Commanders 23 vs 19 Cowboys, Mariota leads Commanders to No. 6 NFC, summary: score, stats, highlights | NFL Week 18

Commanders defeat the Cowboys, clinch No. 6 seed

The Washington Commanders beat the Dallas Cowboys  in a thrilling back-and-forth game that saw backup quarterback Marcus Mariota throw the game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin with 3 seconds left.

The Commanders will keep their spot at No. 6 in the NFC to avoid facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round. The Cowboys finally end a dreadful season at 7-10.

Commanders: Key Players

The Commanders started QB Jayden Daniels, but pulled him out of the game in the 3rd quarter. He finished with 6-of-12 completions for 38 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions, and four sacks. He finishes an incredible rookie season with 3,568 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 891 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, and having clinched Washington's first 11+ win season since 1991.

Marcus  Mariota came in to fill in for Daniels and finished the game with 15-of-18 completions for 161 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions but two sacks. He added five carries for 56 yards and one rushing touchdown on top of that.

Terry McLaurin and Olamide  Zaccheaus led the Washington receivers. McLaurin had eight receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown while Zaccheaus had two receptions for 51 yards. Tight end Zach  Ertz contributed five receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown as well. 

The Washington defense deserves a lot of the credit as well, especially Jeremy Chinn, Mike Sainristil, Frankie Luvu, and Bobby Wagner. Chinn made 13 tackles, two for a loss, and two sacks. Sainristil made 10 total tackles, Luvu made nine, and Wagner made eight. 

Cowboys: Key Players

With starting quarterback Dak Prescott out for the season, the Cowboys started backup Trey  Lance for the first time instead of Cooper Rush. Lance finished with 20-of-34 completions for 244 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions, and was sacked twice. He added six carries for 26 yards. Running back Rico  Dowdle finished the game with 22 carries for 72 yards and Dallas' only touchdown. Jalen  Tolbert led the receivers with four receptions for 98 yards.

Of the six  sacks Dallas' defense had on Washington, 2.5 were thanks to star edge rusher Micah Parsons. One more was basically his, but credit was given to Osa  Odighizuwa and Mazi  Smith. Donovan  Wilson and Chauncey Golston also contributed to the sack count. Marist  Liufau led the defense, which was dominant throughout the game, with eight total tackles, including one for a loss.

What's next for Commanders?

The Commanders will face the No. 3 seed in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. It will either be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Los Angeles Rams. If the Rams win against the Seattle Seahawks, they'll take the No. 3 spot. If they lose, the Bucs would move up to the No. 3 spot since they have a better record in the NFC than the Rams.

What's next for Cowboys?

The Cowboys' season is over, and it's a relief. It was a tumultuous season and there will be many tough decisions to make this offseason, as head coach Mike McCarthy's contract comes to an end in about a week and several starting players hit free agency. They now look forward to next season in hopes of bouncing back in 2025.

The game-winner to McLaurin

Mariota tossed the game-winner in a risky last-second pass and it paid off. Washington defeated the Cowboys thanks to this TD pass to McLaurin.

Dowdle TD

Rico Dowdle gave the Cowboys some hope in the final quarter

Mariota took care of business

Which set up this TD to Ertz

and gave Washington the lead for the first time 

Mariota in for Daniels in the second half

Mariota threw a 30-yard dime to Zaccheaus

Don't worry...he made up for it later

GAME OVER - Commanders defeat Cowboys

Turpin returned Gonzalez's punt 30 yards, but Chinn made the tackle to officially end the game 

Mariota made the pass to McLaurin for 5 yards for the TOUCHDOWN with just 6 seconds left on the clock to take the LEAD over the Cowboys 22-19. Gonzalez's PAT made it 23-19 and the Commanders will clinch the No. 6 seed with the victory.

