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Newman Wins Rematch In Moss Showdown


LANDOVER, MD - When the Redskins handed the Cowboys their first loss of the season back in September, cornerback Terence Newman didn't tell reporters he was hurting. He didn't say he probably re-aggravated an injury that would need surgery.

All he said was that he played arguably the worst game of his career.

So how fitting was it that his first game back since the sports hernia surgery, it was not only against Washington, but it just might have been the best game of his career.

Newman was everywhere on defense, leading the Cowboys to a 14-10 win over the Redskins in a game that might have just saved their season.

If anything, it was certainly his best game this season and it couldn't have come a better time.

In the past when Newman has been hurt, the Cowboys have eased him back in the lineup, playing him occasionally in spot duty, mostly in the nickel.

Yeah, forget that.

Not this time. Not only did the Cowboys throw Newman back into the fire, but they challenged him to do something this defense rarely does.

But this game was different. Maybe it was a must-win-game, or maybe it was just really, really important.

Whatever you call it, the Cowboys needed it. And they needed their best players to step up.

And not only that, but shadow the Redskins' best players, too.

Newman did that and more.

OK, Santana Moss won the first battle at Texas Stadium, torching the Cowboys, and mostly Newman, for eight catches for 145 yards.

This time around, Newman was healthy, and the Cowboys made sure he followed Moss all over the field.

Right side, left side, in the slot. Wherever Moss went, Newman shadowed.

And not just before the play, most importantly, Newman followed Moss between the whistles, too.

Moss has been dubbed a "Cowboys killer" for blistering the Cowboys in recent years. But on this day, Newman put an end to that.

He shut down the Redskins' top receiver, holding Moss to five catches for a measly 29 yards.

Not only that, but Newman came up with an interception of his own, his first of the season, and ran stride for stride on a deep ball to Moss in the fourth quarter that ended up incomplete.

Later in the fourth quarter, with the Redskins driving for a go-ahead touchdown and facing a critical fourth-and-six, Jason Campbell's pass to Moss on the right side was knocked away by Newman, giving the ball back to the Cowboys with 6:40 to play.

As it turned out, Washington would never get the ball again as the Cowboys, or make that Marion Barber, ran out the clock.

When you get a big win like that, there are game balls to be passed around. Pass one to Barber, please, and one to Jay Ratliff, too. Let's just hand one over to Romo so he doesn't have to catch one on his pinkie, but the way he came back after missing a month was huge.

But to me, Newman's play was just as big.

Moss might have taken the first meeting. Newman dominated the rematch.

"I was pumped. The first game I played I was hurt, I tried to fight through it and I didn't have a great game," Newman said. "I wanted to get healthy and come out here because I kept hearing my name on television. I had something to prove so my focus was to come out here and play my game."

And the best part was that the Cowboys actually let Newman . . . play HIS game.

Yes, Newman got to do what he does best. That's playing in your face, physical and aggressive at the line of scrimmage and fight for the football every time it goes in the air.

Moss is the best Washington has. Newman is the best guy to stop him. It was the game within the game and Newman won it.

"We put Newman on Moss and he played a great game," head coach Wade Phillips said. "We had to shut down Moss and he did that. I thought he was ready to play. He was challenged and I knew he was the kind of guy that would meet the challenge. Terence, you could tell in practice he was ready to go. We told him we were going to challenge him and put him on Moss and that's what he did."

Newman said he didn't ask for it this week. Actually, he said he stopped doing that a few years ago because he knows it hasn't been the Cowboys' scheme. Whether it was Mike Zimmer running the defense or Phillips and coordinator Brian Stewart in the current system, the Cowboys just haven't allowed cornerbacks to follow receivers all over the field.

With two weeks to prepare and knowing the importance of stopping Moss, the Cowboys made an exception.

"We played a lot of zone last year and a lot this year," Newman said. "But tonight, we just went to the man (coverage). I think that really helped because I don't think the Redskins were expecting that. Hats off to our coaches for making the switch. And I'm glad they challenged me to cover Santana. I had something to prove."

