LANDOVER, Md. — Tom Brady‘s first interception in more than a month led to a screaming match on the sideline.

That’s how perfection-driven the New England Patriots are. On a day when tight end Rob Gronkowski is simultaneously strong and nimble while setting an NFL record, on a day when the defense again makes just enough plays to compensate for all the yards it allowed, on a day when a 34-27 score vs. the Washington Redskins meant a fifth straight victory, it was Brady who had to be calmed down after a rare fourth-quarter mistake.With the Patriots leading by seven, Brady tried to find Tiquan Underwood at the back of the end zone and was instead picked off by Josh Wilson with 6:30 remaining. The Redskins then began a march downfield that could have sent Sunday’s game to overtime — even as Brady sat on the bench and exchanged words with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.”I threw a pretty bad interception, so he wasn’t happy about it,” said Brady, who completed 22 of 37 passes for 357 yards with three touchdowns and his first interception since Nov. 6. “And there was probably a long line of coaches and players that were pretty (upset) at me after that, but Billy got to me first. He let me have it; I deserved it.”

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LANDOVER, Md. — With the New York Jets trying to close out another too-close-for-comfort fourth-quarter comeback, coach Rex Ryan walked up to the player known as “Mayhem.”

“Fourth-quarter sacks win games,” Ryan said.Linebacker Aaron Maybin then took his spot on the field and did one better. He not only sacked Rex Grossman, but also dislodged the ball from the Washington Redskins quarterback. The Jets recovered, setting up the first of two insurance touchdown runs by Shonn Greene that closed out Sunday’s…

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LANDOVER, Md. — Tony Romo went this way and that way, scrambling to find Laurent Robinson for the game-tying touchdown and Jason Witten for the go-ahead score — both in the fourth quarter.

When that wasn’t enough, the Dallas quarterback used his feet again in overtime, buying enough time to spot Dez Bryant on a third-and-15. The 26-yard completion set up Dan Bailey‘s winning field goal Sunday as the Cowboys won their third straight, topping the hard-luck Washington Redskins 27-24.

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MIAMI — Reggie Bush scored the clinching touchdown, then happily heaved the ball into the stands, and the cluster of fans scrambling for the souvenir included a man in a Miami Dolphins jersey holding a baby.

The scrum was understandable, given that victory keepsakes have been a rarity lately for Dolphins fans.

Bush scored two TDs and the Dolphins twice intercepted Rex Grossman to earn their first home victory in nearly a year by beating the Washington Redskins 20-9 Sunday.The Dolphins (2-7) ended a franchise-record streak of seven consecutive losses in Miami since last Nov. 14. They won for the second week in a row after starting 0-7.

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LANDOVER, Md. — The 50-50 plays that seemed to go wrong during the Philadelphia Eagles‘ four-game skid went right for a change, and that’s perhaps the main reason the so-called dream team of the NFC East isn’t buried yet.

The Eagles finally learned how to tackle and stop the run Sunday during a 20-13 win over the Washington Redskins. Kurt Coleman celebrated his injury-induced return to the starting lineup with three interceptions. The offense overcame a thinned offensive line and gave the ball to LeSean McCoy a career-high 28 times.

But the story of the game was also told in these snapshot moments:• When the ball was lying on the goal line after a wayward snap, Michael Vick got to it first.• When McCoy lost the ball at the end of a run, he was already down.• When Brent Celek tipped the ball twice with defenders around him, he still made the catch — an incredible grab — while falling on his back.• When a pass by Vick fluttered dangerously after being tipped behind the line of scrimmage, it landed in Jeremy Maclin‘s hands instead of those of a defender.

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WASHINGTON – Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley refused to back off from his claim that he took joy in watching Tony Romo fall apart Sunday against the Lions, FOX Sports Southwest reported Friday.

In a day and age where players tend to say outlandish things, only to follow it up the next day by saying their comments were “taken out of context,” Cooley was clear that he stood by every word.

“You can hear it in my voice, I was pleased the Cowboys lost the game,” Cooley said on the Jim Rome radio show. “In no way am I going to apologize for rooting against a rival.”

Cooley told the Washington Post earlier this week his delight as the scoreboard in St. Louis showed the Cowboys’ 27-3 lead shrink during the second half. He said it was amazing to see that the Cowboys choked away the game.

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“It’s go time. Hey, somebody make a play,” Orakpo said. “Everybody’s looking in each other’s eyes, and we’re smiling and we’re ready to go. We were able to do it and get off the field.”The Redskins (3-1) roll into their bye week looking like NFC East contenders, the only loss by two points Monday night to the Cowboys.”I’m disappointed we’re not 4-0, but you’ve got to get over those things,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “The key is to win and the key is to get better every week.”James Laurinaitis‘ interception and 15-yard return of an underthrown pass from Rex Grossman had given St. Louis (0-4) the ball at the Washington 19 with about five minutes remaining. The Rams went in reverse with an illegal shift on first down, Bowen’s sack for a 10-yard loss on second and Orakpo’s sack for a 5-yard loss on third down. That left them with fourth-and-30 and a punt from the Redskins 39.”I thought we were going to score,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “I thought we were going to tie the game. I thought our defense was going to get another stop, and I thought we were going to win the game in a two-minute drive.

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Tony Romo‘s broken rib hurt so much he needed a second pain-killing injection. His center had a tendency to snap the ball too soon or to the wrong spot. And he couldn’t get into the end zone no matter what, not even with a first down on the 2-yard line.

Yet Romo and the Dallas Cowboys did the only thing that mattered. They won.

Dan Bailey kicked six field goals, including a go-ahead 40-yarder with 1:52 left, and linebacker Anthony Spencer forced a fumble that teammate Sean Lee recovered with 28 seconds left, giving the Cowboys an 18-16 victory over the Washington Redskins on Monday night.”It feels good right now because we won,” Romo said, smiling and wincing. “I’ll be alright.”Romo was 22 of 36 for 255 yards. His best stat was simply lasting all four quarters.The fact that he needed a second injection could explain the quarter-sized blotch of blood that appeared on his jersey above his left hip during the game. After the game, he joked that his new bride forced him to play, saying, “I can’t have a weak husband lying around the house.”

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LANDOVER, Md. — After Rex Grossman threw his second interception, running back Tim Hightower figured the Washington Redskins quarterback needed a word or two of encouragement.

“I went over to him and told him to keep throwing the ball,” Hightower said. “He looked at me and kind of laughed — as if those plays never even happened.”

Selective memory was much needed Sunday by Grossman and the Redskins, who surely needed to do a lot of laughing — if only to keep from crying during a game full of self-destruction that wiped out their statistical domination. They blew so many chances that they found themselves trailing the Arizona Cardinals by eight early in the fourth quarter before a late rally pulled out a 22-21 victory.

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