Cowboys take final timeout

Mariota spikes it to stop the clock - 2nd and goal 

Mariota pass to Ertz is caught for 11 yards - 1st and goal but the clock is rolling

Commanders take final timeout

Mariota faked the handoff and scrambled through for 33 yards all the way to the Cowboys 16 - 1st down

Cowboys take second timeout

Commanders take second timeout

Mariota escapes pressure, scrambles forward for 1 yard, marked just short of the 1st down - 4th and 1

Mariota pass complete to McLaurin for 13 yards - 3rd and 2

Kendricks makes the stop on Ekeler for no gain - 2nd and 15

He gets out of bounds to stop the clock

False Start on the Commanders' Allegretti, 5 yards - 1st and 15

Cowboys elects to take 10-second runoff

Mariota pass complete to McLaurin for 6 yards and the 1st down

TWO-MINUTE WARNING

The Commanders let the clock wind down to the 2-minute warning. The Cowboys are barely in the lead, 19-16. Commanders have the ball on 3rd and 4 at their own 36-yard line.

Mariota makes the pass to McLaurin this time for 6 yards - 3rd and 4 

Mariota escapes the pressure from Parsons and throws to McLaurin, but it's incomplete - 2nd and 10

Mariota SACKED by Wilson, but there's a Face Mask call on Wilson that gives Commanders 15 yards and the automatic 1st down

Robinson pushes through for 6 yards, stopped by Kendricks and Odighizuwa - 2nd and 4

Anger punts to the 9 and Crowder makes the fair catch

Delay of Game on Cowboys - 5 yards, 4th and 6

Lance attempted to scramble, but he's stopped by Luvu and Chinn for no gain - 4th and 1

Dowdle runs it forward for 10yards, just short of the 1st down - 3rd and 1

Wagner and Payne shove Dowdle back for a loss of a yard - 2nd and 11

Way punts to the Cowboys 44 and Turpin calls for the fair catch

Mariota SACKED by Odighizuwa and Golston after Parsons put on the pressure - loss of 15 yards

There was a Holding call on Commanders' Allegretti, declined - 4th and 26

Mariota pass to McLaurin caught for 9 yards - 3rd and 12

Mariota SACKED after he slips just in front of Golston for a loss of 10 yards - 2nd and 20

Aubrey kicks to the end zone - touchback to the Commanders 30 

The Cowboys FINALLY convert in the red zone. At 3rd and goal, Rico Dowdle took the ball in 2 yards for the touchdown. Aubrey's PAT was good and the Cowboys take back the lead over Washington with 7:02 to go in the game.

False Start on Cowboys, 5 yards

Dowdle is pushed back a yard - 3rd and goal

Luepke tries to shove forward, but he's ruled short - 2nd and goal at the 1

Lance passed deep to Mingo in the end zone and it was incomplete, but Commanders' St-Juste is called for Pass Interference, 20 yards. That puts Dallas at the 1-yard line.

Dowdle gets just 2, stopped by Armstrong - 2nd and 13

False Start on Cowboys' Ferguson - 5 yards, 1st and 15 at the 23

His third penalty of the game and their fourth false start.

Lance pass to Flournoy is caught for 10 yards as he lunges forward for the 1st down

Lance passes deep and it is caught by Tolbert for a gain of 33 yards to the Commanders 28

Lance passes deep and it's incomplete to Cooks, but a Holding call on Commanders' St-Juste gives Dallas the automatic 1st down

Dowdle runs it up 5 yards - 3rd and 5

Lance pass incomplete to Ferguson - 2nd and 10

Gonzalez kicks to the end zone - touchback to the Cowboys 30

Mariota ran in the touchdown himself on a 5-yard run. The Commanders decided to go for 2, but the conversion attempt failed on an incomplete pass to McLaurin. Commanders take back the lead by 4 points with 11:18 left in the game.

Mariota pass to Ertz is good for 11 yards just short of the end zone

Mariota pass to McLaurin is caught again for another 10 yards and another 1st down

Ekeler picks up 7 yards - 2nd and 3

Mariota pass complete to McLaurin for 8 yards and the 1st down

Mariota scrambles for 7 yards - 3rd and 3

Mariota pass incomplete to Bates, who was hit hard by Hooker - 2nd and 10

Commanders' Coleman a injured on the play

Mariota makes the deep pass to Zaccheaus for 22 yards - 1st down at the Cowboys 48

Aubrey kicks to the endzone - touchback to Commanders 30

After all that, the Cowboys STILL couldn't get the ball in the end zone. Aubery made the easy 22-yard field goal to take back the lead for Dallas with just under 14 minutes remaining.

