Tony Romo finished 20/37 for 208 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Robert Griffin finished 9/18 for 100 yards, but had 6 rushes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Alfred Morris was the true MVP of the game with 33 carries for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dez Bryant had 4 catches for 71 yards, and Jason Witten had 7 catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Dallas played like its typical “same ol’ Cowboys” self. On their first possession of the game, after Dwayne Harris set up the Cowboys at the Redskins 27 with a good return, Tony Romo threw a pick. Thankfully, the Redskins couldn’t do anything with it, but Romo threw another interception on the very next drive. Again, the Redskins did nothing with it, thankfully.

Linebacker Rob Jackson celebrates that Romo Claus gave the Redskins the NFC East for Christmas.

On the first drive of the second quarter, Tony Rom hit Jason Witten on a 9-yard touchdown after going 78 yards in 11 plays. The Redskins responded right back with a 17-yard Alfred Morris touchdown run. At halftime, it was 7-7. The Redskins went ahead with 3:17 left in the third quarter to go up 14-7. Dallas countered with a 49-yarder from Dan Bailey to be down 14-10. Alfred Morris, who had gashed the Cowboys’ defense the entire night, ran for a 32-yard touchdown to make it 21-10. On the next drive, Romo took a sack on third down, but thankfully the Redskins weren’t able to do anything and Dwayne Harris set the Cowboys up at the Redskins 16. In three plays, Romo threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Ogletree and then completed a two-point conversion to Dwayne Harris on a fade route to narrow it to 21-18.

All the Cowboys need was a stop, and they got it with 3:33 left at their own 15 yard line. What more could you ask for from an offense and a quarterback that had 3 fourth quarter comebacks in this month alone?

How about a picked off screen pass to Demarco Murray? This was worse than Joe Theismann’s lob in the flats at the end of Super Bowl XVIII.

Now, it was 21-18. If the Cowboys held the Redskins to a field goal and Dallas burned all their timeouts, they could get the ball back and go ahead and have a chance to win the game on a touchdown. They almost had that chance on 3rd and 7 from the Dallas 12 when Griffin’s pass fell incomplete. But the referees threw a roughing the passer flag on Jason Hatcher. Alfred Morris banged it in 3 plays later and the NFC East was Washington’s for the first time since 1999 — the year The Matrix came out and your mom was storing Spam in an underground Y2K shelter.

For the Washington Redskins, anything is possible. They face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, as the Dallas Cowboys join the Eagles and Giants on the losers’ couch. For Tony Romo, everything he did in December 2012 is ashes. He cost the Cowboys the biggest game of the season with a lob in the flats under pressure. The pressure won’t end as the Dallas-Fort Worth mediots now have their off-season agenda. Fans and mediots alike will stand in Victory Park to draw and quarter him, or maybe he’ll be thrown in effigy off of Reunion Tower. Whatever the case, this off-season will be roughest for Romo and the questions won’t go away about his clutch abilities.

For Jason Garrett, he will get somewhat of a pass for rallying this team despite the injuries and Josh Brent’s drunk driving that killed teammate Jerry Brown. For Rob Ryan, he could be interviewed for any one of the vacancies given the fantastic job he did couching this depleted defense that had players missing and injured.

For the second time since 1990, the Dallas Cowboys will miss the postseason for three consecutive years. Pick a team to adopt again, Dallas, for your Cowboys haven’t seen the postseason since Nancy Pelosi wielded her gavel in Congress.

Nov 22, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) hands the ball off to running back Alfred Morris (46) during the game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Tammy Garrett, Staff Writer: Looks like it’s same time next year as the Dallas Cowboys once again face a win or go home against an NFC East rival. Last year it was the G Men and in 2008 it was the Philadelphia Eagles: both with the same painful result. This time around I’m taking the Cowboys to silence their critics and come out of FedEx Field with a win. Cowboys 28, Redskins 27.

Michael Huff, Staff Writer: Cowboys get the running game going with DeMarco Murray to win time of possession battle and the game.  Cowboys win 34-31.

John Lavin, Staff Writer: Tony Romo and Dez Bryant lead the Cowboys to an unlikely victory over the Redskins. Dez Bryant continues his consecutive touchdown streak for another week, while Romo stays hot and effectively spreads the ball around to  6 different receivers. The Dallas defense plays better than expected in a close one.  Dallas 23, Washington 20.

Mike Burke, Staff Writer: Dallas is 9-6 all time at Fed Ex Field. Twenty previous times the Redskins have won the first game in the season series. Only four times have they ever completed the sweep. Five Cowboys Offensive starters who missed the Thanksgiving Day game are going to suit up for Sunday’s finale. Dallas 31, Redskins, 20.