Newman proved quite a bit Sunday night.

He proved the Cowboys could indeed stop Santana Moss. He proved that playing man-to-man fits his style much better than zone. He proved he could make a game-changing play in the clutch, something his critics have questioned over the years.

More than anything, Newman took another step forward in proving, that when healthy, he indeed is one of the NFL's top cornerbacks.

Debate that last part all you want. But the Cowboys don't win this game Sunday night without Newman.



Bennett Catch Proves To Be Game-Winner

On the play that won the game for the Cowboys, a 25-yard seam pass to Martellus Bennett, the rookie and his quarterback might have been thinking the same thing: High and tight.

For Tony Romo, it's instinct. When the defense does this, throw it high to the big tight end. For Bennett, cradling the ball in the sweet spot after going up to make the catch is a learned technique, the product of tight ends coach John Garrett's constant reminders. It was the second touchdown catch of the year for Bennett, with both coming on the same play call.

On the first, Bennett out-jumped a couple Rams defenders to score a garbage time touchdown in a blowout loss to St. Louis. He was forced to restrain himself that time, despite the pride inherent in the first touchdown of his career. But this time, after jumping over Redskins safety Chris Horton, Bennett was free to do his dance, giving the Cowboys their go-ahead touchdown in the eventual 14-10 victory over the Washington Redskins here at FedExField.

The rookie likened the difference between his first two NFL scores as the equivalent to kissing Halle Berry instead of Oprah Winfrey. Bennett is one of the team's best talkers, but even he tired of describing the touchdown in the postgame locker room. By the 15th time, he said, the story was straight.

"I lined up and saw man-to-man coverage," he said. "Romo had been telling me to be ready the whole day. I came off the line and voided the defensive end. Then it was like slow motion. I gave Horton a little in-and-out Allen Iverson crossover move, then I just broke past him and the ball was in the air.

"Romo threw it up and I just went up and made a play on the ball. Martellus see ball, Martellus catch ball."

The ball he caught ended the third quarter, and eventually proved to be the difference in the game. The ensuing point after gave the Cowboys a 14-10 lead. When Washington's next drive stalled out, the Cowboys rode Marion Barber the remaining 6:40 to clinch the sorely-needed win.

Had the Cowboys settled for a field goal on the drive to tie the game at 10, the ending might have played out differently, since Washington was well into field goal range on their next drive.

While there were some preseason doubts about Bennett's maturity, the 6-7, 260-pounder has an important role on the Cowboys offense. He has made a few timely catches, but is also a valuable blocker. He called Sunday's win his best game in both pass and run blocking.

"Probably so," Bennett said. "It's something I take pride in. I had 700 pancakes in three seasons (in college). I'm like the Orlando Pace of Texas A&M."

It's not above Bennett to engage in hyperbole, but his blocking really was an important part of the 117 yards the Cowboys piled up on the ground Sunday night. After the game, Romo described the touchdown pass to Bennett from his angle.

"I think it was a good play by him, no question," Romo said. "He goes up and gets the ball, that's fantastic. I put it where I wanted to there. You've got to hold the safety to the other side. (LaRon) Landry's a good player, if you just eyeball someone he's going to go get it before it gets there."

If he could have out-jumped Bennett, that is.



Barber Closes Out Redskins On Final Drive

Long before Terrell Owens gave him "The Barbarian" nickname, which is certainly fitting for his bruising running style, Marion Barber already had a nickname.

Former head coach Bill Parcells, stealing a baseball term, dubbed Barber as his "closer" for his ability to grind out yards and chew up the clock in the fourth quarter.

Sunday night, with the game, and maybe even the season on the line, Barber earned both nicknames with one drive.

When the Cowboys took over the ball with 6:40 to play and leading by four, Barber ferociously pounded away on the Redskins, touching the ball on 11 straight plays, including 10 carries.

In barbaric fashion, he closed out the game for the Cowboys, who stormed out of FedEx Field Sunday night with a 14-10 win.

"That last drive was just outstanding for us," head coach Wade Phillips said. "Marion Barber was certainly the catalyst for that last drive. But he runs that way all the time and when the game is on the line, he's the guy we can give it to. So we did."