COWBOYS FIELD GOAL!

Lance made the pass to Cooks in the end zone, but there was a flag thrown

One official ruled it a TD, the other ruled it incomplete and eventually called it incomplete officially

Penalty was Illegal Motion on Cowboys, but it's declined - 4th and goal

Cowboys will go for the field goal

Commanders take first timeout

CALL STANDS

The ruling on the field stands - incomplete pass, 3rd and goal 

It was a catch...

Cowboys are challenging the call

Lance pass to Ferguson is complete, but the officials are ruling him out of bounds and it is a CLOSE call...

Vaughn stopped by Wagner and Chinn after 1 yard - 2nd and goal at the 2

Commanders' Luvu was injured on the play

Vaughn takes off for 12 yards to the Commanders 3 - 1st and goal

END 3RD QUARTER

That takes us to the end of the 3rd quarter. The Commanders took back the lead with a touchdown pass from Mariota to Ertz. The Cowboys now have the ball on 1st down at the Commanders 17 as they look to get into the end zone for the first time today. 

Dowdle picks up 5 yards - 2nd down

Lance pass to Turpin and he tiptoes up the sideline for a gain of 13yards - 1st down

Lance makes the pass to Ferguson but Chinn is there to shove him back for a loss of 7 yards - 3rd and 13

Vaughn picks up another 4 yards - 2nd and 6

Vaughn pushes up 8 yards - 1st down 

Vaughn shoves forward for a gain of 9 yards - 2nd and 1

Lance pass to Ferguson is complete for 19yards and the 1st down

Lance's pass to Tolbert is blown out of his hands as Sainristil makes the tackle, incomplete - 2nd and 18

Lance faked it to Vaughn and ran it 3 yards, but a Holding call on Ferguson put them back 10 yards - 1st and 18

Lance pass complete to Schoonmaker and he kept running up, but he was out of bounds after 10 yards - 1st down at the Cowboys 40

Gonzalez kicks to the end zone - touchback to Cowboys 30

The Commanders take the lead for the first time with their first touchdown of the game. QB MarcusMariota came in for Jayden Daniels at quarterback and after a 30-yard pass to WR Olamide Zaccheaus, he threw the 4-yard TD pass to TE Zach Ertz. Gonzalez's PAT was good and the Commanders are leading the Cowboys by 1 point with 5:07 to go in the 3rd quarter.

Mariota makes the deep pass to Zaccheaus and it is caught for 30yards - 1st down at the Cowboys 4

Mariota passes to Robinson again and he picks up 5 this time - 3rd and 6

Robinson's pushed back a yard by Liufau - 2nd and 11

Mariota takes it up himself for 10 more yards and another 1st down

Mariota passes to Ekeler and he picks up 14yards - 1st and 10

Robinson gains just a yard - 3rd and 6

Mariota pass to Ekeler for 3 yards - 2nd and 7

Aubrey kicks to the end zone - touchback to Commanders 30

Marcus Mariota has stepped in for Jayden Daniels - he's out for the game

The Cowboys once again failed to get into the end zone. Aubrey made the 36-yard field goal to make it a 6-point game again with just under 9 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter.

COWBOYS FIELD GOAL!

Lance SACKED by Allen for a loss of 9 yards - 4th and goal from the 18

Dowdle gains another 4 - 3rd and goal at the 9

Dowdle loses 3 yards, pushed back by Luvu - 2nd and goal at the 13

Lance escapes pressure, scrambles ahead for 8 yards and the 1st down at the Commanders 10

Lance under pressure from Luvu, throws it away - 3rd and 7

Dallas puts RB DeuceVaughn in the game and he runs the ball up 3 yards - 2nd and 7

Lance pass to Tolbert complete and he runs it up 28yards to the Commanders 21 - 1st down

Lance pass complete to Cooks for 4 yards and the 1st down 

Dowdle stopped by Wagner after 2 - 3rd and 3

Dowdle rushes for 5 yards - 2nd and 5

Lance pass to Mingo for 10 yards and the 1st down

BACK IN THE GAME!

And we're back for the second half!