Michael Vu, Staff Writer: The Redskins will puncture a hole in the Cowboy heart. It will hurt. Do the Cardiac Cowboys have enough stamina to survive? My heart says yes; my mind says no. Cowboys lose a heart-breaker, 31-27.

Artie Cappello, Senior Writer: A rivalry has been renewed in what amounts to the first playoff game of 2012 season.  Dallas has to score in the 30′s to have a chance to win this game, so lets predict it that way. Dallas 34 – Washington 31.

Mark Lane, Senior Writer -  Cowboys complete the trifecta and lose a season finale in a “win to get in” situation on the road to an NFC East opponent. The slippery field makes Pierre Garcon evasive for Cowboys corners. Griffin’s knee looks fine as he eludes Cowboys rushers to find wide open receivers, and Alfred Morris pounds for yards and points. Garrett abandons the run and forces Romo to pass 50 times, resulting in an inevitable pick that slobbering, lumbering, dunderheaded Romophobes pick out as the reason the Cowboys lost the game. Redskins prevail 37-21.

Jeff Magnia, Staff Writer: This game is going to go in one of two ways. RG3 plays like he is a 100% and Dallas cannot contain him all game long. Or he plays mediocre and the Dallas offense commits no turnovers. If RG3 shows up, Dallas will not have a chance and will lose 28-10 or they come out and have the game of their lives. I am banking on the latter. Cowboys 27-21.

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“Cowboys and Indians.”

That was the explanation for why the Cowboys would prevail, and they did to the tune of 27-21 in an improbable win. That’s the theme for this Sunday night.

Cowboys and Indians.

Though I have been more of an historian this season than an analyst, I still don’t like to just say, “Oh, in these games, you just have to throw out the stats and buckle your chinstrap.” It’s intellectually dishonest just a tad bit.

But, seriously, what can I say?

We’ve seen strange things in this rivalry – things that make men who’ve covered or coached football for thirty years declare unseen before. We’ve seen blocked last-second field goals, as was the case in 1965 and 2006 in Washington. We’ve seen heroic comebacks, as was the case in 1965 and 1979. We’ve seen the game end on bizarre plays, like what happened in 1973 and 2010. We’ve seen a rookie quarterback with an “uncluttered mind” throw the game-winning touchdown on Thanksgiving in 1974. We’ve seen a band of replacement players defeat superstars on their home turf in prime time in 1987. In 1983 and 1991, we saw teams on a mission go into hostile territory late in the season and pull out a season-saving win. We’ve seen spoiled homecomings (2005) and cheerful goodbyes (1996). We’ve seen the Redskins host championship games and dominate Dallas. (1972 and 1982).

With Cowboys and Redskins, one can never predict an accurate outcome.

How will the Cowboys and Redskins’ 105th meeting go down?

Heading into Sunday night, this is going to be another part of the lore that is Cowboys and Redskins. It’s not the same rivalry that it used to be. The hatred and bitterness just isn’t there as it was in the 1970’s and 1980’s. That left when Joe Gibbs retired and the Cowboys subjugated Washington in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. The fans still have it, but the organization doesn’t still have it.

Nonetheless, there is something appealing nationally about this matchup Sunday night. Perhaps it’s the fact the Cowboys, who have been portrayed by the media as more villainous than valiant, are meeting their arch-nemesis on the biggest stage that the NFL has to offer. Perhaps it’s the fact it’s the only game on the Week 17 slate that looked appetizing to NBC Sports. In any event, America knows it’s going to witness a showdown to conclude Week 17 in the NFL and wrap up the last playoff spot.

The shame of it all is there has to be a loser in this winner-take-all encounter. Because for the losing team, an angry mob of disgruntled fans await. And that’s the true shame. These two teams have battled through so many injuries and hardships just to get to this precipice of total victory. That unto itself is a masterful coaching job, but the defeated fan base will not be able to see it because their team didn’t make the playoffs.

For Dallas, just winning the NFC East crown after being 3-5 at one point in the year would be a tremendous accomplishment, especially considering the adversity this team has faced in 2012. As far as I am concerned, this is the Cowboys’ championship game. Should they make the playoffs as the fourth seed, they would face a formidable wild card Seattle team that has already had their way with Dallas. There’s no hope in the playoffs, and it’s simply from being too depleted. This team has the talent and the coaching.

Hopefully, there’s still enough talent left for the coaches to put together a good game plan and win the NFC East title. How would you as a player feel knowing that there are stitched hats saying “Cowboys: 2012 NFC East Champions” in the building? It’s like the intersection of two parallel universes on Sunday night, and here’s to hoping our Dallas Cowboys aren’t caught an infinity loop.