Did they ever.

The Cowboys took over and had two goals in mind. Milk the clock and pick up yards. Barber did both.

Here's how the drive went: Barber for 5, Barber for 7 - first down. Barber for 8, Barber for 5 - another first down. By then, there were about four minutes remaining because not only had the Cowboys kept the ball on the ground, but Barber on one play alertly went to the ground before going out of bounds to keep the clock ticking.

After the four straight runs, the Cowboys went back to Barber, who got no yards on his fifth straight carry, and then two more on the next play to set up a key third-and-eight from the Redskins' 36. So instead of giving the ball to Barber, the Cowboys just threw it to him, as Tony Romo dumped off a short pass to the running back, who darted up the middle for 10 yards and yet another first down.

The next set of downs went - Barber for 2, Barber for 3, Barber for 4 and then with the Cowboys facing fourth-and-one on the Redskins' 17 with just 1:08 to play, the Cowboys weren't thinking field goal. They went back to Barber, who took a pitch the right and made three yards for another first down. From there, the Cowboys simply kneeled on the ball to run out the clock.

Add it all up and Barber finished the game with 116 yards on 24 carries and added another 39 yards on six catches.

While the Redskins had trouble corralling Barber, the Cowboys' PR staff actually did a better job, getting the camera-shy running back to stop for a few minutes and chat with reporters.

Asked about his 11 straight touches on the final drive, Barber shrugged it off.

"I worked hard in the off-season and in practice, and I had the energy at the end of the game," said Barber, who might not do many interviews, but at least knows who to praise. "When you have guys up front making holes, it can happen."



Cowboys Stymie Banged-Up Portis

Last season Clinton Portis was the only back to break the century mark on the ground against the Cowboys, doing so in the season finale at FedEx Field.

Then he outdid himself in Week 4 of this season, going for 121 yards at Texas Stadium. He had 225 yards against the Cowboys in just his last two games against what has generally been a stout run defense.

So when word came out Portis was going to start Sunday night, despite the sprained MCL that kept him out of practice all week, some eyebrow-raising would have been justified for the Cowboys defenders. Wade Phillips said the Cowboys prepared for Portis during the week's practice, even though Redskins coach Jim Zorn called him just "50-50" on Monday.

He was listed as questionable on the official injury report Friday, but worked out before the game to decide if he was well enough to play.

"Before the game I had to come back and warm up before everybody got here, and I felt good," Portis said following the Cowboys 14-10 victory here Sunday night.

"The pain, well once you get adrenaline and all that going, you block out the pain."

And then there was the Redskins' first drive of the game, when Portis looked nimble as ever, carrying five times for 29 yards, including a nine-yard burst on a fourth-and-one, setting up Washington's first touchdown. He entered the game with 995 yards rushing, good for second best behind Adrian Peterson ion the NFL, and topped 1,000 on his first carry.

A short field helped Washington score its first touchdown to go up 7-0, but its running game, and with it the Redskins offense, was never able to duplicate the same success the rest of the evening. Portis ripped off a 20-yarder in the third quarter, but had just 19 yards on nine other carries, combined. How much of his struggles were injury-related and how many were the result of good Cowboys run defense is uncertain, but Sunday marked the second time in as many games he has been held in check after five straight games with more than 120 yards.

Despite the relative ineffectiveness, Portis wasn't second-guessing his decision to play in such an important game in the playoff race. "I know (it will be sore), but I'll worry about that when it gets here," he said. "I think that I had the opportunity to get out and help my teammates, so I needed to be out there."



D-Line Comes Up Big

For the Cowboys defense to match its second-best effort of the season on the scoreboard, things had to go right at the point of attack. While the secondary and linebackers played well in the win, it was the defensive line turning in its trademark performance of 2008.

With the six-man unit in heavy rotation, the Cowboys were able to get a level of productivity out of their front that hasn't been consistently seen so far this season. The three-man line was crucial in limiting the Redskins to only 228 total yards, with just 92 yards on the ground.

