IRVING, Texas - Run the ball and stop the run - the two most basic principles of any football game. Any coach on any level will preach that to his team. Do those two things well and you probably win.
The Cowboys didn't do either. That's why they're no longer undefeated.
The Redskins came into Texas Stadium for the final time, at least in the regular season, and beat up the Cowboys in the trenches. Right on the line of scrimmage - on both sides - Washington was the better team. Therefore, the Redskins were the better team on the scoreboard, where it obviously counts the most.
The fact the Redskins came in here and beat up on the Cowboys isn't that surprising. We all know about this rivalry and how close these division games can be. Washington played the Cowboys close last year here at home and whipped a depleted team in the final game of the season.
So the Redskins' 26-24 win here Sunday afternoon isn't a big shock.
The fact the Cowboys rushed for just 44 yards, including just 26 from their running backs, is a huge surprise.
This is the same football team that plowed through the Packers' defense last week in Lambeau Field, ripping off 217 yards in one game? Well, now they have 261 in two games.
When did Dave Butz and Dexter Manley come back? These Redskins came in here with guys like Demetric Evans, who barely made this Cowboys' team back in the porous 2001-02 years, and shut down the run.
Now, to the Cowboys' defense, they only had 11 carries. Wait, is that really in defense?
Or should we question just why Marion Barber gets only eight carries in the game? Or better yet, why in the world did Felix Jones not get a carry or a pass thrown his way?
When did this game turn into a blowout? At what point, did the Cowboys decide that they just couldn't run it against Washington?
It makes no sense why I tied with Felix Jones on offensive snaps in the game with zero.
Here's a guy who has scored a touchdown in each of his first three games and had a chance to join an exclusive group of only three other players to have scored a touchdown in their first four pro games.
That didn't happen, obviously. But not getting one touch on offense is amazing.
OK, so the Cowboys did have Jones in the lineup for a few plays. And it was clear his presence on the field helped open up the first touchdown pass to Jason Witten. The Cowboys had snuck Jones into the game and lined up him just behind Tony Romo as a fullback. He then motioned out to the left side, where not only did linebacker Marcus Washington follow him, but he pointed it out to safety LaRon Landry, who also flooded that side of the field. In leaving his own spot, Witten darted straight to the end zone for a touchdown, his first of the season.
The Cowboys used Jones in a few more plays, and for the most part, he would motion out to a wide receiver position, where the Redskins would often match him up with a safety.
Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said Felix Jones was in the game, but the Redskins' stacking the line of scrimmage prevented them from calling more plays for the rookie.
"Sometimes the game takes you certain places," Garrett said. "We tried to get him in on certain things as the game progressed. Yeah, we'd like to get him more opportunities. He's that kind of player. But just as the game went, we weren't able to get him his chances."
But what I don't understand is why Jones just can't get his own series. Even Julius Jones got a few of those last season, and I think we're all in agreement that Felix is a better fit for this offense.
But the Cowboys need to give Felix Jones a designated series where he is THE running back. Not a change-of-pace back. Not a third-down back and not a complimentary back. Not for this one series or two.
He's a playmaker. He's one of the fastest players on the offensive side of the ball and he needs touches.
Just because he may not be an every-down back, doesn't mean he's not an any-down back.
"He has a specific role that he plays," head coach Wade Phillips said of Jones, whose only touches came on four kickoff returns, for a total of just 54 yards. "The plays that he works on, they aren't really come-from-behind plays. They are more normal-game situation plays. We will be more and more comfortable with him as he learns more."
Learns more? He knows sweep left. He knows halfback dive. Again, I didn't remember when the Redskins were so far in front that the Cowboys had to abandon the run, especially from a player who is considered your best home-run hitter. If he has the talent and skills to take it to the house on any play, then feed him the rock.
"I was ready today, but there's really nothing I can do," Jones said. "I just wait until my number is called. I can't really get (upset) about it. I always want the ball. But I just have to be ready all the time. Today, we just didn't get many opportunities."
Makes no sense to me. But OK, if you don't feel as comfortable with giving the ball to Felix, then at least get it more to Barber.
Eight carries for 26 yards? He got 15 on one carry. The commitment to the running game just wasn't there. And that is a shock, considering what the Redskins had to do to stop Terrell Owens and Witten.
Did anyone see where Landry was lining up for most of the game? Of course you didn't. Even your widest of widescreen plasmas probably didn't get Landry in the picture. This dude was sometimes 25 yards off the ball. There were at least five plays when I thought he was playing for a quick kick.
So obviously, the Redskins weren't stacking the line too much. The lack of rushing attempts shows the Cowboys just didn't have the same game plan to pound the ball like they have done so far this season.
They ran the ball 31 times in Cleveland, then 24 against the Eagles before 35 totes last week. And they get to the rough-and-tough division game with the Redskins and they run 11 times, three of which came from Terrell Owens and Tony Romo.
I liked the play with Owens, but I couldn't help but wonder why Felix Jones couldn't do that as well.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, when you're not running the ball well, or at all, you rely on the passing game and for some reason, it was off.
Yeah, I see that Tony Romo passed for 300 yards and three touchdowns. But anyone could see that he was not on his A-game. He looked rushed, which the Redskins certainly had a big part in that, but he hurried a lot of his throws and just didn't look as sharp as we've seen.
Then again, maybe 47 passing attempts is a little high for any quarterback. They asked Romo to do way too much in this game and he just didn't deliver. You can call the passing game ineffective if you'd like. But in this case, it starts with the run.
Just like it always does.
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Nick Eatman - 
