All hope seemed lost for the Washington Commanders when Dallas wide receiver KaVontae Turpin returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown with just over two minutes remaining. The Cowboys were ahead 27-17.
The Commanders went back on offense, got into field-goal range, and quickly sent out kicker Austin Seibert to kick a 51-yard field goal to make it a one-score game. Washington had two timeouts remaining and looked to force a stop on defense to get the ball back.
The Commanders got their stop and the ball back with 34 seconds remaining. What happened next was unbelievable but par for the course in this crazy game.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels found wide receiver Terry McLaurin for a miraculous 86-yard touchdown to make it a 27-26 game with less than 20 seconds remaining.
Depending on how you viewed this game, what happened next was even more unbelievable — or predictable. Seibert, who had not missed an extra point all year, missed his second of the game and left the Cowboys holding a 27-26 lead.
That was it. Dallas added another late meaningless touchdown to make it 34-26, but it was Seibert’s miss — on a low snap — that ended any possible chance at another miracle Washington win.
The Washington Commanders are locked into a tougher-than-anticipated battle against the Dallas Cowboys at Northwest Stadium. At halftime, the teams were tied 3-3.
The offense has struggled, as quarterback Jayden Daniels has been under heavy pressure, and the Commanders have failed to adjust.
Washington lost running back Brian Robinson Jr. to an ankle injury in the first half. He later returned to carry the ball three times but later departed again.
The Commanders are now down another offensive starter. Right tackle Andrew Wylie left the game in the third quarter and is being evaluated for a possible concussion.
Trent Scott replaced Wylie at right tackle and immediately allowed pressure. The team officially announced that Wylie is out and will not return.
The Commanders will need to go the rest of the way with Scott at right tackle, unless they want to play Cornelius Lucas or Brandon Coleman on the right side. Lucas has plenty of experience playing on both sides in his career.
Here are four quick takeaways from an ugly first half between the Commanders and Cowboys.
The Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys are tied 3-3 at halftime of their Week 12 matchup from Northwest Stadium.
Here are three quick takeaways from an ugly half of football:
Jayden Daniels struggling
Can we stop saying it’s the ribs? He’s just not playing well. On a deep throw to Terry McLaurin, a pass Daniels hit with ease through the first half of the season, Daniels led McLaurin out of bounds. Then, late in the first half, Daniels threw an inexcusable interception. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. was in traffic around several Dallas players; Daniels, trying to avoid pressure, flipped it to Robinson, and it went off his hands for an interception. Daniels should never throw the ball in that situation.
On Washington’s final first-half drive, Daniels rolled right out of bounds on three consecutive plays and the Commanders were forced to punt. Daniels completed nine of 16 passes for 57 yards and an interception.
Special teams thriving
Yes, kicker Austin Seibert missed a field goal. He can’t make field goals over 50 yards until proven otherwise. However, the rest of the special teams’ units came to play.
Starting safety Quan Martin blocked a field goal on Dallas’ first drive. Later in the half, defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis blocked a punt. Both times, the Commanders had excellent field position and struggled to capitalize.
No running game
Early in the season, the Commanders’ offense began with a strong running game. Washington rushed for 58 yards in the first half, but 14 were on a Dyami Brown reverse. Dallas is not good at stopping the run, yet Washington can’t run the ball. That’s a concern.
Until the Commanders can run the ball, it’s difficult to believe they’ll get out of this offensive funk. Daniels isn’t inspiring confidence that he can pass them out of it.
Defense doing its job except for one guy
Washington’s defense was excellent outside of the first drive and the final play in the first half. Linebacker Frankie Luvu was a menace, finishing with six tackles and breaking up three passes.
Cornerback Benjamin St-Juste somehow allowed Cooper Rush to complete a 41-yard pass at the end of the half to give the Cowboys an easy three points. St-Juste managed to commit a penalty on the play and still allowed the catch.
The Commanders were already double-digit favorites over the Cowboys before prominent starters, such as guard Zack Martin, cornerback Trevon Diggs, and wide receiver Brandin Cooks, were ruled out on Saturday afternoon.