Gonzalez kicks to the end zone - touchback to Cowboys 30

Crowder's muffed punt

Commanders wide receiver Jamison Crowder muffed a punt in the second quarter, allowing Cowboys cornerback C.J. Goodwin to recover it

Cowboys defense dominating

Daniels was sacked four times in the first half and the Dallas defense has held them to just three points so far.

Aubrey doinks a DCC

Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey made two field goals but he also doinked one of their cheerleaders on an odd punt that went out of bounds

Parsons on fire, making history

Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons has been making life difficult for Jayden Daniels in the first half. With two sacks in the first quarter already, Parsons became just the fourth player since 1982 to record 10+ sacks in each of his first four seasons.

HALFTIME

That takes us to the end of the first half. The Cowboys are in the lead, 6-3 and they will get the ball on offense to start the second half. 

Daniels will take the knee to end the half

Lance gets away from pressure to go for the pass to Dowdle directly in the end zone, but it's too short - incomplete

Lance passes to Cooks, broken up by Sainristil, incomplete - 4th and goal

Dowdle charges ahead 7 yards, stopped just short of the touchdown - 3rd and goal at the 2-yard line

Lance passes too far, way over the head of Cooks - incomplete, 2nd and goal

Commanders take final timeout

Dowdle picks up 2 yards for the 1st down at the Commanders 9 - 1st and goal

Commanders take second timeout

Lance scrambles for 9 yards - 3rd and 1

Commanders take first timeout

Lance gets it to Dowdle again but he's swallowed up immediately by Luvu for no gain - 2nd and 10

Lance tosses it to Dowdle and he runs it up 12yards and gets out of bounds to stop the clock 

Cowboys go for it on 4th and 1 and Luepke surges forward for 5 yards to make the 1st down

Cowboys take second timeout

Lance scrambles to the left for a gain of 5 yards, shoved out of bounds by Chinn just short of the 1st down - 4th and 1

Lance pass to Tolbert batted away by Sainristil - incomplete, 3rd and 6

TWO-MINUTE WARNING

That takes us to the 2-minute warning. The Cowboys have the ball at 2nd and 6 at the Commanders 42 as they try to extend their lead ahead of halftime.

Lance pass complete to Flournoy and he's thrown down by St-Juste after 4 yards - 2nd and 6

Lance pass complete to WR Jonathan Mingo for 13 yards and the 1st down

Dowdle gets a run of 7, just enough for the 1st

Lance passes to Cooks for a pickup of 3 yards, stopped by Fowler - 2nd and 7

Gonzalez kicks to the end zone - Touchback to Cowboys 30

Daniels kept the drive alive with a 16-yard scramble, but a Zaccheaus' missed catch in the end zone ended up forcing a field goal try instead. Kicker Zane Gonzalez made the 47-yard field goal to put Washington within 3 points with 4:40 to go in the first half. 

COMMANDERS FIELD GOAL!

Daniels gives it to Brown again and Lewis and Hooker literally drag him backwards for a loss of a yard - 4th and 3

Brown takes it this time for a gain of 8 and brings Commanders to 3rd and 2

Daniels makes a trick play, tosses it to Brown and he makes a deep pass to Zaccheaus right into the end zone but he MISSES the catch - 2nd and 10

Daniels takes matters into his own hands on 3rd down, scrambles up for 16 yards and the 1st down

Daniels passes deep to Brown, but Lewis is there to break it up - 3rd and 10

Daniels passes deep to Zaccheaus but Pride and Hooker were both on him and it's incomplete, 2nd and 10

Ekeler pushes through for 5 and the 1st down

Daniels pass to Ertz complete for 6 yards - 2nd and 4

Anger punts to the Commanders 14 and Crowder returns it 23 yards to the 37

Lance goes for a deep pass to Turpin again, but it's incomplete again - 4th down and 18

Lance passes deep to Turpin, but he's nowhere need it - 3rd and 18

Dowdle tries to take it but BobbyWagner is on him, pushes him back 3 yards - 2nd and 18

