrouped as Dan said, third and 11 at the 28 yard line.
Here come the Cowboys, Ripon off balance, throws a prayer and that's incomplete.
Monk looks for the flag but doesn't get one. Kevin Smith, the rookie covering on the play.
It was jostled around now but that ball was uncatchable until it didn't get the flag.
I can understand Joe Gibbs' concern. He's had a quarterback that's only sacked seven times all last year.
He's been sacked twice tonight and almost killed on a couple of other occasions.
There's the jostling and pushing on the part of the first round graphic, number 26 Kevin Smith.
But that ball was so far overthrown that wouldn't draw the flag. Uncatchable.
Fourth and 11 at the 28. Under six minutes to go. Cowboys up by 13.
They have to get to the 17 and Ripon going for it all and that is incomplete.
Out of bounds intended for Gary Clark and not even close. Ray Horton there to fuss it up.
He certainly didn't want to intercept it because he would have lost about eight yards on him.
He made the diving attempt for the interception just not quite aware of where he was.
Maybe caught up in the euphoria. What's going on?
The Cowboys are busy trouncing the Redskins. Horton must have knocked the wind out of himself or even worse.
He's still down on the ground. Good coverage.
The zone once again pays off big for Dallas.
Mark Ripon the last time he played a game in anger he was the Super Bowl MVP.
Tonight a long night for him. A beautiful night for the Cowboys defensively.
They lead 23 to 10. First down from the 27 yard line and Emmett Smith pans his total up to the 34.
Making sure he doesn't fumble. Covering it with both hands. Tackled by Marshall.
You know you have to give a lot of credit to Dave Wants that the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys
came up with a game plan and a half tonight. And his guys executed it with vigor.
He's in the front row lower right as we look at it.
Almost lost him to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The best off season from the Oklahoma State coach with Jimmy Johnson when he was there later at USC.
He joined Jimmy Johnson down in Miami and came with him to the Cowboys in 89.
Second and four up at the 34 as the clock ticks down. Dallas up by 13 points.
Emmett Smith again. Picking his way close to a first down. Tackle just past the 38 yard line.
Emmett Smith and his Cowboys will next play at the Meadowlands against the Giants next Sunday.
And Washington goes home to face Atlanta. And there he is the first man in the history of the league.
With four consecutive games a hundred yards or more rushing against Washington.
And Washington is a franchise that's been in existence since 1932.
So for the first time in 60 years it's happened against the Redskins.
Tonight 130 yards Emmett Smith. First down the 38 yard line. And a layer to that total. Picking up about four more Copeland than others in on the tackle up at the 42 yard line.
Well the question that a lot of people want to know about the Dallas Cowboys how it will be answered is is it this year or is it next year.
They have come a long way in a short period of time.
And Jimmy Johnson doesn't answer the question directly. He says if we don't do it this year we're just not quite experienced enough.
Washington went to work on the defense this year using two number one picks to get Kevin Smith who probably will become a starter.
Robert Jones the middle linebacker is a starter. That's where they needed the work.
Second and six. And it's Darryl Johnson making the catch. Picking up the first down staying in bounds at the 46 yard line.
Compensate for you with coaching with hustle with attitude and with players playing above what other people expect them to do.
And Jimmy Johnson love him or hate him has a track record that excels in all those areas. All his teams have always done the above.
And the work that he's done since he came to Dallas is nothing short of miraculous.
First and 10 at the 45 yard line. Hated by the trade of Herschel Walker for Boku draft choices.
But they have turned into good football players.
Earlier there were eight first round draft picks on the roster. There's six second round draft picks on the roster.
And they also have eight Plan B players. They've done a pretty good job in that front office.
Skins take a time out here to conserve some time with 231. And also about the Steve Walsh trade as well.
They send Walsh over to New Orleans. They get some draft choices in that one. Then they picked up Berline.
He's done a beautiful job as the backup. And you know it helps clearly to have an owner and a coach so in sync.
Because I mean Johnson has a tremendous amount of latitude here.
Hey Jerry Jones when he bought the ball club. People really kind of wondered what was going to happen.
When he fired Tom Landry and the way he did it unceremoniously.
And Landry a bit of a legend here. Legend in pro football.
Outwind Tech Schramm and the Gil Brand and all the legendary people at Dallas Cowboys.
And Jerry Jones then went 1-15 for the season with Jimmy Johnson and they really came down on him.
But they stuck with it. And as Dan mentioned the Herschel Walker trade was a big plus.
And they have really turned this thing around quickly. More than that they're filling the stadium.
And they're not doing it with mirrors. They're doing it with a good football team.
Second and nine at the 44 yard line. Here is Emmett Smith again. He picks up three yards here.
He now has 139 and I guess the only mystery is whether he'll be the leading ground gainer in the league after tonight.
At the moment Terry Allen of the Vikings with 140 yesterday including several in overtime is the leader.
Smith of course won the Russian Championship last year.
Timeout again called by Washington with 223 remaining.
They've called enough timeouts. Well Dallas will put it in the end zone again.
I wonder why Smith is still in there. Again there is a little short on running backs with the Dallas Cowboys.
Kervin Richards with a lacerated kidney. He probably would be available but nevertheless they'd like for him not to be in there.
But more than that the score is 23 to 10. A couple of touchdowns. It could be a Washington Redskins victory.
You just don't feel that way about it.
The Cowboys go to New York as we say to face the Giants and they come home against Phoenix and they have an open date.
And the next time we see Dallas on a Monday night it is October the 5th at Philadelphia.
Where they won last year. That ought to be a good game. Yes. Oh yes.
Monday October 5th Cowboy Eagles. The first Eagles game a year ago didn't they sack Cory Aikman 11 times? 11 times.
Which is the number of times Indianapolis got the Bernie Kozars. Yes.
Third and sixth at the 41 yard line. Aikman seeking to convert to the 30 yard line.
That's just about a wrap it up to Michael Urban.
First down for Dallas. The crowd can now breathe much easier.
And all in all even with a dropped pass or two a pretty sensational night for Michael Urban.
When you consider that the man's had just a couple of practices to get ready for this game.
Two minute warning as the Cowboys have slotted it away.
Except it counts tonight. Two minutes ago his team down by 13 and they could be down by 30.
I mean 23-10 is not an indication of the disparity between these two teams tonight.
Well Washington's lone touchdown in reality came after a disputed interception by Martin Mayhew.
They no longer can stop the clock. You'll just have to watch it. It's going to be a very painful couple of minutes.
This was an execution by the Dallas Cowboys and talent.
Talent was growing up. A lot of youngsters out there with another year under their belt.
Eleven and five a year ago they learned an awful lot.
Went up and knocked off Chicago. Lost in the playoff to Detroit.
Came away feeling they could beat anyone.