When George Allen moved from head coach of the Los Angeles Rams to the same position with the Washington Redskins in 1971, the NFC East rivalry between the Redskins and Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys accelerated to a new level. The intense competition continued when Jack Pardee replaced Allen in 1978.

The 1979 NFC East season came down to the final weekend when the Redskins visited the Cowboys with the teams tied with 10-5 records. The winner-take-all finale would prove to be the most exciting game in the Dallas-Washington rivalry to that point.

The Redskins had beaten the Cowboys 34-20 in the nation's capital November 18. It was safe to say that Dallas was the team on the warpath for the rematch even after clinching a playoff berth the week before. They wanted to beat Washington not only to win the division but also to knock the Redskins out of the playoffs.

Rookie Cowboys DE John Dutton said, "I've never gone into a game mad at anyone before. But I just didn't like what they did to us up in Washington — spraying us with water, the last-sec­ond field goal" (when they already had the game won). "It showed me a team with no class. It puts a bad name on pro football."

Welcome to the cutthroat rivalry, John Dutton.

Pardee increased the Cowboys' determination when he said, "Dallas no longer is on a ped­estal. They aren't much better than anyone else now."

With 6:54 left in the game, the Redskins led 34-21 thanks to two fourth-quarter touchdowns by bruising FB John Riggins. One was a 1y plunge and the other was a 66y breakaway on a simple draw play that came after Dallas QB Roger Staubach threw an interception. After the second TD, the entire Redskins team ran on the field and taunted the Cowboys about being "America's Team."

Dallas had fought back from a 17-0 second-quarter deficit to take a 21-17 third-quarter lead on RB Robert Newhouse's 2y run. But the Redskins responded with a 24y field goal by Mark Moseley early in the fourth quarter followed by the Riggins' touchdowns. The Cowboys' three-year reign as NFC East champs seemed threatened.

"It looked bad when Riggins scored," said Dallas RB Preston Pearson after the game. "I know nobody gives up, and it's never over until the final whistle and all that, but ... well, we'd let things get away from us."

Even Captain America, otherwise known as QB Roger Staubach, fought depression when down by 13 with 6:54 left in the game. But the Cowboys next possession didn't do anything except run more clock.

"I need another chance," he was thinking. "I've put us in bad shape. I need another shot — for myself as well as the team."

Up in the Dallas suite, owner Tex Schramm said, "We need a damned miracle. I don't know if we've used up our ration, but we need another miracle."

Some of the crowd of 62,867 were leaving the stadium when Dallas got the break it needed. When Washington RB Clarence Harmon took a handoff, Cowboys S Cliff Harris met him immediately and banged his helmet into Harmon's midsection. That jarred the ball loose and into the hands of DT Randy White lying on the ground.

"I couldn't have got out of the way of that ball if I'd tried," said White. "It was like we were supposed to have that ball."

Staubach recalled, "It was opportunity that had 'Last One Available' stamped all over it."

Roger completed passes of 14y to WR Butch Johnson, 19y to WR Tony Hill, and 26y to RB Ron Springs for the touchdown. Washington 34 Dallas 28 with 2:20 left.

White knew the Cowboys had much more to do to pull off the victory.

"The way Riggins was running ... They played ball control so well. They only needed one first down to force us to use all our time outs."

The Redskins soon faced third-and-two at their 33. Make this first down and the game is won.

Riggins had already gained 153y, a career best for a game. To no one's surprise, he got the ball for his 22nd carry of the game. LDT Larry Cole was ready.

"I took two gambles," Cole said. "One was that he would get the ball, which wasn't something you needed to be a brain surgeon to figure out. The other was that he would run right."

At the snap, Cole charged to his left. If Riggins had run the other way, Cole would have taken himself out of the play. Instead, he ran directly into Big John for a 2y loss to force a punt.

Landry said, "Cole's play saved us two timeouts."

After a punt, the Cowboys had the ball at their 25 with two timeouts and 1:46 left.

Staubach: "We suddenly realized that we didn't have to rush. We had time."

Staubach called a play for TE Billy Joe Dupree but gave WR Hill special instructions: "If your man 'dogs' you, run a Fast Nine."

In other words, if Washington blitzes, CB Lemar Parrish would move to the line of scrim­mage in Hill's face to "dog" him man-to-man. That meant the Cowboys wouldn't have time for any intricate pass patterns. A "Fast Nine" was a simple fade to the corner of the end zone.

Landry told Roger to line up under center rather than in shotgun formation to get the ball away a split second sooner.

Sure enough, two linebackers came on the snap. Roger lobbed a pass that landed softly into Hill's hands in the end zone just beyond Parrish's reach with 39 seconds left.

Parrish: "It was perfect. Anything else I could have covered. It was a perfect play."

Rafael Septien added the go-ahead PAT. Dallas 35 Washington 34

There was time for one more controversy. The Redskins advanced to the Dallas 41 after the kickoff. After the last play, Theisman tried to call timeout to get the field goal unit on the field, but the referee ruled that time had run out.

FINAL SCORE: DALLAS 35 WASHINGTON 34

Harvey Martin presented the Redskins with an early Christmas gift right after the game. He hurried to the Redskin locker room door and, surrounded by sports reporters and photographers, tossed a wreath into the room.

"They sent this to me me this week," explained Martin. The wreath was inscribed with the message, "You'll need the sympathy after the game." He added, "It was perfect. Washington deserved what they got. They got nothing. They deserve to be home for Christmas. We have more class than they do."

Jack Pardee told the press, "I'm heartbroken."

Cowboys WR Drew Pearson had caught a last-minute pass to beat Minnesota in a 1974 playoff game when Staubach said a "Hail Mary" when he was floored just after releasing the ball. But now Pearson said, "This puts Hail Mary in second place."