Cowboys take first timeout

FalseStart on Cowboys' Guyton, 5 yards - 1st and 15

Dowdle pushes through for 3 yards and the 1st down

Lance makes the pass to Cooks for 8 yards - 2nd and 2

Way punts to the Cowboys 25 and Turpin makes the fair catch

Daniels pass to Zaccheaus is incomplete, brings up 4th and lont

Daniels SACKED by Parsons and Smith for a loss of a yard - 3rd and 10

Robinson is swallowed up by Lawson and Wilson after just a yard - 2nd and 9

Daniels pass to Brown complete for 11 yards - 1st down

Aubrey kicked it to the Commanders 12, but out of bounds and bonks a cheerleader on the head. Aubrey gets a 13-yard penalty for Kickoff Out of Bounds

The Cowboys got the ball back thanks to a special teams play that saw Goodwin recover a muffed punt. They were able to set up a fieldgoal, which Aubrey made easily from 41yards. Cowboys extend the lead with 12:41 to go in the first half.

Commanders' Payne is called for UnnecessaryRoughness

The field goal stands and the Commanders will lose 15 yards on the kickoff.

Aubrey made the field goal, but flags went a-flyin'...

At 3rd and long, they hand it off to Dowdle and he picks up 4 yards to the 23 to set up a field goal try

Lance SACKED by Jeremy Chinn for a loss of 7 yards - 3rd and 15

Dowdle picks up 3 yards - 2nd and 7

Anger punts to the Commanders 20 and Crowder MUFFS the catch - Cowboys' Goodwin RECOVERS it at the Commanders 22

Lance passes deep to Cooks but he makes the pass out of bounds - 4th down

END FIRST QUARTER

That takes us to the end of the 1st quarter. The Cowboys are up 3-0 and have the ball at 3rd and 10 at their own 38 to start the 2nd quarter.

Lance tosses it to Turpin for a gain of 5 yards - 3rd and 10

Cooks takes the ball, but with ex-Cowboys Armstrong and Fowler on him, he loses 5 yards - 2nd and 15

Luepke takes it up 10 yards - 1st down

Lance pass to Tolbert complete for 7 yards - 3rd and 1

Lance keeps it, moves the ball 2 yards - 2nd and 8

Way punts to the 19 - Turpin makes the fair catch 

Daniels pass incomplete to McLaurin again to bring up 4th down

Daniels fakes a handoff, but it looked like Ekeler went the wrong way and it actually WAS supposed to be a handoff. Instead, Daniels runs up to gain 5 - 3rd and 5

Daniels pass incomplete to McLaurin - 2nd and 10

Anger punts to the Commanders 28, Crowder makes the catch but he's stopped by Goodwin for no gain

Lance pass to Turpin is complete but he's short of the 1st down and Dallas will punt it away

With Armstrong all over him, Lance throws the ball away, incomplete - 3rd and 10

Dowdle runs up the middle for 5 yards - 2nd and 10

False Start on Cowboys' Ferguson - 5 yards, 1st and 15 at the 5-yard line

Way punts it to the Cowboys 10 and Bellore downs it 

Wilson was coming towards Daniels for the sack and missed him, but with Lawson on him, he's forced out of bounds for a loss of 4 - 4th and 19

Parsons puts the pressure on Daniels but he gets the ball away, but it's incomplete to McLaurin with Bland covering him - 3rd and 15

Daniels pass to McLaurin is caught for 5 yards - 2nd and 15

Robinson picked up 4 yards, but Commanders' Bates was called for Holding, 10 yards - 1st and 20

Daniels keeps it and moves forward for 7 yards - 1st down

Daniels pass to Brown complete for 6 yards - 3rd and inches

Robinson picks up 3 yards - 2nd and 7

Aubrey kicks to the end zone - touchback to Commanders 30

Trey Lance made two huge passes of 30+ yards to drive the offense down the field, but a penalty on offensive tackle Tyler Guyton (filling in for injured Chuma Edoga) brought back another long drive and they ended up getting held to 4th down at the Commanders' 16. Kicker Brandon Aubrey made the 34-yard field goal to give Cowboys an early lead with 8:20 still to go in the 1st quarter.

COWBOYS FIELD GOAL!

Lance's pass tipped and NEARLY PICKED by Payne - incomplete, 4th and 3

Dowdle pushes up the middle for 6 yards - 3rd and 3 at the Commanders 16

Lance pass to Schoonmaker complete for 6 yards - 2nd and 9

Ineligible Downfield Pass on Cowboys' Guyton, 5 yards - 1st and 15 instead

Lance pass complete to WR Jalen Brooks this time - 1st and goal but a flag has been thrown...

