The Cowboys are out of the playoffs. The Commanders are in the playoffs. That's the first time that sentence has been true since 2012, when Washington won the division, eliminating the Cowboys in the final week of the season.
The scenarios are different this year, but Washington is playing for seeding while the Cowboys are simply trying to "finish the race" as head coach Mike McCarthy said this week.
The Cowboys are looking for a season sweep over the Commanders, thanks to the thrilling 34-26 win in D.C. back in November.
Here are the 10 big storylines for the week, with five for the Commanders and five for the Cowboys.
Commanders
The Commanders have clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2020 and have 11 wins for the first time since the 1991 season 鈥 their last Super Bowl-winning team. Washington can get to 12 wins by beating the Cowboys and that would secure the team of the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs. Washington could drop to No. 7 with a loss, but either way, they will play on the road in the Wild Card round.
Dan Quinn, the former Cowboys' defensive coordinator, is looking to avoid a season sweep to Dallas. Washington lost 34-26 in one of the wildest games of the NFL season back on Nov. 24. A game that was tied 3-3 at halftime, saw five touchdowns in the final five minutes of the game, including two kickoff return for touchdowns by the Cowboys.
Quinn should have a chance to win NFL Coach of the Year for the Commanders' turnaround. And a better shot for an award could go to Jayden Daniels for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Daniels leads all rookie QBs with a 101.2 passer rating. He also leads all NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards with 864. Daniels has four game-winning drives and four fourth-quarter comebacks.
If there's anyone who has benefitted the most from Daniels' arrival, it's likely wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who is having a career season. McLaurin ranks second in the NFL with 12 touchdown catches, easily the most of his career. His previous high was seven back in his 2019 rookie season. McLaurin does have 1,034 receiving yards, marking his fifth straight 1,000-yard season.
Dan Quinn's defense ranks ninth in the NFL in yards allowed per game, but third overall against the pass. Considering the Cowboys might have a new quarterback or two this week, Washington has a chance to shut down the pass. The Commanders allow just 187.1 yards per game through the air. In comparison, they rank 28th against the run at 138.7 yards per game.
Cowboys
The Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoff contention for two weeks now. And after last week's embarrassing 41-7 loss to the Eagles, they no longer have a shot at a winning record. The best they can hope for is 8-9 with a win over Washington, which would give them a series sweep over the playoff-bound Commanders and a 4-3 record in the division.
The big news of the week surrounds the quarterback position. After sticking with Cooper Rush as the starter since Dak Prescott went to IR, the Cowboys are now at least entertaining the thought of playing Trey Lance for the final game. Also, practice squad quarterback Will Grier could even play as well. All three QBs 鈥 Rush, Grier and Lance 鈥 are unrestricted free agents at the end of the year,
The Cowboys have 26 free agent players, including 22 unrestricted heading into this last game. Some of the key players on that list include Jourdan Lewis, Rico Dowdle, Osa Odighizuwa, Eric Kendricks and Cooper Rush. All of the coaching staff, including Mike McCarthy have an expiring contract after the season. So there's a good chance this will be the last game for many players and coaches.
One player expected to be a free agent was Ezekiel Elliott. But the Cowboys officially released Zeke Tuesday. According to reports, the veteran running back asked for his release with the chance to be claimed off waivers by a playoff team. Zeke has just 226 rushing yards this year with a career-low 3.1 yard average per carry. The Cowboys have leaned on Rico Dawdle, who became the first player in franchise history to rush for 1,000 yards as an undrafted player. Dowdle currently ranks 14th in the NFL with 1,007 yards.
Micah Parsons has helped the Cowboys defense lead the league in sacks since he came back from injury in November. Over the last eight games, the Cowboys have 28 sacks. Parsons has 9.5 and is seeking a fourth-straight double-digit sack season.
