Commander Country

Cowboys vs. Commanders Live Updates: Washington Clinches No. 2 Overall Pick With Loss; Dallas Wins NFC East

The Washington Commanders wrap up the Ron Rivera era and 2023 season against the Dallas Cowboys.

Nathaniel Marrero

In this story:

In Week 18 of the 2022 season, the Washington Commanders spoiled the Dallas Cowboys’ chances of winning the NFC East with a 26-6 win at home.

Do they have another upset in store to finish up the 2023 season?

Washington (4-12) will look to snap its seven-game losing streak when it faces the Cowboys on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET at FedEx Field. The Commanders face an uphill climb against a Cowboys team that beat them 45-10 on Thanksgiving.

Sam Howell won the first start of his career against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 last season.
Sam Howell won the first start of his career against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 last season / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The Commanders currently hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With Washington tied with the New England Patriots (4-12) and Arizona Cardinals record-wise, it will need a loss and some help to ensure it keeps that pick in April.

While a loss would be better for the franchise at this juncture, one can bet that head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t share that mindset, as he’s most likely coaching his final game at the helm for the Commanders.

Report: Commanders Showing 'Significant Interest' in Hiring Harbaugh

For Dallas, the stakes are simple. Win, and they clinch the NFC East and the No. 2 seed. If the Commanders pull off the upset, the Cowboys would need the New York Giants to beat the Philadelphia Eagles to still clinch the division and No. 2 seed. 

Inactives:

Cowboys

RG Zack Martin

LG Tyler Smith

DL Viliami Fehoko

CB Eric Scott

CB Noah Igbinoghene

S Sheldrick Redwine

QB Trey Lance (emergency 3rd QB)

Commanders:

QB Jacoby Brissett (emergency 3rd QB)

S Kamren Curl

DE Andre Jones Jr.

T Andrew Wylie

TE Cole Turner

DT Jon Allen

DE Casey Toohill

Stay here for live updates and highlights throughout the game.

1ST QUARTER:

After the wind blows the ball off the tee three times, the game is underway and Washington begins the game with the ball at its 25-yard line after Brandon Aubrey's touchback.

Curtis Samuel gets the ball on an end around and runs for 15 yards. 

Brian Robinson is stopped for no gain on 1st down and then runs for 9 yards on 2nd down. On 3rd and 1, Logan Thomas pitches it to Sam Howell and his pass intended for a wide-open Terry McLaurin is underthrown and nearly picked off by Stephon Gilmore before it falls incomplete.

Washington goes for it on 4th down, and Howell's pass to Robinson gains 11 yards to the Cowboys' 40-yard line. 

Howell's pass to McLaurin gains 5 yards. Howell checks it down to Antonio Gibson on 2nd down for 3 yards. On 3rd and 2, Robinson only gains a yard to set up 4th and 1.

The Commanders go for it again on 4th down and Howell's pass to Robinson is stopped for a two-yard loss for a turnover on downs.

End of possession  

Dak Prescott's first pass of the game is completed to Brandin Cooks for 15 yards.

Tony Pollard runs for 5 yards to the Commanders' 47-yard line. Prescott and CeeDee Lamb connect for a 16-yard gain. 

Prescott finds Lamb again, this time for 9 yards. Pollard runs for 4 yards for a 1st down at the Commanders' 18-yard line.

Prescott's pass to Cooks gains 3 yards, and then Pollard makes a leaping grab for a 12-yard gain at Washington's 3-yard line

Prescott throws a jump ball to Jalen Tolbert and he catches it in the end zone for a touchdown. 

Aubrey's extra point is good with 6:26 left in the 1st quarter.

Cowboys 7, Commanders 0

End of possession

Aubrey boots it through the end zone for a touchback.

Robinson runs for six yards and fumbles on the play and it's recovered by Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis.

End of possession

Kavontae Turpin runs for five yards to the Commanders' 26-yard line. Pollard gains just 2 yards and on 3rd and 3, Prescott's pass intended for Cooks is incomplete. 

Dallas goes for it on 4th and 3, and Prescott finds tight end Jake Ferguson for 8 yards to extend the drive at the Commanders' 15-yard line.

Pollard is stopped for no gain and Prescott's pass on 2nd down is incomplete. On 3rd and 10, Prescott's pass to Lamb on a screen gains only 1 yard.  

Aubrey's 32-yard field goal is blocked by Joshua Pryor and ran deep into Cowboys territory by Jace Whittaker.

