LANDOVER, Md. – This article was created for games like this.
So many crazy plays occurred in the final five minutes of this one, making it hard to remember some of the other key moments.
Here's a handful of plays that were likely forgotten, but led to the outcome of this wild game.
Golston INT after punt block – The Cowboys had just had a punt blocked that only went 20 yards and the Commanders were in great shape with a 3-0 lead. But after one first down to the 28-yard line, Chauncey Golston came up with a huge interception to end the drive and keep the Cowboys within striking distance. As we've seen in recent weeks, getting down by two scores hasn't been a recipe for a comeback. That interception proved to be a big lift for the defense.
Pass interference on Lamb – Just before halftime, the Cowboys were trying to get into field-goal range when Cooper Rush was intercepted in a wild play that ended with a fumble and recovery by Hunter Luepke. However, it was all negated for a pass interference call earlier in the play that gave the Cowboys a first down with 14 seconds left. On the next snap, Rush went deep to Jalen Brooks for 41 yards. With seven seconds remaining in the half, Brandon Aubrey was able to hit a 46-yard field goal to tie the score at 3-3.
The first missed extra point – Washington's Austin Seibert was on the injury report all week with a hip injury. Not only did he have a missed field goal, but he also missed an extra point right after halftime when the Commanders marched for an early touchdown to grab the momentum. That made the score just 9-3. That seemed to give the Cowboys a boost. On the next drive, Dallas drove for a long touchdown and took the lead when Aubrey, who had already missed two kicks in the first half, hit the extra point to give Dallas its first lead. The Commanders eventually got the point back on a 2-point conversion, but it seemed meaningful the way the Cowboys called the game, knowing they could get up by four points in the fourth. Fast forward to the end of the game, the lack of confidence in already missing one kick had to factor into the second, which he hooked badly with a chance to tie the game.
Trey Lance run effective? – So this might be a stretch, but when the Cowboys entered Trey Lance in the game at quarterback down by the goal line, it wasn't an effective run as he lost 3 yards back to the 6. He left the game and Rush entered, but it put the Commanders into a different defensive mindset. It also gave the offense more room to operate. On the next play, Rush hit Jalen Tolbert for a touchdown pass and then Aubrey made the extra point for the lead. While he lost 3 yards, Lance might have helped create enough space to get that first touchdown.
Wilson's forced fumble in fourth – Easy to forget since there were like five touchdowns that followed this play, but with the Cowboys leading, 13-9, Donovan Wilson stripped the ball away on a first-down pass that was recovered by Eric Kendricks, giving Dallas possession. They then went down and scored on a touchdown pass to Luke Schoonmaker for a 20-9 lead, which seemed to be enough for the win. While it wasn't at all, let's not forget that turnover. Washington was down by four with a chance to drive for the lead.