The good news for Washington is that playing last Thursday gave the roster a mini-break after losing its second consecutive game. The Commanders have yet to arrive at their bye week. The extra rest days were good news for a banged-up roster, specifically rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Daniels injured his ribs in a Week 7 win over Carolina, and while he didn’t miss any games, he missed some practice time and is coming off his worst NFL performance in last week’s loss at Philadelphia.
So, do the experts agree with the oddsmakers?
According to NFL Pickwatch, the experts do agree, with 98% of the picks going in favor of Washington.
This is the Commanders’ fourth NFC East game of the season. They are currently 2-1 in divisional play.
It’s Commanders vs. Cowboys in Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season. Here’s how to watch, including time, channel, TV schedule and streaming info.
The Washington Commanders (7-4) face their bitter rival, the Dallas Cowboys (3-7), for the first time this season on Sunday from Northwest Stadium.
Washington is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season and looks to rebound against the struggling Cowboys.
Here’s how to watch the Commanders game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
What channel is Commanders vs. Cowboys game on today? Time, TV schedule
TV Channel: FOX
Start time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Commanders vs. Cowboys will be broadcast on FOX Sports in Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season. Joe Davis and Greg Olsen will call the game from the booth at Northwest Stadium, with Pam Oliver reporting from the sidelines.
Where to watch Commanders vs. Cowboys on livestream
Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
For FUBO:
[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Commanders vs. Cowboys live on Fubo (free trial)” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/leagues/191261?irad=399332&irmp=1205322&subId1=SMG&subId2=NCAAF&subId3=2024″]
Commanders vs. Cowboys predictions, picks, odds
Commanders 34, Cowboys 13: There is no reason to think Dallas should win this game. Everything is in Washington’s favor, including the Cowboys’ recent play and injury list. In 2024, the Commanders are simply the better team, with the better quarterback and coaching staff. On Sunday, Washington takes care of business to improve to 8-4.Â
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Analyzing Commanders vs. Cowboys game with odds and lines, predictions and best bets.
The Washington Commanders (7-4) look to return to winning on Sunday as they host the reeling Dallas Cowboys (3-7) at Northwest Stadium.
The Commanders are coming off back-to-back one-score losses to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and need a win to remain a game and a half behind the Eagles in the NFC East.
Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels looks to rebound after his worst NFL start against one of the NFL’s worst defenses. Meanwhile, Cooper Rush makes his third straight start for Dallas in place of the injured Dak Prescott.
Below are the latest odds and our final score prediction for Sunday.
Point spread: Commanders -10.5 (-110) / Cowboys +10.5 (-110)
Money line: Commanders -600 / Cowboys +450
Over-under: 45 (O: -110 / U: -110)
Commanders vs. Cowboys injury updates:
Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore: Out (hamstring)
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs: Out (groin, knee)
Cowboys G Zack Martin: Out (ankle, shoulder)
Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson: Out (concussion)
Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks: Out (knee)
Commanders vs. Cowboys prediction, pick:
Bryan Manning:
There is no reason to think Dallas should win this game. Everything is in Washington’s favor, including the Cowboys’ recent play and injury list. In 2024, the Commanders are simply the better team, with the better quarterback and coaching staff. On Sunday, Washington takes care of business to improve to 8-4. Commanders 34, Cowboys 13
Ivan Lambert:
The Cowboys have won 12 games in three consecutive seasons, while the Commanders have yet to accomplish a winning season since the 2015 and 2016 seasons led by Kirk Cousins. By the way, for the Cowboys, those three seasons were the same three seasons that their defensive coordinator was current Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.
Here we are in the 2024 season and who would have thought the Cowboys would be 3-7 and the Commanders would be 7-4?
Yet, here we are.
The Commanders have lost two straight and have everything to play for regarding earning a playoff spot. In addition, the Commanders have run the ball well this season, while the Cowboys have not defended the run well. Even more, the Cowboys will be without Dak Prescott and future Hall of Fame lineman Zach Martin.
