3 Takeaways From Washington Commanders' Brutal Loss vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Washington Commanders took a tough Week 12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Mark the Washington Commanders down for three straight losses. They just ended their mid-season skid to three games as the Dallas Cowboys came onto their home field and defeated them 34-26.

Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and star wide receiver Terry McLaurin gave the team a major chance to win the game. With less than 30 seconds to go, trailing by seven points, the two connected for an 86-yard touchdown.

However, Austin Seibert missed the PAT and the Cowboys scored on a one-hop onside kick, putting the game away. They were nearly able to pull off another miracle, which would have ended their losing streak, which, instead, is now extended to three games.

NFL.com' Michael Bacha gave three takeaways of what was learned of the Commanders following their loss to their NFC East rival. The first of what was, "Highs and lows of special teams play settle wild affair."

This is a completely valid takeaway. Dan Quinn's team needs to be sharp in all three phases. Seibert's missed PAT wasn't the only special teams event that had an impact on the game. Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey missed a couple of kicks, with credit to Washington's effort to stop them.

The next takeaway is quite a simple one, and it falls at the hands of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury as the "Commanders' offensive woes continue."

"It was tough sledding for Washington's offense before the late comeback (198 of 412 total yards gained within final 5:16 of play), and it all started at the point of attack, as the Commanders' offensive line struggled to create running lanes and allowed the Cowboys' pass rush to harass Jayden Daniels all afternoon," Bacha wrote.

The Commanders simply aren't doing enough on that side of the ball. Kingsbury is slowly being figured out, and he's having to counter, which he hasn't done well. Brian Robinson Jr. leaving with an injury was brutal, and the lack of his impact on the ground helped feed into the team's offensive woes.

The last takeaway of all might be the most brutal as "Cowboys D largely shines against Dan Quinn."

"A long season for the Cowboys defense saw some reprieve on Sunday when going up against their former defensive coordinator. It was a collaborative effort from Quinn's former pupils and one of his favorites, Micah Parsons, led the way with two sacks, three QB hits and two tackles for loss," Bacha wrote.

Quinn entered the game with a chance to prove, as a head coach, why the Cowboys shouldn't have moved on from him. However, that wasn't the tune that was sung. Dallas' defense, in turn, was able to apply a ton of pressure on Daniels while slowing the Commanders' offense.

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