Redskins lose to Cowboys, 14-10

Twice in the first half of this season, the Washington Redskins showed an impressive ability to shrug off defeat, be it an opening-week setback against the New York Giants or a mid-October clunker facing the previously winless St. Louis Rams.

This week, Jim Zorn’s crisis-management skills will be on full display.

Continuing to show an inability to finish drives and failing to cash in on the rare takeaway, the Redskins fell to the Dallas Cowboys 14-10 on Sunday night.

Now 0-3 in prime-time games this season, the Redskins (6-4) lost sole possession of second place in the NFC East and sit just one game away from being shoved out of the playoff picture.

“This group has a lot of confidence,” center Casey Rabach said. “We see what we’re capable of, and we know what we’re capable of. It’s about execution.

“Each one of us has to look at themselves and ask, ‘Did we play our football?’ If not, then we have to start doing it.”

Said coach Jim Zorn: “This is the time of the season where those teams that are going upward start making that climb. And we’re not making the climb.”

Dallas (6-4) scored the winning touchdown with 10:36 remaining when quarterback Tony Romo - back after missing three games with a broken pinkie - tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Martellus Bennett.

The Redskins marched to the Dallas 37 on the next drive before losing possession on downs with 6:36 left.

They never got the ball back.

Dallas in general and Marion Barber in particular burned up the remaining time, sealing the win on a fourth-down conversion with 1:02 left.

“He’s a momentum kind of runner, and he was able to gain a few yards here and there [early] and then got on a roll,” defensive end Andre Carter said.

The Redskins’ defense produced two early interceptions but then had no answer for Barber, who carried 24 times for 114 yards.

“We threw punches, they threw punches and they got the last punch,” cornerback Fred Smoot said. “They knocked us out. We didn’t rise to the occasion on offense or defense. There’s nobody to blame. They made plays. We didn’t.”

Still, Washington entered the fourth quarter with a 10-7 lead.

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