LANDOVER, Md. – Seriously, where do you start?

Simply dividing the final score – Dallas Cowboys 34, Washington Commanders 26 – doesn’t come close to explaining the bizarre ending and the disturbing ways in which the home side lost with contributions from all three phases.

The fourth quarter alone warrants a documentary. The teams combined to score 41 points, with five touchdowns in the final 5:16, and their 31 points in the final four minutes are the second-most in the NFL since 2000. Two touchdowns were Cowboys kick returns, including a 99 -yarder off a spinning KaVontae Turpin that seemingly ended hopes of a comeback.

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Instead, that didn’t happen until Austin Seibert missed a potential extra point after Terry McLaurin found the end zone on an epic 86-yard catch-and-run. Tyler Ott’s snap was low, but was handled by holder Tress Way. “It made no difference at all,” Seibert said. “It’s up to me.”

Prayers for another Hail Mary finish from Jayden Daniels fell short during the final stretch.

“When I scored, I thought we might have a chance,” McLaurin said, “but … it doesn’t come down to one play.”

Talk about an apt answer. Before that late-game madness, Washington’s play was mostly heartbreaking against a short-handed Dallas team that entered Northwest Stadium on a five-game losing streak.

Seibert also seriously missed a field goal and another extra point after sitting out of Washington’s two previous games with a hip injury.

“It just didn’t hit home,” Seibert said of his overall work. “It means a lot to me to be here with these guys. I want to put my best foot forward.”

The offense squandered several short-field opportunities against a Dallas defense that hasn’t stopped opponents from lighting up the scoreboard in weeks. When asked about the non-existent pass rush, which allowed Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush to play with a clean pocket, Washington coach Dan Quinn gave a one-word answer: “Agreed.”

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Perhaps the simple acknowledgment is that Washington, now 7-5, did something for the first time this season: look past the opponent. “We didn’t underestimate them at all,” McLaurin said.

Linebacker Bobby Wagner denied that angle. “It’s a division game. … That’s what’s so great about football,” he said. “You just have to be good today. And they were.”

Strange losses happen every week in the NFL, often against familiar foes. Quinn, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and several players were with the Cowboys last season. Wagner’s screenplay would be easier to justify as a one-off – if only that were the case.

“What I told the team after the game was this is the biggest challenge we’ve faced in our time together,” said Quinn, Washington’s first-year coach. “I reminded them that it is not enough to learn the lessons. We must apply them.”

The offense that set efficiency records early in the season was already dealing with whispered concerns about its recent struggles after losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, two of the league’s best defensive and overall teams. These Cowboys don’t live anywhere near that district.

Quinn and others attributed the offensive dip to sporadic practices with Daniels and the entire lineup. There were no problems this week – until the game started. The defeat caused injuries to pile up. Running back Austin Ekeler left in the fourth quarter with a concussion. He was later taken to hospital as a precaution, according to a team spokesperson.

His backfield partner, Brian Robinson Jr., was limited to five carries for 13 yards after suffering an ankle injury on the opening drive. Right tackle Andrew Wylie was also ruled out with a concussion.

Daniels ran his most confident run since his rib injury in Week 7, finishing with 74 yards on seven attempts. His 17-yard touchdown run gave Washington a brief 9-3 lead with 9:53 remaining in the third quarter. Seibert’s missed extra point kept the score intact.

That was the Commanders’ only touchdown in the first 56 minutes, 58 seconds against a defense that has allowed at least 27 points in five straight games. This happened despite Washington’s excellent field position in the first half and the Cowboys’ error-prone start. Don’t let the 411 total yards in the final box score fool you.

Daniels finished 25 of 38 passing for 274 yards and two touchdowns. However, he threw two interceptions, had just 78 net passing yards through three quarters and didn’t have a single completion for 20 yards until the McLaurin touchdown.

After a four-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz that cut the Cowboys’ lead to 20–17, Seibert intentionally delivered a “dirty ball” on the next kickoff for Turpin downfield. After a slight bump, Turpin spun past a charging Jeremy Reaves and then raced into open space for the 99-yard return.

“I hit the guy straight,” Seibert said. “That’s what you get when that happens. I notice that too.”

KaVontae Turpin goes 99 yards for the TD 🔥

📺: #DALvsWAS on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/IiHNVZAnt5

—NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024

The Cowboys, instead of going to the ground and securing a win, returned an onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown with 14 seconds left. That gave the commanders a chance to draw. Four weeks after the miracle against the Chicago Bears, Daniels’ attempt from Washington’s 42-yard line landed just outside the end zone and into the arms of Dallas defender Israel Mukuamu with four seconds left.

Converting just 4 of 12 third downs led to Washington’s defense being on the field for more than 35 minutes. The Commanders lost the turnover battle for the third time this season. The 3-to-1 count marked a worst minus-two margin of the season.

“We just haven’t executed like we used to,” Daniels said. “Poor execution throughout the match. We had short fields and didn’t take advantage of those opportunities.”

Dallas’ first two possessions ended with Washington blocking Brandon Aubrey’s 35-yard field goal attempt and the usually accurate kicker hitting the upright on his next attempt. Running back Rico Dowdle fumbled on the Cowboys’ next drive. Seibert’s 41-yard field goal was responsible for the Commanders’ first-half score.

Defensively, Washington held Dallas to 2-of-11 on third down, but the Cowboys moved the ball more consistently throughout the game. The Commanders avoided playing wide receiver CeeDee Lamb chunks. However, the minimal pass rush – one sack, two quarterback hits – allows Rush to find his main target when needed. Lamb had 10 receptions on 12 targets for 67 yards.

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Quinn, the staff and his players reunite at the team facility for the weekly “Tell the Truth Monday” conversation. There must be enough honesty about this loss.

The commanders have reached a point where there are more questions than answers. Limiting mistakes contributed to the strong start, but now the mistakes are piling up. Daniels remains a weapon, but the highlights are less frequent.

There are only five regular season games left to find solutions and secure a playoff berth that seemed all but secured three weeks ago. Now that several issues have arisen from this frustrating setback, Quinn’s first thought might be: where to start?

(Photo by Austin Seibert: Geoff Burke / Imagn Images)