Phil Hicks

IRVING - About the only thing Terrell Owens dropped on Sunday was the Jason Campbell Hail Mary pass that he batted down to help ensure the Dallas Cowboys' victory at Texas Stadium.

Owens was doing his part to help a defense that was just trying to hang on as he was inserted as a defensive back with five seconds on the clock.

"Hey, if they call it a drop, so be it," laughed Owens, who had eight catches for 173 yards and four touchdowns. "It's just something we do at the end of the game. I am told not to let anyone get behind me and to knock it down."

Which is exactly what he did on the final play of the game as Campbell threw from the 50.

The Cowboys defense appreciated the help as Dallas hung on for a thrilling 28-23 victory over the Washington Redskins in a game that reminded one of why the teams are such great rivals.

Both quarterbacks - Tony Romo (22 of 32 for 293 yards, four TDs) and Campbell - were at their best and their best receivers - Owens and Santana Moss - showed why they are tops in the league.

And the pass and catch combos had to be at their best as both defenses shut down the running game.

Dallas held Clinton Portis to just 36 yards and a team total of 62, while the Redskins shut down the Cowboys' two-headed duo of Marion Barber III (43 yards) and Julius Jones (27 yards) for a team total of 72.

Campbell picked up the slack for the Redskins with one of his best games - hitting on 33 of 54 pass attempts for 348 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite receiver, of course, was Moss with nine catches for 121 yards and a TD. But tight end Chris Cooley (8-89, one TD) and Antwaan Randle El (7-53) gave the Dallas secondary fits.

But it was perhaps Campbell's only interception that turned the game into the Cowboys' corner.

With Washington trailing 28-23 and facing a third-and-10 at the Dallas 19, Campbell, with no one open and the Dallas pressure closing in, tried to force a pass to Randle El and up jumped Terence Newman with the interception much to the delight of the vocal crowd.

"(Newman's interception) was huge," Dallas linebacker Bradie James said. "He's been waiting to have a breakout game, and sometimes you don't know when it's going to come, but it came up at the end of the game and that was big. We were holding our breath and it changed with what he was able to do as he went out there and caught the ball and changed the field position for us."

The Cowboys were on their back heels when Newman came through. With Campbell throwing almost 60 times, the team was pretty much spent.

"... Our offense carried us and made some great plays," Dallas defensive end Marcus Spears said. "Eighty-one (Owens) and nine (Romo) showed up as usual, but we were able to get the stop when we needed it and that's the most important part."

It was a key win as the Cowboys completed a three-game sweep of NFC East teams - Eagles, Giants and Redskins.

The Cowboys are 9-1 with the Giants next at 7-3, followed by the Redskins (5-5) and Eagles (5-5).

Still, Dallas coach Wade Phillips does not want his team to look ahead.

"Well, we got a game coming up quick (Jets on Thanksgiving)," Phillips said. "... I told them they can start celebrating until tomorrow at 3 o'clock when we start meetings on the Jets.

"With six games left, we got a good lead, but like I said, most importantly is the next game."

With focus like that, the Cowboys may be in Arizona in February.

Phil Hicks
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