LANDOVER, Md. — Seriously, where do you begin?
Simply sharing the final score — Dallas Cowboys 34, Washington Commanders 26 — does not come close to explaining the bizarre ending and unsettling ways the home team lost with contributions from all three phases.
The fourth quarter alone warrants a documentary. The teams combined for 41 points, with five touchdowns in the final 5:16, and their 31 points in the final four minutes are the second most in the NFL since 2000. Two touchdowns were Cowboys kick returns, including a 99-yarder by a spinning KaVontae Turpin that seemingly ended comeback hopes.
Instead, that didn’t happen until Austin Seibert missed a potential game-tying extra point after Terry McLaurin found the end zone with an epic 86-yard catch-and-run. The snap from Tyler Ott was low but fielded by holder Tress Way. “It didn’t make a difference at all,” Seibert said. “It’s on me.”
Prayers for another Hail Mary finish by Jayden Daniels fell short on the final play.
“When I scored, I thought we might have a chance,” McLaurin said, “but … it doesn’t come down to one play.”
Talk about a spot-on answer. Before that game-ending madness, Washington’s play generated chiefly sadness against a shorthanded Dallas team entering Northwest Stadium on a five-game losing streak.
Seibert also badly missed a field goal and another extra point after sitting out Washington’s two previous games with a hip injury.
“Just wasn’t striking well,” Seibert said of his overall work. “It means a lot to me to be here with these guys. I want to put my best foot moving forward.”
The offense squandered several short-field chances against a Dallas defense that hasn’t stopped opponents from lighting up the scoreboard in weeks. When asked about the nonexistent pass rush, which allowed Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush to play within a clean pocket, Washington coach Dan Quinn uttered a one-word response: “Agreed.”
Perhaps the simple acknowledgment is that Washington, now 7-5, did something for the first time this season: Look past the opponent. “We didn’t underestimate them at all,” McLaurin said.
Linebacker Bobby Wagner denied that angle. “It’s a divisional game. … That’s what is so dope about football,” he said. “You just have to be good today. And they were.”
Weird losses happen every week in the NFL, often against familiar foes. Quinn, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and several players were with the Cowboys last season. Wagner’s scenario would be easier to justify as a one-off — if that were only the case.
“What I told the team after the game was that this is the most challenged we’ve been in our time together,” said Quinn, Washington’s first-year coach. “I reminded them it’s not enough to learn the lessons. We have to apply them.”
The offense that set efficiency records early in the season already faced whispered concerns about recent struggles after losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, two of the league’s top defenses and overall teams. These Cowboys live nowhere near that district.
Quinn and others attributed the offensive dip to sporadic practices with Daniels and the entire lineup. There were no issues this week — until the game started. Injuries piled up in the loss. Running back Austin Ekeler left in the fourth quarter with a concussion. He was later taken to the hospital as a precaution, according to a team spokesperson.
His backfield partner, Brian Robinson Jr., was limited to five carries for 13 yards after enduring an ankle injury on the opening drive. Right tackle Andrew Wylie also was ruled out with a concussion.
Daniels ran most confidently since his Week 7 rib injury, finishing with 74 yards on seven attempts. His 17-yard touchdown run gave Washington a brief 9-3 lead with 9:53 remaining in the third quarter. Seibert’s missed extra point kept the score intact.
That was the Commanders’ lone touchdown over the opening 56 minutes and 58 seconds against a defense that allowed at least 27 points in five consecutive games. This happened despite Washington’s stellar field position in the first half and the Cowboys’ error-prone start. Don’t let the 411 total yards in the final box score fool you.
Daniels finished 25-of-38 passing for 274 yards and two touchdowns. However, he threw two interceptions, had only 78 net passing yards through three quarters and did not have a single completion over 20 yards until the McLaurin touchdown.
After a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz cut the Cowboys’ lead to 20-17, Seibert purposely delivered a “dirty ball” on the following kickoff for Turpin to field. After a slight bobble, Turpin spun past a charging Jeremy Reaves and then raced into open space for the 99-yard return.
“I hit it right to the guy,” Seibert said. “That’s what you get when that happens. That falls on me, too.”
KaVontae Turpin goes 99 yards for the TD 🔥
📺: #DALvsWAS on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/IiHNVZAnt5— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
The Cowboys, rather than going to the ground and securing a win, returned an onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown with 14 seconds remaining. That gave the Commanders a chance to tie. Four weeks after the miracle against the Chicago Bears, Daniels’ attempt from Washington’s 42-yard line with four seconds remaining landed short of the end zone and in the arms of Dallas defender Israel Mukuamu.
Converting only 4 of 12 third downs led to Washington’s defense being on the field for over 35 minutes. The Commanders lost the turnover battle for the third time this season. The 3-to-1 tally meant a season-worst minus-two margin.
“We just haven’t been executing how we did prior,” Daniels said. “Poor execution throughout the game. We had short fields and didn’t capitalize on those opportunities.”
Dallas’ first two possessions ended with Washington blocking Brandon Aubrey’s 35-yard field goal attempt and the usually accurate kicker hitting the upright on his next try. Running back Rico Dowdle fumbled on the Cowboys’ next drive. Seibert’s 41-yard field goal accounted for the Commanders’ first-half scoring.
Defensively, Washington held Dallas to 2-of-11 on third down, but the Cowboys moved the ball more consistently throughout the game. The Commanders avoided allowing wide receiver CeeDee Lamb chunk plays. However, minimal pass rush — one sack, two quarterback hits — let Rush find his top target when needed. Lamb had 10 receptions on 12 targets for 67 yards.
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Quinn, the staff and his players will reconvene at the team facility for the weekly “Tell the Truth Monday” conversation. There should be plenty of honesty about this loss.
The Commanders have reached a point where there are more questions than answers. Limiting mistakes helped fuel the strong start, but now miscues are piling up. Daniels remains a weapon, but the highlight plays are less frequent.
Only five regular-season games remain to find solutions and secure a playoff berth that seemed nearly set three weeks ago. With several issues arising from this frustrating setback, Quinn’s first thought may be: where to begin?
(Photo of Austin Seibert: Geoff Burke / Imagn Images)
