National Football League

Jason Hatcher: Redskins hate Cowboys way more than they hate us

Published Oct. 23, 2014 1:43 p.m. ET

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Asked if he'd been keeping up with the Cowboys' success this season, Jason Hatcher pointed out the obvious.

"Yeah, it's all over the place -- America's Team, right?' he said.

It's an interesting turnaround for Hatcher, who will play his old team for the first time as a member of the Redskins on Monday. He was a third-round draft pick for Dallas in 2006, and he spent eight years with the club before signing in Washington during the offseason.

That switch was bound to give him a unique perspective on one of the NFL's oldest rivalries.

"I'll tell you what, they hate Dallas more than Dallas hates us over here. They really hate Dallas,' he said.

That's probably not a huge surprise, given the recent past between these two teams. The Cowboys and Redskins have met 108 times and have combined for eight Super Bowl titles, but Dallas has a 22-game edge in the series. The Cowboys are also 24-9 against the Redskins dating back to Nov. 16, 1997, when they kicked off a 10-game win streak that lasted until 2002.

Hatcher said that's created a pretty big focus for the Washington fanbase.

"Everywhere you go — grocery store or whatever — these guys, they're hard-nosed fans. They know their players. It's all you hear wherever you go, man. Facebook, Twitter, whatever you're on,' he said. "They hate Dallas. They got signs up everywhere down here. It'll be great for the fans to experience a great Monday night game with a big rivalry. It's great for the fans.'

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As for Hatcher, he said it shouldn't be too strange lining up against the Dallas offense, considering he did it in practice for nearly a decade. His first visit to AT&T Stadium as an opponent could be a bit different, though.

"It'll probably be a little weird going into the visitors' locker room, but I'm excited to see how Jerry got it all fixed up over there,' he said.

Hatcher signed a four-year, $27.5 million contract with the Redskins in March, after he notched 11 sacks and went to the Pro Bowl for Dallas in 2013. His current team is on a different trajectory than his old one, as the Redskins take a 2-5 record to Dallas to play the 6-1 Cowboys, but he said he has no hard feelings.

"I understand how hard it is to win in this football league, man. I was there with those guys, and I know what kind of work they put in, and it's finally paying off for them,' Hatcher said. "I don't wish nobody bad in this league at all, because I understand how hard it is to win. So I'm happy for those guys."

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