The Cowboys are already thinking about who the new coach will be next season and how high they will be selecting in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Commanders have Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels and are out to prove they belong in the playoff race. Commanders 30, Cowboys 13
Serena Burks: I don’t want to say this is a guaranteed win for the Commanders, but if they don’t win, there’s a problem. The Cowboys are not a good football team with Dak Prescott. Without him, it’s worse. Their defense isn’t capable of taking over, especially against the likes of Jayden Daniels and Brian Robinson. The Cowboys might put up a fight, but the Commanders will have no real trouble winning this divisional game. Commanders 34, Cowboys 13
Commanders vs. Cowboys channel, start time, streaming:
The Commanders vs. Cowboys game starts at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on FOX.
Here are four keys to a Commanders’ Week 12 victory over the Cowboys.
The Washington Commanders (7-4) host the Dallas Cowboys (3-7) in an NFC East showdown Sunday from Northwest Stadium. It’s the first meeting of two of the 2024 season for the longtime rivals.
These teams are in far different places than they were one year ago. Last season, Washington and Dallas first met on Thanksgiving Day, and the Cowboys defeated the Commanders so badly that former head coach Ron Rivera fired multiple coaches the following day in a 45-10 win.
Dallas players, including quarterback Dak Prescott, were eating turkey legs on the sideline during the game, something Washington fans still haven’t forgotten. Multiple former Cowboys, including their defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, are now with Washington. Quinn is the Commanders’ head coach, and they are in the middle of the NFC playoff race while the Cowboys have lost five straight games.
What does Washington need to do to win on Sunday? Here are four keys to victory for Week 12.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) hands the ball to Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8). Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Run the ball
Dallas is 31st against the run. Meanwhile, the Commanders are sixth in rushing offense. As a whole, Washington’s offense hasn’t been as sharp in recent weeks, so what’s the best way to get going? Giving the Cowboys’ front seven a heavy dose of Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler.
It’s also a good way for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to get quarterback Jayden Daniels more involved in the run game again. For the past few weeks, he’s been a non-factor as a runner while dealing with a rib injury.
Easier said than done, right? Lamb is one of the NFL’s best wide receivers and has enjoyed success against the Commanders. Washington is ranked No. 5 in pass defense. While some of that is deceptive because opposing teams have successfully run the ball against the Commanders, Joe Whitt’s defense has been much better against the pass than some realize.
Washington must commit to limiting Lamb to defend Dallas, especially without Prescott. Fortunately, Quinn and Whitt know Lamb well. Rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil was phenomenal in defending both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith against the Eagles last week. The Commanders should give Sainristil the Lamb assignment with some help over the top.
Washington Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat (90) hits Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10). Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Pressure Cooper Rush
Anytime you have a backup quarterback, the goal should be to make them as uncomfortable as possible. Rush is a good backup who has had success in the NFL. Rush passed for only 45 yards against the Eagles two weeks ago, and while he passed for over 300 yards against the Texans last week, much of that was when the game was already decided. Part of Houston’s defensive plan was pressuring Rush. The Texans sacked him five times.
This is another instance of where Quinn and Whitt know Dallas’ personnel. They practiced against Rush for three years and know his strengths and weaknesses.
Parsons missed four games and promptly picked up two sacks in his return two weeks ago. Dallas is struggling and will be looking for any type of advantage. Parsons can make game-changing plays. A sack or forced fumble could quickly give the Cowboys some momentum and allow them to hang around.
Rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman struggled the last two games. Kingsbury and his staff also want to avoid any hits to Daniels in the pocket. Whether committing to extra help blocking Parsons or using the quick passing game to minimize Parsons’ impact, the Commanders need to account for him on every snap.
What’s next for LSU after losing Bryce Underwood to Michigan?
Flip season comes for everyone eventually and on Thursday night it came for LSU football in the worst way possible. The nation’s top overall prospect, QB Bryce Underwood, flipped from the Tigers and opted to commit to Michigan, the hometown team.
The move came as Michigan put together a strong NIL offer and LSU struggled on the field. But we’re not here to pinpoint why LSU lost Underwood. We’re not here to play the blame game.
Let’s just look at where LSU goes from here — in the current recruiting class and on the field in 2025.
Underwood provided LSU with a safety net if current LSU starter [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] declared for the NFL Draft. Now, LSU must keep Nussmeier in the fold for 2025.
That’s looking more likely after Nussmeier’s struggles in recent weeks. After a strong first seven games, Nussmeier was climbing NFL draft boards but the heat has since cooled.
