Commanders edge Cowboys, secure NFC's No. 6 seed

Jan 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs with the ball past Dallas Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston (99) during the first half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn ImagesMarcus Mariota's 5-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin with three seconds left gave the Washington Commanders a 23-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Arlington, Texas. The Commanders (12-5) nailed down the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs and won 12 games for the first time since 1991. Dallas (7-10) closed its season by losing three of its last five games. Mariota kept the 11-play, 91-yard drive alive with a 33-yard carry on fourth-and-1. Three plays later, he hit McLaurin for the winning score. Jayden Daniels played the first half and finished 6-of-12 passing for 38 yards, along with four carries for 27 yards. Mariota was 15-of-18 passing for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He also had five carries for a team-high 56 yards and a touchdown. McLaurin had eight catches for 62 yards. Zach Ertz had five grabs for 44 yards and a touchdown. Trey Lance, the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, made his first start since Sept. 18, 2022, and was 20-of-34 passing for 244 yards for the Cowboys. Rico Dowdle had 22 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Tolbert caught four passes for 98 yards. Brandon Aubrey connected on field goals of 34, 41, 36 and 22 yards for Dallas. Zane Gonzalez had a 47-yard field goal for Washington. The kickers did all the scoring in the first half as Dallas held a 6-3 lead. After five trips to the red zone led to four field goals and a turnover on downs, Dallas finally scored a touchdown when Dowdle rumbled into the end zone from the 2-yard line. The TD gave the Cowboys a 19-16 lead with about seven minutes left in the game. On his first drive, Mariota led Washington on an eight-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a 5-yard scoring pass to Ertz as the Commanders took a 10-9 lead with 5:07 left in the third. Aubrey's 22-yard field goal gave Dallas a 12-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. Mariota answered with a 5-yard touchdown run, capping another eight-play, 70-yard drive to put the Commanders ahead 16-12. --Field Level Media

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