Landover, MD (Sports Network) - Tony Romo returned after a three-game absence and hit Martellus Bennett with a 25-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown that proved to be the game-winner, as the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a critical 14-10 win over NFC East rival Washington.

Romo, playing with a heavy bandage over a broken pinkie on his throwing hand suffered October 12 against the Cardinals, did enough to win in his return to the lineup, throwing for 198 yards with two interceptions on 19-of-27 passes for Dallas (6-4), which dropped two of three without its star signal-caller.

"I feel like when I practice, I practice at a game-type of speed," a confident Romo said of his return. "I felt like it was practice."

Marion Barber rushed for a TD and was effective in running out the clock in the fourth quarter, finishing with 114 yards on 24 carries. Barber also had six catches for a team-high 39 yards.

"It was a big win for us," Dallas head coach Wade Phillips said. "I thought our team came through. We fought through the whole game. We did what it takes in the fourth quarter."

Jason Campbell threw for a mediocre 162 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 22-of-34 efficiency for Washington (6-4), which has dropped two straight.

Clinton Portis, who was a game-time decision after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee in a November 3 loss to Pittsburgh, carried the ball 15 times for 68 yards in the loss. Chris Cooley led the Redskins in receiving with seven grabs for 47 yards.

With the 'Boys trailing 10-7, Terence Newman, who returned after missing five games with a groin injury, intercepted Campbell at the Dallas 33-yard line more than six minutes into the third quarter.

"There were opportunities out there," Campbell said. "We have to continue to keep working. In a tough game like this, you never know which play it is that decides a game."

After a series of punts, Dallas went on an eight-play, 67-yard drive early in the fourth. After a key third-down conversion toss to Miles Austin, Romo found Bennett for the go-ahead 25-yard score with 10:36 to play.

Washington then put together a decent drive but failed to penetrate the red zone. Facing 4th-and-4 at the Dallas 37, Campbell's attempt to hit Santana Moss on a quick out-route fell incomplete and the rest of the game fell on the legs of Barber.

After being bottled up for most of the game, Barber ran 10 times on the ensuing drive for 39 yards to go along with a 10-yard reception on 3rd-and-8 at the Washington 36.

The hard-running back sealed the game with a three-yard run to the right sideline on 4th-and-1 with a minute to play, as Washington could do nothing but watch the clock run out.

The 'Skins took their first possession of the game and relied heavily on Portis. The injured back ran for nine yards on 4th-and-1 from the Dallas 11, and Campbell found Mike Sellers in the end zone on the next play after a play- action fake.

Romo was picked off on two of the Cowboys' next three possessions, but came back to hit Terrell Owens on a 25-yard gain down to the Redskins' two-yard line late in the second quarter.

Barber took it into the end zone from there to tie the game with 1:01 left in the half, but Rock Cartwright's subsequent 58-yard kickoff return set up Shaun Suisham's 41-yard field goal just before the half.

Game Notes

Both teams were coming off a bye...The Cowboys lead the all-time regular season series with Washington, 57-37-2, but were 26-24 home losers when the teams met in Week 4. The teams engaged in conventional home-and-home splits in both 2006 and 2007...Jay Ratliff had two sacks for Dallas...DeAngelo Hall, playing in his first game with Washington, recorded an interception...Portis, who entered with 995 rushing yards on the season, exceeded 1,000 yards on the ground for the sixth time in his seven-year career.

DallasCowboys.com

Nick Eatman

IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys have seven games left to play, against five teams with winning records and are forced to make three road trips to the East Coast.

The Cowboys barely have a winning record themselves and have a host of players banged up, although a few will be returning this week.

With all of that, making the playoffs will be an uphill climb for this team.

But owner and general manager Jerry Jones is a believer. In fact, he "absolutely" sees his Cowboys team making the playoffs this year.

In a rare afternoon press conference here at Valley Ranch on Thursday, Jones spoke on a variety of topics, including the future of his head coach Wade Phillips. The owner said he has never thought about changing head coaches after this season. Jones also said he would welcome back suspended cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones if he is reinstated by the NFL, which could occur as early as next week.

But when asked if he sees his team making the playoffs, despite its current 5-4 record, Jones never hesitated with his answer.