End of possession

Washington begins the drive at Dallas' 20-yard line. Robinson is stopped for no gain, and Howell's pass intended for Jahan Dotson in the end zone is incomplete. On 3rd and 10, Howell's screen to Alex Armah gains 10 yards to set up 1st and goal. 

Robinson runs for a yard, and then Washington runs a trick play and Dyami Brown's pass to Howell hains 3 yards before he's pushed out of bounds. On 3rd and goal, Howell scrambles for 3 yards before getting pushed out of bounds. Before 4th and goal, the 1st quarter has come to a close. 

End of the quarter

2ND QUARTER:

On 4th and goal from the 2-yard line, Howell rolls left and finds Robinson in the end zone and he bobbles the ball before catching it for a touchdown. 

Joey Slye's extra point is good and ties the game. 

Cowboys 7, Commanders 7

End of possession

Slye's kickoff goes for a touchback.

Pollard runs for 5 yards on back-to-back carries for a 1st down.

Prescott pitches it backwards to Lamb and he runs for 7 yards. Prescott's pass to Cooks gains 4 yards to move the chains again. 

Prescott finds Furguson for a 10-yard gain to the Commanders' 43-yard line.

Prescott checks it down to Pollard for 3 yards. Prescott's pass is batted into the air by Jalen Harris and it's picked off by Quan Martin at the Commanders' 45-yard line.

End of possession

After an incomplete pass, Howell finds Thomas for a 9-yard gain. Howell tries to sneak it on 3rd and 1 and is stopped short. 

On 4th and 1, Robinson runs for 2 yards for a 1st down at the Cowboys' 44-yard line.

McLaurin gets the ball on an end around and runs for 19 yards to the Cowboys' 25-yard line. 

Howell's pass to Samuel gains 9 yards. They try to connect again but Samuel can't get both feet in bounds on what would have been a touchdown. Washington calls its first timeout with 7:52 left in the 1st half. Before 3rd and 1, John Bates moves early for a false start. Sam Cosmi moves early for another false start that makes it 3rd and 11. Howell's pass to Jamison Crowder on a screen gains 9 yards. 

Slye's 36-yard field goal is good with 7:04 left in the 2nd quarter. 

Commanders 10, Cowboys 7

End of possession

Turpin returns the kickoff to the Cowboys' 29-yard line. 

Prescott checks it down to Lamb for 8 yards and a late hit to the helmet by Cody Barton adds 15 to the play and gives Dallas a fresh set of downs across midfield. 

Prescott finds Ferguson for 12 yards to the Commanders' 36-yard line.

Pollard runs for 9 yards and then Rico Dowdle runs for 5 to move the chains. Commanders linebacker Khaleke Hudson is down on the field with an elbow injury.

Pollard runs for 9 yards and then gains 12 more to the Commanders' 1-yard line. Quan Martin is down on the field with an injury.

On 1st and goal, Pollard runs it into the end zone from a yard out. 

Aubrey's extra point is good with 4:12 left in the 1st half. 

Cowboys 14, Commanders 10

End of possession

Washington begins the drive at its 25-yard line after the touchback. 

Howell's pass to Samuel gains 6 yards. Howell and Dotson connect for an 11-yard gain to move the chains.

Howell finds Dotson again, this time for 6 yards. Howell is sacked by Dante Fowler Jr. on the final play before the two-minute warning. On 3rd and 12, Howell hits McLaurin along the sideline for a 13-yard gain at the Cowboys' 47-yard line. Dallas is forced to use a timeout because of an arm injury to Gilmore after he was in coverage against McLaurin.

Howell throws back-to-back incompletions to make it 3rd and 10. On 3rd down, Howell is hit as he throws and is intercepted by Donovan Wilson at the Cowboys' 36-yard line with 1:40 left in the 2nd quarter. 

End of possession

After Prescott and Dowdle fail to connect on 1st down, they go for a 30-yard gain on 2nd down to the Commanders' 35-yard line. 

Prescott's pass to Lamb gains 17 yards and he gets out of bounds. 

Prescott finds Lamb again for a 6-yard gain, and then the Cowboys QB finds Cooks for 8 yards to the Commanders' 4-yard line. Dallas uses its 2nd timeout with 29 seconds left in the 1st half.

On 1st and goal, Prescott's pass to Lamb is complete and he reaches across the goal line for a touchdown. 

Aubrey's extra point is good with 23 seconds left in the 2nd quarter.

Cowboys 21, Commanders 10

End of possession

Byron Pringle returns the kickoff to the Commanders' 18-yard line. Howell takes a knee and that's the end of the 1st half. 

