At the beginning of the first half, the Cowboys faced some rough breaks, leading to finding themselves in a close game. However, sticking to the game plan, they regrouped and managed to finish the regular season at 12-5, advancing with a solid win against the NFC East.
Still, there were games that could change the course, ones where no one could predict the outcome, but played a crucial role in creating a difference.
Clark’s fourth-down stop, the defense – Cowboys struggled initially to stop the commanders on the fourth down, but with Washington’s first possession, an interception at the Dallas 31-yard line created an advantage. -Drive already in progress before the first down conversion. It was evident that the commanders were trying to shake things up with cunning and loose play. However, on fourth-and-2, the commanders were halted again on a reverse play, first by linebacker Damon Clark and then by several defenders, seizing possession on downs. Not only did it prevent Washington from gaining some early momentum, but the Cowboys took control and quickly moved forward for a touchdown.
Late hit on Lamb by Washington LB – Cowboys fell behind 10-7 in the second quarter, and there was no momentum on their side at all. CD Lamb, after completing a first-down pass to Washington’s 8-yard line, was called for a 15-yard penalty for a late hit on Lamb’s helmet, pushing the offense further to the Washington 48. With Tony Pollard running for a 1-yard touchdown in the red zone, requiring only six plays to extend the lead.
Pass dropped by Daudle before the catch – So, what’s being said here? If you don’t succeed the first time…try again? Cowboys took it to heart the first time when Dak Prescott threw a pass to Rico Daudle in the left flat. He was wide open but dropped the ball due to a lot of green grass in front of him. However, on the next down, Dallas played it just the same, and Prescott threw it behind Daudle again, who caught it this time and fell 32 yards from the sideline. This put the Cowboys back in a position to score, and by halftime, their lead had grown to 21-10.
Consecutive third and fifth conversions – Let’s move on to two plays here that happened close to each other in the third quarter. Leading 21-10, the Cowboys needed to establish a campaign to take full control. On the third and fifth, Prescott hit Lamb with a pass that went 10 yards to midfield. Later, a 7-yard pass to Jake Ferguson converted a third and 5, adding to the drive that Lamb finished with a touchdown, giving Dallas an 18-point lead.
Parsons’ sack bag closed the game – It’s not like the 28-10 lead wasn’t already there, but the Cowboys were able to put the game out of reach for the commanders in the third quarter thanks to a third-down sack by Micah Parsons. A forced punt due to a 9-yard loss, which Peyton HenderShot prevented, Dallas took control on the 9th position and, despite two penalties, still managed to score Brandin Cooks’ pass, giving the Cowboys a 35-10 lead.