"Yes, absolutely," Jones said. "That's not optimism, I just see that we were going to have to be a team that is playing well and won a lot of ballgames at the end of the year to be what we want to be anyway, and this is as good a time to start as next week. I certainly do feel we're going to be a team that plays well enough to be thinking about the playoffs."

As it stands, the Cowboys are on the outside looking in for the NFC playoff picture. But there are seven games to play and this team can certainly determine its fate between now and the end of the season.

But Jones said because of the unexpected losses earlier in the year, this team can't afford many more slipups, if any.

"Yeah because of the numbers," Jones said. "Teams like the Giants (8-1) are stacking them up, stacking the wins up. And some of the teams in other divisions are putting the wins up. We have had times when nine wins could get you in the playoffs. I don't know and shouldn't think that this will be the year to get that done. We need wins to make the numbers. We have some tough games ahead of us."

It starts with Sunday night's showdown with the Redskins, who gave the Cowboys' their first loss of the season back in late September, edging them with a 26-24 win.

While the Cowboys are anxious to get the return of players such as quarterback Tony Romo and cornerback Terence Newman, who have both been out for more than a month with injuries, those two did play against Washington in the first meeting.

Although rookie Felix Jones did play against the Redskins as well, he didn't get any offensive touches in the game. And it's likely he won't again this week, considering he has yet to return to practice since his hamstring injury on Oct. 12 in Arizona. Jones has missed three games and hasn't practiced at all this week, meaning his playing status is getting close to doubtful.

But while Jerry Jones wants all of his weapons out there, he'll settle for the ones that are expected to return.

"We have had good players that really haven't been able to contribute like we thought they would at the start of the season," Jones said. "Certainly, Newman is back out there on defense. Those are significant players for us and will help our defense. Offensively, it goes without saying Tony is going to make a big difference. So having said all of that, that does make this game (important). We don't have reasons why we might not be playing as well. They are out there. Tony is going to be rusty but other than that, we still should be able to get up there and make a game of this."

Although Newman might have played the worst game of his career the first time the Cowboys met the Redskins this season, it hasn't shaken the confidence of his owner.

Jones was glowing on Thursday when asked about the progress of Newman, who has played just three games this season, and not one since the Sept. 28 game against Washington because of a sports hernia injury that required surgery on Oct. 11.

"He's 100 percent in his mind and that's big. That's really big for him," Jones said of Newman, who admitted last week that he wishes he would've had the abdominal surgery earlier in the season despite trying to fight through the pain for three games. "He's probably been right all along that it wasn't right for him. But he's not that way now and that'll make a big difference. He can make a big impact for us. I must tell you, it's a good feeling to have him back."

Jones pointed out that teams who make the playoffs usually have a few big wins towards the end of the season that define the season.

To the Cowboys' owner, he can't think of a better time for that.

"It was always going to be on our shoulders at some point," Jones said. "If it got right down to the last game in the last contest in the NFL, it was going to be on our shoulders. So we might as well start this weekend."

Listen to Jerry Jones' newsconference
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DallasCowboys.com
Rob Phillips


IRVING, Texas - The odds of Felix Jones returning against the Redskins probably decreased Wednesday when the rookie running back missed another full practice.

Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips did not officially rule out Jones for Sunday's division game but conceded that his hamstring injury "isn't well yet." Jones worked with team trainers again Wednesday and has not practiced since slightly tearing his hamstring Oct. 12 against Arizona.

Phillips said last week Jones likely would return to practice Monday, but the team has remained cautious about his return.

"As far as I know, he's still rehabbing and that's where we're going with it," Phillips said when asked if Jones experienced a setback in his recovery.

Hypothetically, Phillips said Jones could play without practicing during the week because he's only used in certain packages. But he has to get healthy enough first.

"I would think if he's well he could play," Phillips said. "But he isn't well yet."

Meanwhile, quarterback Tony Romo (finger), cornerback Terence Newman (abdomen) and guard Kyle Kosier (foot) - three starters who have missed significant time - all had full participation and are expected to play. Same goes for tight end Jason Witten (rib) and offensive linemen Flozell Adams (finger) and Leonard Davis (foot), who had reduced reps during the bye week.

Backup linebacker Bobby Carpenter, a key special teams player, was limited Wednesday after straining his groin in Monday's practice.