Allen, Redskins Rumble Over Cowboys Dallas Loses Aikman To Right Calf Injury As Washington Powers To 27-23 Victory

The Dallas Cowboys, used to pushing the rest of league around, were pushed around themselves by Washington.

In fact, the Redskins managed a pretty good impression of the Cowboys at their best.

Troy Aikman left the game early with a strained right calf muscle, but it was the defense that let Dallas down in a 27-23 defeat Sunday.

“Troy doesn’t play defense, and I’m not sure whether we could have beat them with Troy in the game,” said Cowboys coach Barry Switzer, adding that Aikman would be out 2-3 weeks. “The Washington Redskins deserved to win the football game from the start.”

Terry Allen, working behind a patchwork offensive line that blew the Cowboys off the ball, ran for 121 yards. Gus Frerotte threw two touchdown passes and the Washington defense held off a late Dallas rally.

“We did a good job from the start, showing them we weren’t afraid of them,” said Redskins left tackle Joe Patton, who in his second career start helped neutralize Dallas end Charles Haley. “We knew we had to come out and establish the run.”

Many of Allen’s yards - on 30 carries - came on second and third efforts. Suddenly, his moves looked like those of Emmitt Smith, and Frerotte’s connections with receiver Michael Westbrook had the look of Aikman-to-Michael Irvin as the Redskins picked on cornerback Clayton Holmes.

Allen’s 1-yard run in the third quarter that made it 27-10 was the first rushing touchdown against Dallas (4-1) this season. It capped 24 straight unanswered points by the Redskins (2-3).

Everyone in both locker rooms knew it was Washington’s running game that allowed the Redskins to take control.

“We knew what we had to do to beat them,” Allen said, “and in the huddle there, we realized we were doing it.”

The Cowboys lost Aikman when he grabbed his leg and fell backward after throwing a pass on their first possession. He was not hit on the play, but appeared to get his cleats caught in the natural grass.

“I stepped up and it just went out,” Aikman said. “They say 2-3 weeks right now. I’ll go and get the treatment and go one day at a time.”