Lance makes another big play through the air with a 33-yard pass to Turpin - 1st down at Commanders 23

Lance escapes pressure, makes the pass to WR Jalen Tolbert for 31yards and the 1st down at the Cowboys 44

False Start on Cowboys' Steele - 5 yards, 3rd and 6

Dowdle gets it again, pushes through for 7 yards - 3rd and 1

Trey Lance is under center for the Cowboys and he hands it off to Rico Dowdle, who picks up 2 yards - 2nd and 8

Way punted to the 16 and Turpin returned it 11 yards, but several flags were thrown 

An Illegal Block Above the Waist on Cowboys' Booth brought it back, 10 yards

Daniels SACKEDAGAIN, by PARSONS for a loss of 9 yards this time - 4th and 12

Daniels pass to TE Zach Ertz is caught for 11yards - 3rd and 3

Jayden Daniels SACKED by MicahParsons for a loss of 4 yards to start the game - 2nd and 14

Brandon Aubrey kicks to the end zone - Touchback to Commanders 30

GAME TIME!

And we're off!

The Cowboys have won the toss and elected to defer, so the Commanders are starting us off on offense. Let's go!!!

Cowboys' current draft order

The Cowboys decided not to lie down and play dead, and their late-season surge neither helped them make it to the playoffs nor helped their 2025 draft position. Of course, there are several reasons they didn't just give up the season, and it's not a bad thing. But as it stands now, the Cowboys would be picking 13th in the NFL Draft and they're likely to stick around there.

They're in need of a running back, wide receiver, defensive lineman, linebacker, and safety. They'll likely be losing WR Brandin Cooks, G Zack Martin, EDGE DeMarcus Lawrence, and QB Trey Lance, and have already let RB Ezekiel Elliott go.

Why a win matters for the Commanders

Although the Commanders secured their playoff spot last week, a win over the Cowboys today could mean the difference in the No. 6 and No. 7 seed. That may be just one spot, but that one spot is a huge difference.

The reason Dan Quinn has his team fighting so hard and chose to keep all his starters in the game is for the chance to keep that No. 6 seed. A win today would do it, but a loss plus a Packers win would drop them to No. 7.

At No. 6, they're facing either the Buccaneers or the Rams. At No. 7, they're likely facing the Eagles, on the road. They upset the Eagles once this season, but that was with Philly's starting QB Jalen Hurts out most of the game with a concussion. Even if they manage to beat the Eagles another time, they'd be facing either the Detroit Lions or the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round, neither of which would be any less challenging. 

Although the Cowboys are out of the playoffs, they have managed to win four of their last six games and the Commanders know they need to be at their best regardless with these high stakes.

We're going to go after it as hard as we can. I think the seeding portion of this is really important, and that’s what we discussed as a team. We thought last night - the vibe was awesome at the game - we thought we left some plays out there. And so, for us, that leveling up as we’re heading into this week with Dallas would be really important. But we recognize having a sixth seed and going into the playoffs with that is a good thing. So, we’re going to fight like hell to keep that.”

Trey Lance confirmed to start vs Commanders

It's now been confirmed that the Cowboys WILL in fact give the starting quarterback job to Trey Lance for today.

Cowboys vs Commanders INACTIVES

Cowboys

The Cowboys will be without offensive tackle Chuma  Edoga, who was limited in practice all week with a toe injury. Tyler  Guyton is expected to start at left tackle. Also inactive is quarterback Will  Grier, who the Cowboys previously elevated from the practice squad for today's game. Trey  Lance is expected to see some playing time.
Cowboys Inactives

LB Damone Clark

DE Earnest Brown

OT Chuma Edoga

DE Tyrus Wheat

DT Justin Rogers

QB Will Grier

Commanders

The Commanders will be without star cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who missed practice all week as he continues to deal with recurring hamstring issues. They'll also be missing center Tyler Biadsz (ankle) and offensive tackle Cornelius  Lucas (groin), who both got injured last week. They will, however, get starting running back Austin Ekeler back onto the field for the first time since Week 12, when he suffered a concussion in their last meeting with Dallas.

