IRVING – The ball, tumbling end over end and hanging in the air perfectly, was there for a leaping Sam Hurd to snatch.

The dream scenario would come true if Hurd could recover the onside kick. Jerry Jones saw it. The players saw it. The fans saw it, too.

Of course the Cowboys would kick the winning field goal and walk off with another Texas Stadium memory.

Only the ball glanced off Hurd's fingers and out of bounds with 1:42 to play, and the dream turned into a 26-24 loss to the Washington Redskins, ending the Cowboys' perfect start to the 2008 season.

"I know I had it, actually," Hurd said. "I don't know how I dropped it."

It was one of many unexplainable things that happened Sunday. As a result, the Cowboys (3-1) trail the New York Giants (3-0).

Like Marion Barber getting eight carries and picking up only 26 yards after averaging 21 carries and 95 carries through three games.

Like the Cowboys' run defense allowing Clinton Portis to pick up 121 yards on 21 carries after stifling Cleveland, Philadelphia and Green Bay.

Like Tony Romo being pressured too often – although not sacked – despite the absence of the Redskins' best pass rusher, Jason Taylor.

And like a 12-men-on-the-field penalty – after a Redskins timeout – that not only wiped out a potential third-down stop but allowed the Redskins to eat away more than three minutes before Shaun Suisham's 29-yard field goal with 3:22 to play forced the Cowboys to try the aforementioned onside kick.

"It's my fault," safety Patrick Watkins said. "I take the blame for it."

Watkins said he considered calling a timeout when he was lined up next to a linebacker, but it was too late. Instead of forcing a possible 48-yard attempt by Suisham, the Redskins were able to run six more plays before taking a 26-17 lead.

After committing at least seven penalties in the first three games, it was the Cowboys' second and final penalty that hurt them most Sunday.

"The little things can get you beat," linebacker Zach Thomas said. "That's what happened today. We've just got to learn it's not going to be easy. It's a long season, and hopefully we learn from this. Not everything is going to be smooth. The first three games were smooth. This game, we were a little out of sync."

An 11-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Miles Austin with 1:42 to play kept the Cowboys' chances at a flicker, but they had to recover the onside kick.

VERNON BRYANT / DMN

Dallas Cowboys' Sam Hurd (left) can't hold onto the ball during an onside kick attempt in front of Washington's Chris Cooley.

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"Believe me that one play didn't make or break the ballgame," wide receiver Patrick Crayton said. "There were several other plays throughout the game that added up to the final outcome. It's never just one."

Last year at Buffalo, Hurd knocked Nick Folk's onside attempt free, allowing tight end Tony Curtis to recover. Eventually, Folk made a 53-yarder to beat the Bills, 25-24, as the Cowboys improved to 5-0.

This time, the Cowboys were not as fortunate.

"The reality of it is you hope to go 16-0, but it's pretty unrealistic," Romo said. "I know it happened last year [New England], but that's not the norm.

"We understand that some days you either make a play or two or you don't. And it's disappointing and frustrating when you don't. But we're a confident bunch, and I think we will come back next week with a lot to prove and hopefully get better."