LANDOVER — With the score tied and 1:46 remaining, DeSean Jackson fielded a punt at his own 16-yard line and headed up the field.
Jackson, who hadn’t been used as a punt returner by the Washington Redskins until last week, gained several yards before reversing course and heading backward. After reaching the two-yard line, he again tried to circle around, only to fumble after regaining 13 yards.
“I take that one on my chin,” Jackson said. “I’m a veteran in this league, and I know I need to protect the ball, and it just got away from me.”
Two plays later, the Dallas Cowboys scored their only touchdown, and they eventually edged the Redskins, 19-16, on Monday night to make quite a jumble of the mediocre NFC East.
Jackson said he heard some encouraging words from Redskins coach Jay Gruden afterward.
“The best thing I could say was, ’I laid an egg; I messed up,’” Jackson said.
Washington (5-7) had won its past five home games, but this loss continued a pattern: The Redskins have not won in consecutive weeks all season.
“We’ve shown flashes. Good quarters, good games, here and there,” Gruden said. “But the great teams, the ones that advance in the playoffs and win Super Bowls are consistent, and we have not been.”
The last-place Cowboys (4-8) won for the first time this season without Tony Romo at quarterback. They are only one game behind the Redskins, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.
“Our guys don’t blink,” Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. “We’ve given ourselves an opportunity to stay in it.”
Dez Bryant’s tantrum on the Cowboys’ sideline was not a good look. Neither was Darren McFadden’s two-fumble performance. Matt Cassel’s passes often sailed nowhere near his receivers.
After combining to score 18 points in the first 58:46, the teams combined for 17 points the frenzied rest of the way. Dallas scored its touchdown with 1:14 remaining to lead, 16-9, after recovering Jackson’s miscue. Washington tied it on Jackson’s 28-yard touchdown catch, and then Bailey hit the go-ahead field goal.
“A roller coaster,” Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins said.
“We just had some unforced errors,” Gruden said.
None bigger than Jackson’s.
“Well, it didn’t end up the way we wanted it to,” Gruden said about that play, delivering quite an understatement.
Dallas jumped in front on McFadden’s six-yard touchdown run. A 41-yard kickoff return, plus a 15-yard facemask penalty on cornerback J.J. Wilcox, set the Redskins up at Dallas’ 43-yard line. Four plays later, Jackson hauled in a perfect pass from Cousins to pull even with 44 seconds to go.
That left enough time for Cassel to lead Dallas 20 yards in five plays for Bailey’s fourth field goal of the evening.
“One of the crazier games I’ve ever been a part of,” Cassel said.
He was previously 0-4 as a starter in place of the injured Romo this season.
“I feel stunned we have not been able to win more games without Tony. I thought we could coach it up enough to put it together enough to not have lost those games without Romo early, and we’d be in better shape now,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “We won one on will tonight.”
Both quarterbacks were mediocre. Cousins went 22-for-31 for 219 yards and the touchdown, marking the first time Washington has lost this season when he avoided throwing an interception. Cassel finished 16-for-29 for 222 yards, with several of his throws landing nowhere near teammates.
Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins made three field goals but missed one wide right from 43 yards with 7:29 remaining.
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