The legacy of Alex Smith is a mixed one for Washington football fans, one with a lot of lows.
There’s the ridiculous $94 million contract extension the veteran quarterback signed not long after coming here in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs — Bruce Allen’s warped answer to driving Kirk Cousins out of town.
There is, of course, the gruesome broken leg fans witnessed when Smith went down on Nov. 18, 2018, at FedEx Field in a game against the Houston Texans.
But that broken leg also begat the greatest comeback in NFL history and led to one of the gifts Smith gave Washington football fans — a rare Thanksgiving Day win over the Dallas Cowboys.
That win was a holiday treat Washington fans don’t get often: just twice in the 10 times the two teams have faced each other on Thanksgiving.
This week, Sam Howell — coming off his dismal three-interception loss to the New York Giants — will try to become just the third Washington quarterback to make the Thanksgiving meal taste a little better for Washington fans.
For a 4-7 Washington team facing a powerful 7-3 Cowboys squad in Dallas, that’s a wishbone that will be difficult to grab.
The last time these rivals played on Thanksgiving, Washington came into Dallas with a worse record — a 3-7 mark — than they carry now. The Cowboys had the same losing record.
Not exactly a historic matchup, though it did put Washington in first place in the woeful NFC East that season.
On Nov. 26, 2020, Smith led Washington to a 41-16 beatdown of the Cowboys. Smith, in his remarkable comeback from a severe broken leg, completed 19 of 26 passes for just 149 yards, one touchdown pass and a near-disastrous interception when Dallas linebacker Jaylon Smith stole a pass and was run down by Washington receiver Terry McLaurin, preventing a touchdown.
It was Antonio Gibson’s day, as the running back ran for 115 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns.
What happened to that Antonio Gibson?
“Our record’s not the best,” Gibson told reporters after the game. “We’re still in it. That gives us hope. That is what we’re pushing for is we can still make the playoffs right now. We’re going to keep going.”
Sounds like a broken record now, doesn’t it?
The only other Washington victory came eight years before — a more memorable one, when rookie sensation Robert Griffin III threw four touchdown passes and fellow rookie Alfred Morris rushed for 113 yards and one touchdown in a 38-31 win — also in Dallas on Nov. 22, 2012. That’s when Cowboys owner Jerry Jones fell in love with Griffin. “I was very disappointed, but I was in awe of RGIII,” he told reporters after the game.
The rest of the series? Eight Washington losses, dating back to 1968, when Dallas beat Washington 29-20. Jim Ninowski, not Sonny Jurgensen, who was suffering from the flu, got the start at quarterback. He threw for three touchdown but also three interceptions.
There was no division title. Washington’s record dropped to 4-8, while the Cowboys went to 10-2.
After that? The most famous of the games, the legendary Clint Longley game — Nov. 28, 1974.
These were the Over-The-Hill George Allen Redskins, a veteran bunch that built up the rivalry with the Cowboys to its greatest heights. One of the leaders was defensive tackle Diron Talbert, a native Texan, who, before the game said they were coming after Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach.
“If Staubach runs, you like to get a good shot at him and knock him out of the game,” he said. “If you knock him out, you got a rookie facing you. That’s one of our goals.”
They accomplished their goal, and it sealed their fate.
Staubach was knocked out of the game in the third quarter with Washington leading 16-3. Unheralded rookie Longley came in and led the Cowboys to a comeback 24-23 victory, capped off with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson with 28 seconds left.
After the game, Talbert was asked what he thought of Longley’s performance, and famously responded, “Who the hell is Clint Longley?”
The rest of the games? Forgettable losses:
— 2018: A 31-23 loss with Colt McCoy taking over for the injured Smith at quarterback, completing 24 of 38 passes, two touchdown passes and three interceptions. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 121 yards. Washington went into the game in first place in the division.
— 2016: A 31-26 loss, despite piling up 505 yards, compared to the Cowboys’ 393 yards of offense. Kirk Cousins was at quarterback that Thanksgiving, throwing for 449 yards and three touchdowns.
— 2002: The Steve Spurrier era 27-20 defeat with Danny Wuerffel at quarterback for Washington, throwing three touchdowns and three interceptions.
— 1996: Emmitt Smith rushed for three touchdowns and the 21-10 Dallas win gave the Cowboys an 8-5 record, tying them with the Redskins for the NFC East lead.
— 1990: Another Emmitt Smith special, 132 yards rushing and a 27-17 Dallas win over Joe Gibbs’ squad.
— 1978: The worst beating Washington ever took on the holiday, a 37-10 loss to the Cowboys.
You can hear Thom Loverro on The Kevin Sheehan Show podcast.
• Thom Loverro can be reached at tloverro@washingtontimes.com.
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