On this Redskins throwback for October 22, the Washington Redskins pulled off a gritty comeback against their fiercest rival. The 1972 game ended in a 24-20 victory for Washington over the Dallas Cowboys.
The iconic moment came in the second half. Dallas led 20-7 early in the third quarter after a Walt Garrison touchdown run. Washington looked in trouble against a Cowboys team that had reached three of the previous six NFC title games. The Redskins answered with 17 unanswered points. They stormed back behind quarterback Sonny Jurgensen and running back Larry Brown to steal the game away.
Washington was in control by the fourth quarter. They erased a 13-point deficit and closed out the win with defense and physical running, setting the tone for what became an 11-3 season under head coach George Allen.
Other Key Game Moments
- Larry Brown caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Sonny Jurgensen in the second quarter.
- Brown added a 34-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 20-14.
- Curt Knight kicked a 42-yard field goal to get Washington to within three at 17-20.
- Charlie Harraway’s 13-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter sealed the win.
- Final score: Redskins 24, Cowboys 20.
Washington’s offense balanced the ground and air attack well, gaining roughly 313 total yards to Dallas’s 290. The defense also got to Cowboys quarterback Craig Morton three times for 14 yards in sacks, helping limit Dallas after halftime.
The Nixon Connection
This win carried extra weight in Washington that season. President Richard Nixon, a devoted Redskins fan, called team executive George Allen the same evening to discuss the victory. The conversation is preserved in the official Nixon White House Tapes archive, where the recording log lists “celebrations of Redskins’ victory” among the topics Nixon and Allen covered that night. (Miller Center, University of Virginia)
Throwback Memories
This game still resonates with longtime fans because it captured the identity of George Allen’s Redskins: physical, resilient, and never out of a fight. The 17-point second-half swing against Dallas foreshadowed the team’s run to Super Bowl VII later that season.