Commanders Inactives

WR K.J. Obsborn

QB Jeff Driskel (Emergency QB)

S Quan Martin

CB Marshon Lattimore

LB Jordan Magee

C Tyler Biadasz

OT Cornelius Lucas

NFL

This is Trey Lance, the Cowboys’ starting QB for week 18 against the Commanders: Career stats, salary, contract...

Is today the day we FINALLY see Cowboys backup QB Trey Lance get significant snaps?

Maybe...maybe not. The Cowboys have been relying on QB2 Cooper Rush ever since Dak Prescott injured his hamstring in Week 9. They brought on Lance ahead of the 2023 season, but he's never had a chance to prove whether or not he was worth it. With the Cowboys' playoff hopes gone before Week 16, they still chose not to start Lance. Instead, they allowed him to throw for one whole pass during their blowout loss to the Eagles in Week 17. 

There are rumors that Lance could finally see some significant playing time today against the Commanders since the Cowboys no longer have anything to play for. The Cowboys also elevated backup QB Will Grier from the practice squad to the active roster, but they declared him inactive ahead of the game today, which is maybe good new for Lance's chances of a start. But with one game left to prove it all, it's doubtful it will make any difference for him. 

Read more.

Jayden Daniels' historic season

Much of the Commanders' success this season can be attributed to quarterback Jayden Daniels. Just one season after finishing with the second-worst record in the league, Washington is back in the playoffs with an 11-5 record. 

Daniels has thrown for 3,530 passing yards, 25  touchdowns, and just ninei nterceptions and has added 144  carries for 864 yards and six rushing touchdowns. He's easily on track to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

In last week's overtime victory over the Falcons, Daniels had a historic performance, becoming the first QB to record 8+ passing touchdowns and 200+ rushing yards over two games. He earned himself a Pro Bowl nod and could take the Commanders to their first playoff victory since 2005.

Their last match

As NFC East rivals, the Cowboys and Commanders have already met once this season. 

In Week 12, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was still nursing a rib injury and threw two interceptions. The Cowboys already had Cooper Rush in at quarterback as starter Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9. The Commanders lost to the Cowboys 34-26, but since then, Daniels has thrown just four interceptions to 13 more touchdowns and are currently on a four-game winning streak.

“They got really good players over there, very talented players, and you got to go out there and be physical with them," Daniels said of the Cowboys. "That’s what they’re going to do with us, so it’s going to be a heavyweight match. It’s going to be a good one.”

Cowboys and Commanders: Where they stand

Cowboys: 7-9

The Dallas  Cowboys  are heading into their final game of the season with their hopes of a playoff berth having been dashed a few weeks ago. Ironically, it was a Commanders victory that sealed their fate, but the Cowboys have only themselves to blame. After a tumultuous season filled with injuries, questionable decisions from the front office, and a head coach whose future has been in question throughout, Dallas heads into Week 18 with their backup quarterback Cooper Rush under center and a 7-9 record, out of the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Commanders: 11-5

The Washington Commanders, on the other hand, have had their best season in years with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels under center and new head coach, former Cowboys defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn at the helm. They're heading into the game against the Cowboys with an 11-5 record, sixth in the NFC conference standings, and second in the NFC East (behind the Philadelphia Eagles). They clinched their spot in the playoffs with an overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons last week. 

The Commanders now hold the same record as the Green Bay Packers. If they both win their games today, the Commanders will clinch the No. 6 seed. If the Commanders win today, they'll face either the Los Angeles Rams or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card round. If the Rams lose and Bucs win, the Commanders will face the Bucs. If the Bucs lose and Falcons win, the Commanders will face the Rams (whether or not they win their own game). If the Commanders lose and the Packers win, the Commanders will drop to the No. 7 seed and would face the Eagles in Philly.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE text coverage of the Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys Week 18 NFL game! It's the final week of the regular season, and while both teams know their postseason fate by now, we are looking at a division rivalry, and with that there's always a bit of drama.

It's Jen here, bringing you all the live updates, scores, highlights, and commentary starting from an hour before kickoff. The game begins at 1 p.m. ET from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Here we go!