The Cowboys played their best game of the season, outdueling their former defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, and the former Cowboys he took with him to Washington.
Dallas upset Washington 34-26 to end a five-game losing streak as the Cowboys improved to 4-7 and the Commanders fell to 7-5.
A game that was tied 3-3 at halftime ended as one of the best finishes in the NFL this season with 30 points in the final 3:02.
The Commanders closed to within 20-17 with 3:02 remaining on Jayden Daniels’ 4-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz followed by Daniels’ run to the end zone on the 2-point try. But a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by KaVontae Turpin with 2:49 left appeared to ice it for the Cowboys.
The Commanders, though, got a 51-yard field goal from Austin Seibert with 1:40 left, drawing them within 27-20, and they then got the ball back with 33 seconds left. One play and 12 seconds later, the game was within a PAT of being tied.
Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin went 86 yards through the Dallas defense for an unlikely touchdown. Seibert, though, missed the extra point, his second of the day along with a missed field goal.
The Commanders, trailing by one, tried an onside kick and Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a Cowboys touchdown. That kept the Commanders’ comeback hopes alive.
Instead of the Cowboys ending the game in victory formation if Thomas had slid down, Dallas had to kickoff.
It allowed Daniels a chance for a second Hail Mary this season, but his pass fell short of the end zone and Israel Mukuamu intercepted it to end it.
The Cowboys returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, missed a field goal, had a field goal blocked and had a punt blocked.
Cooper Rush went 24-of-32 for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and Rico Dowdle rushed for 86 yards on 19 carries. CeeDee Lamb caught 10 passes for 67 yards.
Micah Parsons had two of the Cowboys’ four sacks of Daniels, who was 25-of-38 for 275 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. McLaurin caught five passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.
