For roughly 55 minutes, the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys played in an ugly and fairly forgettable affair. And then, the final five minutes of the contest devolved into utter madness as the two franchises traded haymakers (and self-inflicted errors) with reckless abandon.
A 41-point fourth quarter featured a backbreaking 99-yard kickoff return Cowboys returner KaVontae Turpin and an improbable 86-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin.
The Commanders came into the matchup heavy favorites — with Vegas odds makers believing Washington would be 11 points better than the visiting Cowboys. But Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense struggled to get going throughout the first half and allowed a bad Cowboys squad to stick around long enough to become invested. The Dallas offense, which consistently struggles to create explosive plays, was able to protect backup quarterback Cooper Rush with a patchwork offensive line and put points on the board when needed.
Ultimately, the game was decided when the Commanders missed two extra point attempts and allowed two kickoffs to be returned for a touchdown in a crushing 34-26 loss to the Cowboys. Austin Seibert, who was sidelined the previous two games with a hip injury, did not resemble the reliable kicker that Commanders fans have come to expect this season — missing one field goal attempt, two extra points and failing on two less-than-stellar onside kicks which never really had a chance of being successful.
With the win, Dallas snapped a five-game losing streak while extending Washington’s losing streak to three games. The Commanders have one more game, at home next week against Tennessee, before their much-needed bye week.
