Revamped Redskins Look to Shock Over Confident Cowboys

Throughout the storied history of the National Football League, there have been many rivalries which, depending on who you ask and when, have been called “The Greatest” in the game.

In many cases though, the original reasons for the long standing animosity have been lost in the shuffle of free agency, teams moving from city to city, and all the other ever moving parts that make up the modern NFL. The contemporary feuds tend to run cold and hot from year to year, and many have all but lost the fire of passion they once held.

But in the NFC East, arguably the premiere division in the conference, the battle between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys has been a constant for 50 years. The rivalry even pre-dates the Cowboys franchise, owing its roots to a business deal gone wrong and two strong willed entrepreneurs and owners.

Despite all the battles waged off the field between these two giants of the NFC, the battles that have created legends have all been fought on the field. The two teams have combined for an astounding 10 NFL Championships, and since they first faced off as divisional rivals in 1961, the road to the divisional title has gone through one or the other an amazing 31 times.

This season’s installment of the Redskins and Cowboys rivalry promises to be more exciting than any in recent years for Washington fans. Although mostly lost in the media storm surrounding the Haynesworth question, the Redskins are in a position to perhaps be the biggest surprise in the NFC.

While so much attention has been focused on the Cowboys and the year to year maturation of several key Cowboy players, the addition of Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb and two time Super Bowl Champion head coach Mike Shannahan to the D.C team has the potential to be the most dynamic of any offseason moves in the NFL.

A solid win against an always dangerous Cowboys team would go a long way toward silencing any critics, and the combination of Shannahan and McNabb gives the Redskins the best chance they’ve had in years to sweep both games of one of the NFL’s truly great rivalries.