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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
RG3 puts IV TDs on board
Triumphant in return to home state Texas
Matt Strasen / the associated press Redskins QB Robert Griffin ripped the Cowboys apart in the second quarter. (CP)
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Welcome back to Texas, RG3.
Robert Griffin III threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Washington Redskins beat the Dallas Cowboys 38-31 on Thursday.
The Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor made the Cowboys look like an overmatched college team during the decisive second quarter in Griffin's first pro game in his home state. He got some help from his receivers, including a leaping grab and long run from Pierre Garcon and some nifty footwork in the end zone by Santana Moss.
Tony Romo lost for the first time in six starts on Thanksgiving, despite a career-high 441 yards and three second-half touchdowns, including the longest of his career -- an 85-yarder to Dez Bryant. Romo ran in a 2-point conversion after a TD throw to Felix Jones and threw another scoring pass to Bryant to help Dallas close to 35-28 with 8:24 remaining after the Cowboys trailed 28-3 at halftime.
"I thought we had a good chance," Romo said.
But Griffin answered -- twice, actually. After Romo's long touchdown to Bryant, Griffin threw his fourth scoring pass, a 29-yarder to Niles Paul. The rookie became the first Redskins quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in consecutive games.
After the Cowboys pulled within a touchdown, Griffin drove them into scoring position again, calmly completing three passes for first downs and running 5 1/2 minutes off the clock before Kai Forbath made it 38-28 on a 48-yard field goal.
Dallas drove to a field goal, but DeAngelo Hall easily picked up the onside kick and ran untouched before sliding down short of the goal line, clinching Romo's third loss in three career 400-yard games. It also was the Cowboys' first loss to the Redskins in seven games on Thanksgiving.
"That quarterback is obviously a very good player, and they use him well," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "It was challenging for us to slow those guys down. We didn't do enough offensively to keep up with them in the first half."
The Cowboys (5-6) actually contained Griffin in the first quarter, getting a sack and forcing an intentional grounding penalty that gave them good enough field position for an easy drive to a 3-0 lead.
Everything changed on Griffin's first big NFL play in Texas. He hit Aldrick Robinson in stride for a 68-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead to spark the first 28-point quarter in 13 years for the Redskins (5-6).
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 23, 2012 C10
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