By Gene Wang
Washingtonpost.com Correspondent
Web Posted: Sunday, October 4, 1998; 8:25 p.m. EDT

During their early part of the decade, the Dallas Cowboys won consistently with a power running game and the playbook was simple: Emmitt Smith right, Emmitt Smith left, Emmitt Smith up the middle.

The Cowboys went back to that game plan Sunday, and the result was the 50th 100-yard game of Smith's career and a 31-10 victory over the winless Washington Redskins at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium.

Smith gained 120 yards and scored a touchdown on 28 carries, while backup Chris Warren, also finished with more than 100 yards. Warren carried just 14 times but finished with 104 yards, picking up most of them on a 49-yard sweep off the right tackle with less than seven minutes to play.

"It's been a long time since two guys on the same team produced 100 yards," Smith said. "It's a tribute to the offensive line. We need to have that kind of consistency every week."

Consistency in the Dallas running game was the Redskins undoing today, as Smith wore down the interior of the defensive line before Warren put the finishing touches on the Cowboys third win against an NFC East opponent this season.

"It means a lot considering there were some question marks about what I could do," said Warren, who signed as a free agent during the offseason to help lighten Smith's workload.

At the start of the second half, however, it became clear that Smith was doing just fine by himself. The four-time NFL rushing champion carried four times for 21 yards during the opening drive of the third quarter. Behind Smith, the Cowboys marched 71 yards on seven plays, with Warren capping the drive on a six-yard touchdown run.

Then on the Cowboys final series of the third quarter, Smith uncorked his longest run of the game, sweeping left behind tackle Larry Allen and running 21 yards before being driven out of bounds.

"Is this the best running game we've had [this season]? I think it is. Statistically, I'm sure it is," Cowboys first-year coach Chan Gailey said.

The Cowboys did bully the Redskins at the line of scrimmage, gaining 224 yards rushing and averaging 5.2 yards per carry. In contrast, the Redskins managed only 92 yards rushing.

"Obviously we came back today with the running game," Gailey said. "I thought our inner running was the best it's been."

The Cowboys' running game returned against the Redskins a week after it was virtually nonexistent in a 13-12 loss at home to the Oakland Raiders. Smith gained 59 yards on 21 carries against the Raiders while the Cowboys finished with 68 total rushing yards.

So the coaching staff and players rededicated themselves to establishing the running game this week, especially considering the weak state of the Redskins' rushing defense. Washington entered the game ranked 29th out of 30 teams against the run.

"When you look at Chris and what I've been able to do over the years, you've got two guys who can get it done," Smith said. "We both want to do the same thing for the team, and that's win a lot of football games."