The following week the Cowboys missed an opportunity to take command in the NFC East when they suffered a devastating loss to the Washington Redskins.
The striking players returned the following week and on October 25, even though the Philadelphia Eagles were already assured of winning against the Cowboys 30–20, they attempted to go for a touchdown with 35 seconds left in the game.
On the next play, quarterback Randall Cunningham faked taking another kneel down and threw a pass to the end zone that drew a pass-interference penalty, placing the ball on the one-yard line, from where running back Keith Byars scored with 2 seconds left for a final result of 37-20.
The Cowboys rebounded in the last two games, however, defeating the Los Angeles Rams and the St. Louis Cardinals, and eliminating both from the playoffs in the process.
The Cowboys offensive line had trouble with pass protection again, allowing 52 sacks, while the receiving corps was mediocre, with Mike Renfro leading the way with 662 yards on 46 catches.
[2][3] This strategy backfired, as there have been several interviews with former players mentioning that this caused a rift inside the team that lasted for years, and that it was one of the main reasons for the franchise's decline during the Eighties decade.