HALFTIME: Cowboys 21, Commanders 10

3RD QUARTER:

Dallas starts the drive at its 25-yard line after Slye's touchback. 

Prescott finds Lamb for a 12-yard gain. 

Pollard runs for 4 yards. Prescott connects with Lamb again for 7 yards to move the chains again. 

Dowdle loses 2 yards on the carry. Prescott's pass to Dowdle on a screen gains 7 yards to the Commanders' 47-yard line. On 3rd and 5, Prescott's pass to Lamb gains 10 yards for another 1st down. 

Pollard runs for 6 yards and then gets another carry on 2nd down and loses a yard. Prescott's pass to Ferguson gains 7 yards on 3rd and 5 to move the chains once again at Washington's 25-yard line. 

Dowdle runs for 20 yards to the Commanders' 5-yard line to set up 1st and goal.

Prescott's pass to Lamb is stopped for a 1-yard loss on 1st and goal. Prescott maneuvers in the pocket and finds Lamb in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown. 

Aubrey's extra point is good with 8:28 left in the 3rd quarter. 

Cowboys 28, Commanders 10

End of possession

The Commanders go 3 and out after Howell is sacked by Micah Parsons on 3rd and 3. Tress Way's punt is blocked by the Cowboys and recovered at the Commanders' 9-yard line.

End of possession

After a holding call on 1st and goal, Prescott finds Ferguson for 16 yards. Holding on 2nd and goal pushes Dallas back to its 13-yard line. After Dowdle runs for 8 yards to the Commanders' 5-yard line, Prescott finds Cooks in the end zone on 3rd and goal for a touchdown. 

Aubrey's extra point is good with 4:06 left in the 3rd quarter. 

Cowboys 35, Commanders 10

End of possession

Pringle returns the kickoff to the Commanders' 29-yard line. 

After Howell's pass to McLaurin is stopped for no gain, his pass to Pringle gains 12 yards to move the chains. 

Gibson runs for two yards, and then Howell finds him on 2nd down for a 13-yard gain to the Cowboys' 43-yard line. 

Howell goes deep and he's intercepted by Daron Bland at the Cowboys' 8-yard line.

End of possession

Pollard runs for 3 yards and then gains 5 more to set up 3rd and 2 to begin the 4th quarter. 

End of the quarter

4TH QUARTER:

Dallas converts on 3rd and 2 with a 3-yard run from Pollard. 

After Pollard is stopped for no gain, Prescott finds Ferguson for 14 yards. 

Dowdle runs for 6 yards, and then Prescott's pass intended for Jalen Brooks is incomplete, but Emmanuel Forbes is flagged for a personal foul. 

Dallas has the ball at the Commanders' 45-yard line. Prescott's pass to Lamb gains 6 yards, and then Dowdle runs for 3. Prescott's pass to Dowdle gains 14 yards to the Commanders' 22-yard line. 

Prescott finds Cooks for 4 yards, and then Pollard loses a yard. On 3rd and 7, Prescott misses Cooks in the end zone for an incomplete pass. 

Aubrey's field goal hits off the upright and is no good with 8:57 left in the game. 

End of possession

A screen pass to McLaurin gains 4 yards, and then Gibson runs for 6 yards for a 1st down.

Howell is sacked by Dorance Armstrong for a 7-yard loss. Howell is then stepped on by an offensive lineman for a 4-yard loss. On 3rd and 21, Howell gets sacked by Sam Williams.

Turpin is tackled at the Cowboys' 32-yard line after gaining just one yard on the return with 5:11 left in the game. 

End of possession

The backups are in for Dallas, including quarterback Cooper Rush. 

After a 4-yard and 2-yard run by Dowdle, Rush's pass to Tolbert gains 5 yards for a 1st down. 

Rush dumps it off to Peyton Hendershot who leaps over a Commanders defender en route to a 24-yard gain to their 33-yard line.

Dowdle is stopped for no gain and the game has reached the two-minute warning. Rush's pass to Brooks gains just a yard, and then Rush's pass on 3rd and 9 is incomplete. 

Aubrey makes a 50-yard field goal with 1:06 left in the game.

Cowboys 38, Commanders 10

After the touchback, Howell's screen pass to McLaurin gains 15 yards and he surpasses 1,000 receiving yards for the 4th straight season. Washington calls its first timeout with 22 seconds left in the game. 

Derrick Gore runs for 3 yards and that's the ballgame.

FINAL: Cowboys 38, Commanders 10

Published
Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

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