The Commanders finished the season 4-13 after a 38-10 loss to the Cowboys at FedEx Field. Here are four takeaways from the game.
With changes looming, Washington clinches No. 2 pick: After losing what was probably his final game as coach of the Commanders on his 62nd birthday, Ron Rivera’s regular season record with Washington fell to 26-40-1 over four years, including three straight seasons without a playoff appearance. Washington’s eighth consecutive loss dropped Rivera’s career coaching record below .500 (102-103-2) for the first time since 2013, his third season in Carolina.
In more encouraging news for first-year owner Josh Harris, the Commanders, who put up an early fight as two-touchdown underdogs, secured the No. 2 pick in April’s draft. Washington’s loss coupled with New Orleans’s win over Atlanta earlier in the day gave the Commanders the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker over New England, which also finished 4-13. Meanwhile, Dallas (12-5) clinched the division title and the NFC’s No. 2 seed. The NFC East hasn’t had a repeat champion since 2004.
Sam Howell adds to interception and sack totals: Howell, who became the first Washington quarterback to start every game in a season since Kirk Cousins in 2017, was 19 of 27 for 153 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in another underwhelming performance. The second-year pro threw a short touchdown pass to Brian Robinson Jr. on fourth and goal to tie the game on the first play of the second quarter but extended his streak of games with at least one interception to seven when safety Donovan Wilson intercepted his pass intended for Curtis Samuel late in the first half.
Advertisement
Howell could face competition from a rookie quarterback next season after ending his first year as the starter with 21 touchdown passes and a league-high 21 interceptions, including 12 picks in his past seven games. The Cowboys sacked Howell four times, bringing his league-leading total to 65. He made his first career reception on a throw by wide receiver Dyami Brown in the first half, as Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy reached deep into his bag of tricks.
Terry McLaurin hits milestone: McLaurin entered the day needing 54 yards to become the first wide receiver in franchise history with four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He finished with 56, thanks to a 15-yard gain on the first play of Washington’s final drive. McLaurin was wide open on a trick play in the first quarter for what should have been a 49-yard touchdown after Logan Thomas took the snap and flipped the ball to Howell in the backfield, but Howell underthrew him, allowing Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore to break up the pass.
McLaurin entered halftime with three catches for 37 yards, including a 19-yard gain on a pop pass in the backfield. He was still 13 yards shy of the mark when Washington got the ball back after a Cowboys field goal with 1:06 to play. After catching a pass from Howell at the line of scrimmage on first down, McLaurin charged forward, made a cut and dragged a couple of Dallas defenders the final few necessary yards.
Advertisement
Washington’s shorthanded defense can’t hang: Dallas was without starting guards Zack Martin (illness) and Tyler Smith (foot), but it didn’t matter against the Commanders’ 32nd-ranked defense, which was missing a few regulars of its own. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was 6 of 6 for 57 yards on Dallas’s first possession, which culminated in a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jalen Tolbert, who beat Commanders rookie Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
After a blocked field goal by former Bowie State standout Joshua Pryor and an interception by rookie defensive back Quan Martin helped Washington take a 10-7 lead in the second quarter, the Cowboys scored touchdowns on four consecutive drives to put the game away. Two of those possessions ended in scoring grabs by wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who extended his touchdown streak to nine games and finished with 13 catches for 98 yards. Prescott was 31 of 36 for 279 yards, four touchdowns and one pick.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCxu9GtqmhqYGeBcHyQaGdwZ5Okuq6tzZ2cq6tdmLy4rs6yqmakmauybr%2FCqKmeZZ6buXA%3D