FRISCO – The Dallas Cowboys survived a chaotic afternoon in Washington on Sunday, finally pulling off an unlikely 34-26 win over the heavily-favored Commanders in a “situational extravaganza” outing that was in the end largely determined by special teams.
The fourth quarter saw two teams that were tied 3-3 at the half combine for 41 fourth-quarter points. But it was Washington’s failure to get just one more point that helped key a Dallas victory that ends a five-game losing skid.
A Jayden Daniels’ 86-yard bomb to Terry McLaurin for a stunning touchdown late in the game was about to turn the tide … but Washington kicker Austin Seibert somehow missed the extra point that should’ve tied the game.
Dallas was therefore up with a one-point lead, forcing Washington to try an onside kick in the final seconds, which as it happens was returned for a touchdown by Juanyeh Thomas.
There were a lot of heroes. There were a lot of goats. But after the game, Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb picked his favorite.
“Shoutout (to Commanders kicker Seibert). He went to OU with me,” said Lamb, part of the biggest upset of this NFL season, which moves Dallas to 4-7.. “He gave us one.”
That is a “thank you” note … but not the sort suggested by etiquette. Seibert and Lamb are indeed former college teammates from the University of Oklahoma, and both have fared well in the pros. Lamb is a Pro Bowler. And Seibert? He struggled here but coming into the game had not missed an extra point while was hitting his field goals at a 92.6-percent clip.
“Just want to play better for my teammates,” Seibert said of his failures for Washington, which is now 7-5 after dropping three straight. “It’s on me.”
