Notable headlines surrounding America’s team.
Cowboys win in shocking 34-26 upset over Commanders in Week 12 – Mark Heaney, Inside The Star
Dallas is back in the win column.
For the first time since October 6th, the headlines will read “Cowboys win.” In one of the craziest games you will ever see, Dallas pulled off a 34-26 upset over the Washington Commanders. With this wild win, the Cowboys have snapped a 5-game losing streak.
That was seriously the weirdest NFL game I have seen. From the start to the finish, that was truly insane. We saw a slew of bizarre plays, turnovers, blocked kicks, a seemingly game-icing kickoff return touchdown, before a miracle touchdown and a missed extra point.
At times, it felt like both teams were competing to lose this one, but you can’t knock Dallas‘ effort today.
They played incredibly hard, especially on the defensive side. Mike Zimmer’s guys stood out today, and they needed to. There were no excuses this time around.
This game was a circus. I have no idea what we just witnessed, but let’s dive into it.
How Did That Happen?
If you’re trying to piece together exactly how that Cowboys win happened, you have to start with the incredibly sloppy play by Washington.
The Commanders’ offense, until the final three minutes, was brutal today; they turned it over, missed opportunities, and overall looked like a lackluster unit. For a team that has been nothing but fireworks on that side of the ball, this was a dud for 98% of the game.
Game Recap: A special win, 34-26- Kurt Daniels, DallasCowboys.com
The game did not lack late-game excitement.
Fourth Quarter
After a trade of punts, the Cowboys got the ball to start at the 50-yard line and inched up 20 yards on six plays. They appeared to convert a third-and-9 at the Washington 35, but rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton was flagged for illegal formation for the second time in the game to negate the play. Unable to move the chains on third-and-14, Dallas settled for a 48-yard field goal from Aubrey to up their advantage to four points.
Would the lead hold?
In the end, it did … barely.
On the Commanders’ ensuing first down, Daniels connected with tight end John Bates over the middle, but safety Donovan Wilson punched the ball loose with linebacker Eric Kendricks falling on the fumble. Five plays thereafter, the Cowboys were back in the end zone. Rush found tight end Luke Schoonmaker alone behind the defense for an easy pitch and catch, Dallas now up 20-9.
Washington wasn’t done yet, though. The Commanders came right back with a nine-play, 69-yard drive that saw Daniels complete all seven of his pass attempts, the last of which was a 4-yard dart to tight end Zach Ertz for the touchdown. Daniels then ran around the right end to pick up the two-point conversion, the score narrowed to just a three-point edge.
No problem, said Turpin. The speedy return man muffed Washington’s kickoff, picked up the ball, waited, executed a honey of a spin mood and then burst through the Commanders coverage unit for a 99-yard touchdown, the Cowboys now ahead 27-17.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders: Week 12 Player of the Game- Ali Jawad, Sports Illustrated
Who deserves Sunday’s game ball?
Dallas took control of the game in the second half, largely thanks to quarterback Cooper Rush, who earns Week 12’s player of the game.
In his third start replacing quarterback Dak Prescott, who was lost for the season due to a hamstring injury back in Week 9, the veteran Rush completed 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards, two touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a 117.6 passer rating.
With a career record now of 6-3 as a starter, Rush’s performance in the second half helped Dallas end a five-game losing streak and secure the Cowboys’ first win since Week 5.
The Cowboys face a short week as they return home on Thursday for their annual Thanksgiving game against the New York Giants, who earlier lost 30-7 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Never say never: How the Cowboys could somehow still make the playoffs- Quinn Everts, FanSided
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
After a whirlwind of a win, Cowboys fans are wondering if their beloved (or hated, depending on the week) Cowboys still have a shot at the postseason. A tiny shot, yes. But mathematically, a shot nonetheless!
Here’s what and who Cowboys fans should be rooting for (and against) the rest of the season.
Cheer for the NFC West to beat itself up
The NFC West looks akin to how the NFC East looked in years past; no team is separating itself from the pack, with the Cardinals currently leading the division at 6-4 and the other three teams all at 5-5, meaning all four teams are ahead of the Cowboys right now.
The best case scenario for Dallas here would be one of the teams (preferably Arizona) pulls away from the pack, handing out losses to the rest of the division in the process. The Cardinals play Seattle twice still, and play the Rams and 49ers once. Passing up three teams in the same division is an extremely tall task in itself, so if Cowboys ever see an NFC West matchup happening… cheer against everyone who’s not the Cardinals.
Cowboys exposing Dan Quinn’s Commanders as frauds is best part of 2024 season- Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat
That was certainly fun in an otherwise disastrous season.
Not only have wins been hard to come by this season, but moral victories have been few and far between.
The Week 1 win in Cleveland proved to be a mirage as the Browns have one of the worst records in the league, even with their Thursday night win over Pittsburgh. Speaking of the Steelers, the Cowboys barely squeaked by them in Week 5. They played sloppy against the Giants the following week. Even in wins there hasn’t been much to feel good about.
The injury bug is another miserable footnote on the 2024 season. Already without their franchise quarterback and Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys ruled out future Hall of Famer Zack Martin, All-Pro guard Tyler Smith, star cornerback Trevon Diggs and Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson for Sunday’s game.
That makes this win all the more gritty and impressive.
That brings us to all of the off-field dramatics spawned by Jerry Jones. Threatening to have local radio hosts fired, overpaying for Jonathan Mingo, throwing Dak Prescott under the bus on more than occasion, blind faith in Ezekiel Elliott, refusing to put up curtains at AT&T Stadium. Beyond lousy week-to-week performances, the off-field distractions have been just as hard to put up with.