The front made plays in the passing game, too. Jay Ratliff had two sacks and three hits on Washington quarterback Jason Campbell, while tallying six total tackles.

Marcus Spears had two tackles, both right at the line of scrimmage, while Tank Johnson had one stop behind the line. Chris Canty had a tackle and broke up two passes, and even Stephen Bowen was able to get pressure, hitting Campbell once.

Ratliff applauded Spears specifically, and said his two sacks were the result of Washington's offensive line being forced to worry about pressure from other people.

"You had DeMarcus Ware, you had Greg Ellis rushing," Ratliff said. "That left me one-on-one, so I was just doing my job. All the credit goes to those guys, they did all the dirty work."

Spears said the unit's ability to make big stops against the run was important. All the activity at and behind the line of scrimmage wasn't present when Washington beat the Cowboys 26-24 earlier this season at Texas Stadium.

"We played smart," Spears said. "The last game we played them, we watched the film and there were a lot of guys getting out of their gaps. We just played sound football. We were where we were supposed to be. We all got on the board and we all made some plays. Anytime we do that, we're probably going to have success."



Overlooked Return?

While Tony Romo and Terence Newman had impressive returns after extended absences, don't forget about guard Kyle Kosier.

His teammates haven't. As Terrell Owens was leaving the locker room Sunday, he turned to teammate Roy Williams and said, "The guy we don't ever talk about is Kyle Kosier. He makes a big difference in there."

Kosier made his return to his starting left guard spot after missing the last six games with a foot injury he re-injured against Green Bay in Week 3 after missing the first two games with the same injury.

"It felt great to finally get back out there get the job done," Kosier said. "I wasn't thinking about (the injury). I was just going out there and playing. It was good. I said that I'm healthy and I'm just going for it."

While he might have been a little winded with his first game back in almost two months, Kosier said blocking for Marion Barber helps energize the line as well.

"Oh yeah, when you got a guy like Marion back there," Kosier said, "he energizes the entire offense with this running style. He was great tonight."



Game Points

* Cowboys cornerback Anthony Henry suffered a cramp in the third quarter while covering Antwaan Randle El and never returned. Rookie Mike Jenkins replaced him for the rest of the game.

* Among the Cowboys' game-day inactives were three injured players who did not make the trip - Felix Jones (hamstring), Isaiah Stanback (shoulder) and Bobby Carpenter (groin). The Cowboys also did not dress linemen Doug Free, Joe Berger and Montrae Holland, cornerback Quincy Butler and Brooks Bollinger was the inactive third quarterback.

* For the fourth time this season, the Cowboys did not give up a sack. Romo had only been dropped seven times in the first six games. When he went out, the Cowboys yielded 10 sacks in three games.

* Terence Newman's interception was just the fourth of the season for the Cowboys, and only the second by a cornerback, following Mike Jenkins' pick against the Giants.

* The Cowboys won the time-of-possession battle for the first time in three games. Owning the ball for 31 minutes, 14 seconds, it was a drastic change for the Cowboys from the first meeting with the Redskins, when they possessed the ball for just 21:51.

* Whether it was rust from a three-game absence, or the swirling winds at FedEx Field, Tony Romo had his lowest quarterback rating of the season at 72.8. His two interceptions were QB-rating killers, although the second one bounced into the air after Terrell Owens lost possession from a jarring tackle. In the three games before his injury, Romo had thrown three touchdowns in each of the three games, with a total of just two interceptions.

* While he has yet to record a 100-yard receiving game, Terrell Owens had his third straight game of five catches. Owens had five grabs for 38 yards, equaling the 5-for-36 against the Giants and 5-for-33 against. Tampa Bay.



Short Shots

The Cowboys won in Washington for the first time since 2004, when they edged the Redskins in a Monday night game, 21-18 . . . The Cowboys are now 25-26 in all-time games at Washington . . . Terrell Owens passed Emmitt Smith (3,012) for 13th place in the Cowboys' record books for receiving yards. Owens now needs just 44 yards to move past Kelvin Martin . . .