In This Town, a Redskins Win Over Dallas Beats Anything Bush Has to Say

JUST INSIDE THE Beltway can't pass up on an opportunity to speak briefly about the most important thing that happened yesterday. (No, it wasn't Bush's prime time Iraq update) The Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys 35-7. Washington is a town that loves its football and they love it even more when their beloved home team can trounce an opponent like Dallas. Not just because they are the arch-rival Cowboys, but because those same Cowboys have dominated the Redskins for the better part of a decade. Well, not yesterday -- and not this year. For the first time since 1995 the Redskins swept the season series and kept alive their hopes of making the playoffs.

Yesterday's game was the first meaningful game between the two teams this late in the season since 1992. You can bet that DC is on cloud nine this morning because it's easy to forget losing all those meaningless games when you win the only one that really had something riding on it. It's one thing to play the Cowboys when both teams are heading toward 5-11 seasons, it's altogher different when both teams are playing to have a shot at the playoffs, even the NFC East division title. This game mattered (the way so many used to matter in the 1980s) and the Redskins responded by dominating every aspect of the game. That hasn't happened much in recent years so you'll forgive this city if we celebrate a bit.

Of course, none of it will matter if the Redskins lose next week to the Giants.