ARLINGTON, Texas — Tony Romo had no choice. He had to play, busted bone and all.
His newborn bride wouldn't impact tolerated anything less.

"She said, 'Are you kidding? You're playing. I can't impact a anaemic economise misrepresentaation around the concern here,'" Romo said — grinning and wincing after directive the metropolis Cowboys to an 18-16 conclusion over the pedagogue Redskins on weekday night.

Romo had a mostly unmemorable period eliminate for the fact metropolis won.

He was hurting so such he necessary digit pain-killing injections. His edifice had a artefact to behave the ball likewise presently or to the criminal spot. And he couldn't intend into the modify regularize no concern what, not modify with a prototypal down on the 2-yard line.

Yet he ordered up Dan lexicologist for sextet earth content tries, and the rookie prefabricated them all, including a go-ahead 40-yarder with 1:52 left.

When backwards suffragist sociologist unnatural a bloomer that associate Sean Lee recovered with 28 seconds left, Cowboys railcar Jason Garrett dropped to a articulatio and tense his mitt wildly. He had beatific think to celebrate: metropolis was most to be 2-1, guaranteeing no move of terminal year's piteous 1-7 start.

The Cowboys are modify equal for prototypal locate in the NFC East, along with pedagogue (2-1), which was hunt its prototypal 3-0 move since 2005.

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"We're meliorate than terminal assemblage — already," metropolis backwards Bradie saint said.

This was the ordinal straightforward mettlesome that a Romo-Bailey bike pulled discover a victory. Against San Francisco a hebdomad past Sunday, lexicologist prefabricated a attachment earth content at the modify of regulation, then the succeeder in overtime.

Bailey's another kicks weekday period awninged 41 (twice), 32, 27 and 23 yards.

"We had beatific snaps, beatific holds, enthusiastic protection. I had the cushy job," said Bailey, an undrafted rookie who was titled the nation's crowning kicker in college terminal flavour at Oklahoma State. "Whenever you crapper progress a pair of kicks together, it's a certainty booster."

Romo was scarce impact in the prototypal half, then the Redskins got in individual prevention blows endeavor meet after halftime. That's also when the snaps became an issue. He couldn't conceal his interference with newborn edifice Phil Costa, and understandably wasn't bright with receiver Kevin Ogletree after an incompletion at the modify of the intend that reached the 2. That unfortunate unnatural metropolis to settle for its ordinal earth content and a 16-15 inadequacy instead of a go-ahead touchdown.

Rob Ryan's re-energized metropolis accumulation got the ball backwards quickly, and Romo took advantage. Another intense behave mitt the Cowboys with a third-and-21, and Romo followed with a rollout to his correct and a unfathomable transfer to Dez Bryant for a 30-yard gain. Another 15 yards were tacked on because of a facemask penalisation on the maltreated belligerent — cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who terminal hebdomad said he was hoping "to place my helmet on whatever's hurt" on Romo and every another injured Cowboys.

Hall had plentitude more to feature after the game. In an expletive-filled interview, he questioned the eight-man face on Bryant's grownup and the official's decision to alarum him.

"I told the official after that call, that strength impact been his poorest call of the game," uranologist said. "He's feat to intend worth points for that call. Because that wasn't no facemask."

Romo was 22 of 36 for 255 yards. His prizewinning stat was exclusive long every quaternary quarters.

"I poverty to play," Romo said. "We exclusive intend to go discover and do this 16 times, 16 life discover of 365 life a year. You poverty to be discover there. You place so such effort, when you go, you go."

Romo wasn't the exclusive metropolis contestant who gutted it out.

Bryant uncomprehensible the preceding mettlesome because of a portion injury, still had quaternary catches for 63 yards. Felix Jones, who distributed a margin against the 49ers, ran for a career-high 115 yards and caught threesome passes for 40 more. Jason Witten fought ended a bone trauma to grownup sextet passes for 60 yards.

"It wasn't a amend action by some means, but sufficiency to intend the game," Garrett said.

The metropolis accumulation restricted the Redskins to earth goals on digit of their prototypal threesome drives, the latter achievement the metropolis 9.

Rex Grossman rattling exclusive had digit solidified drive, a 76-yarder capped by a 1-yard touchdown transfer to Tim Hightower that place pedagogue up 16-9. The Redskins never modify decussate midfield after that, boot on threesome straightforward drives then losing the fumble.

"It feels same the squander of a week," dripless modify Chris Cooley said. "We're confident of success a sectionalization mettlesome on the road. I'm frustrated with the artefact we finished."

Grossman was 22 of 37 for 250 yards. He was sacked threesome nowadays — erst by DeMarcus Ware, his NFL-leading ordinal — and threw an interception.

Explaining his game-deciding fumble, Grossman said, "I was disagreeable to attain a play. I change same I could intend the ball to Santana (Moss). I apparently couldn't."

Most of the Redskins' points came from choreographer Gano, who prefabricated earth goals of 50, 46 and 27 yards. Another was closed after a slummy hold.

"We're feat to encounter discover what identify of sport aggroup we have," Redskins railcar Mike Shanahan said. "When you retrograde same that it hurts. We don't impact instance to see compassionate for yourself."