With a postseason berth already secured, the Washington Commanders still had something to play for against Dallas during their regular season finale. After an uneven first half and with playoff seeding on the line, head coach Dan Quinn made the surprising decision to bench rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels at halftime due to leg soreness. Enter veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, who turned out to be the hero of the day.
Receiver Terry McLaurin’s franchise record 13th touchdown reception, which came from Mariota with just three seconds remaining in the game, propelled the Commanders to a thrilling 23-19 comeback victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
While Daniels said he would have fought to stay in the game if it were an elimination game, he was ultimately okay with his coach’s surprising decision. Fortunately for the Commanders, Quinn’s move paid off as Mariota threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, sparking an offense that was stagnant in the first half. The 31-year-old Oregon product completed 15 of 18 attempts for 161 yards and rushed for 56 yards on five carries to go with those three touchdowns.
McLaurin broke a tie with Ricky Sanders, Charley Taylor, Jerry Smith and Hugh Taylor for the most touchdown catches in a single season in Commanders history. He also became the only player in franchise history to record at least 75 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches in a single season.
Ultimately, Washington didn’t need the win to secure the sixth seed, thanks to Green Bay’s loss to Chicago. But the victory gave the burgundy and gold a four-game win streak, all of which have come on the final play from scrimmage.
The Commanders will now face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild card round next Sunday night. This is a rematch of Tampa’s 37-20 win over Washington in Daniels’ debut.
