RFK Stadium - Joe Theismann threw three touchdown passes and the Redskins took advantage of numerous Dallas mistakes to beat the Cowboys.

Late in the second quarter, the Cowboys were threatening to cut into the Redskins’ 14-3 lead with possession at the Redskin three. On third and goal, however, blitzing safety Ken Houston sacked Roger Staubach, forcing a fumble that Coy Bacon recovered to end the drive.

Washington extended its lead to 24-6 in the third quarter, but Dallas kept coming, scoring on a 19-yard pass from Staubach to Drew Pearson just over two minutes into the final quarter. The Redskins punted the ball back to Dallas, but linebacker Brad Dusek intercepted a Staubach pass at the Washington 39. That Washington possession ended with Joe Theismann throwing an 11-yard TD pass to Ricky Thompson to clinch the win.

The scoring, however, was not over. The Redskins felt that the Cowboys had run up the score in defeating them in Dallas the year before so, with nine seconds left, Mark Moseley was called in to kick a 45-yard field goal. "They gave us no excuses last year after what they did to us," Moseley said, "and I'm not going to make any excuses for kicking that field goal.”