If Nussmeier leaves, LSU is left with three scholarship QBs on the roster. There’s AJ Swann, who has starting experience from his time at Vanderbilt. Ricky Collins, a former blue-chip, will be entering year three. Colin Hurley is there too after arriving a year early this fall.
Hurley is too young to compete for the starting spot and Swann didn’t offer much promise at Vanderbilt. There’s optimism surrounding Collins, but he arrived as a talented but raw player, and you can’t put all your eggs in that basket.
LSU would be forced to go hunting in the portal if Nussmeier declares. In that scenario, LSU needs to go all out and find the next big thing. If there’s a Jayden Daniels or Cam Ward out there, LSU needs to land that player.
But the Underwood recruitment proved LSU doesn’t have the resources to go out and get whoever they want, so the reliable path is ensuring Nussmeier returns.
As for the 2025 class, there’s not much out there. The vast majority of QB prospects worth LSU’s time are already committed. LSU was locked in with Underwood, so the staff didn’t spend the last year building relationships with other QBs.
There was no backup plan — nobody thought there needed to be.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see LSU go after a young transfer QB. We’ve seen coveted players take chances on schools, even if it meant potentially sitting for a year.
LSU will do its best to sell a transfer on the success of previous portal additions like [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]. That’s all LSU can do at this point.
Daniels injured his ribs in a Week 7 win over the Carolina Panthers. And while he didn’t miss any games, he hasn’t been as sharp as he was in the first seven weeks. Daniels is coming off his worst NFL performance in last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, this week, Daniels said the few extra days of rest that come with a Thursday night game were good for him. Quinn noted that the missed practice time impacted Daniels and the offense more than the injury.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury explained what he was looking for from Daniels in practice this week.
“I think you just give back to the basics, the fundamentals, and really hone in on those,” Kingsbury said on Thursday. “I think anytime you have a couple games that aren’t to maybe the level we all want to be at, you narrow the focus, and it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s nail the footwork, let’s nail the reads, progressions, the base stuff and start there.’ And, he’s the guy who, when he is working at it, he works really hard, he’s very focused, and so this week has been good to see him back out there going full speed and getting the reps that I think will help us play at a higher level.”
Was Kingsbury subtly saying that the offense was a bit more limited with Daniels dealing with a rib injury in recent weeks?
“I’m not gonna divulge what we did while he was, I would say, more banged up, but hopefully we play better this week. I’ll just say that.”
Kingsbury didn’t say it, but what he meant is clear. The Washington offense wasn’t exactly the same in previous weeks, and some of that can be attributed to playing against better defenses, too.
Daniels, Kingsbury and the rest of the Commanders have a chance to bounce back Sunday against the reeling Dallas Cowboys.
For the first half of this season, the Washington Commanders were breaking offensive records. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels looked like the next NFL superstar but over the last few weeks, the offense hasn’t been as dominant.
There are reasons. Daniels suffered a rib injury in the Week 7 win over Carolina, missed some critical practice time, and has been less sharp in recent weeks. The Commanders have also played a more difficult schedule, facing two of the NFL’s top defenses in the past two games.
Others believe Washington’s recent offensive slowdown is due to teams figuring out offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. In his history at Texas Tech and with the Arizona Cardinals, some of Kingsbury’s teams haven’t been as effective in the second half of seasons.
Context is required, though. Kingsbury’s teams sometimes had terrible defenses or injuries, particularly at quarterback. Regardless, there is a bit of a trend.
Kingsbury met with the media on Thursday and was asked about those trends. He said he has no plans to break those trends, and he’d need to see “what years” the offensive declines occurred.
He then offered a solution.
“I was thinking about doing triple option,” Kingsbury said. “We’re going to do what we do.”
Kingsbury asked by @Sam4TR about trend of his offenses 2nd half decline
“I would have to see what you’re talking about…the references, but I don’t have any plans to do anything to break that trend…”
We think Kingsbury was joking, but no offensive coordinator in the NFL has been more creative this season. In looking at Washington’s offense the past few weeks, Kingsbury’s schemes and play-calling have not been the problem. It’s been the execution.
Don’t be surprised if the Commanders run the triple option on a play or two this week, either.
