Thursday night's beatdown in Dallas slid the Washington Redskins' record to 5-7 and 1-4 in the NFC East and all but ends their playoff hopes. The inability to beat division rivals has thwarted Jay Gruden's squad the past two seasons.
The Cowboys have been a particular problem for the Redskins. Dak Prescott and company beat the Redskins by a combined score of 71-33 in two meetings this season. Going back to last season, Josh Norman and the Redskins are 0-4 versus Dallas with a minus-47 point differential in the four tilts.
"Ever since I've been here, Dallas has just been a thorn in our side," Norman said after the latest loss, via The Dallas Morning News. "I don't understand. I don't know what we do when we come down here to play these guys or when they come up to D.C. to play us. It's devastating man. It really is."
On Thursday night, the Redskins couldn't slow down Alfred Morris, and Norman watched Dez Bryant posterize fellow corner Bashaud Breeland for a touchdown and a key pass interference penalty to ice the game.
"It just seems like a cycle that repeats itself over and over and over again when we play them," Norman said. "All we want to do is beat them.
"And we just can't find an answer."
The Redskins are 4-7 in the division in Norman's two seasons in Washington, including last year's season-ending loss to the New York Giants, who had already clinched a playoff spot.
Heading into Thursday's tilt versus Dallas, the Redskins once again came out flat against a division rival.
"It is devastating. A game that could help us clinch a playoff spot, and we are going to lay an egg like this, it hurts," Breeland said.
Added linebacker Zach Brown: "Today was a must win. We had six losses. You can't lose any more. Today probably knocked us out of the playoffs. But at the end of the day, you keep battling because you never know what might happen."
On Thursday night, the Cowboys kept their head above water while Washington's playoff hopes sank to the bottom of the river, thanks to the inability to beat a thorny division rival.
