Flashback: Spurrier, Schottenheimer Fail to Deliver

The Redskins have lost nine consecutive games in Dallas. (That's a span of 3,579 days during which the Redskins have had five head coaches, seven starting quarterbacks -- just in Dallas -- and two owners.) Leading up to Monday night's game in Dallas, washingtonpost.com will look back on those agonizing defeats, two games a day.

Nov. 28, 2002: Another Thanksgiving Loss in Dallas

Steve Spurrier promised a game ball to owner Daniel Snyder the first time he beat the Cowboys, but was unable to deliver in his initial attempt.

In what was quickly turning out to be a disappointing first season for Spurrier, the Redskins held a 20-10 lead behind Danny Wuerffel in the second half before collapsing.

Reserve running back Kenny Watson let a pass slip out of his hands into the mits of Cowboys safety Roy Williams, who returned the ball five yards for the momentum-changing touchdown that trimmed Washington's lead to 20-17.

From that point on familiar Redskins killer Emmitt Smith took over, grinding out much of his 144 yards rushing on the day. As a team the Cowboys rushed for an astounding 211 yards.

The winning touchdown for the Cowboys came when Chad Hutchinson connected for a 41-yard fourth-quarter score to Joey Galloway, who beat reserve safety Andre Lott.

The Redskins' only win over the Cowboys this decade would come in the final game of that season, when they beat a listless Dallas team in a meaningless affair, 20-14.

October 14, 2001: Redskins Lose Battle of Winless Teams

The Marty Schottenheimer era in Washington started about as badly as anyone could have imagined with the Redskins losing its first four games by the combined score of 135-25.

In week 5 the Redskins faced a Cowboys team that was also 0-4 in one of the worst Monday Night Football games ever.

Each squad lived up to a well-earned reputation as arguably the league's most incredibly deplorable team, playing an ugly, mistake-filled game.

The first half produced just one Cowboy field goal and was so forgettable that Post columnist Michael Wilbon wrote, "By halftime, it was clear we weren't going to be entertained at Texas Stadium, merely held hostage by two sorry, no-account teams that should have been playing on Friday afternoon, not Monday night."

The score remained 3-0 into the fourth quarter until Dallas coach Dave Campo made the inexplicable decision to send rookie kicker Tim Seder out to attempt a 52-yard field goal. Seder missed badly and the Redskins took over at their own 42.