The Commanders and Cowboys were living out the 2024 seasons that had been imagined in the ‘24 offseason and preseason — one team was looking to reach its 12th win in the final week while the other was stumbling towards the finish line of a difficult season with a losing record already locked in. But somehow it was the Commanders looking for their 12th win while Cowboys fans worried about draft position and impending coaching changes.
What was surprising was how fortunes had changed since preseason. The Cowboys had been expected by most NFL observers to have had a good chance to achieve their 4th consecutive 12-win season, and — stop me if you’ve heard this before — some media members expected them to contend for a super bowl berth.