Despite all the self-inflicted wounds in the first two quarters, which included an exchange where Noah Igbinoghene intercepted a pass from Rush and then gave it back up to the Dallas offense only for the play to be negated anyway because of an illegal contact penalty, Washington was still in position to win and looked primed to do so. They went 10 plays covering 60 yards to open the third quarter, and Daniels broke loose on a 17-yard touchdown thanks to a crushing block by Ben Sinnott.
However, Austin Seibert missed the extra point that would have made the score 10-3. It’s a small moment, and hardly the one mistake that broke the Commanders, but like several other things for the team, it came back to haunt them.
The Cowboys immediately responded with a touchdown of their own and took the lead with a six-yard touchdown pass to Tolbert, which was the indirect result of Igbinoghene being called for pass interference on third-and-2. Then, after a stretch where both teams combined for 44 yards, Aubrey hit a 48-yard attempt that brought the score to 13-9.
Then disaster struck once again for the Commanders, as Bates’ fumble on the first play of the ensuing drive was recovered by the Cowboys at Washington’s 44-yard line. Five plays later, Schoonmaker broke through the secondary for a 22-yard score.
Washington’s offense finally came alive in the final minutes, and even after all the problems it had shown, it was nearly enough to win. Daniels and Zach Ertz connected on a four-yard score, and Daniels scampered across the goal line for a two-point conversion to put the Commanders down by three. With the two-minute warning still left and two timeouts, Washington had a glimmer of hope.
It was smothered seconds later by KaVontae Turpin, who fumbled the kickoff before returning it 99 yards for a touchdown, only for it to be revived seconds later by McLaurin’s 86-yard catch-and-run that put the Commanders within a point of tying the score.
The hope was dashed again, seconds later, when Seibert’s kick was sent wide left. Juanyeh Thomas then added a 43-yard kickoff return touchdown to essentially end the game.
Washington’s final chance — a last-second Hail Mary — died with an interception by Israel Mukuamu at the end of regulation.
