In a rare moment of solidarity on Sunday afternoon, Cowboys and Commanders fans joined as one to chant their hatred for the Philadelphia Eagles during a break in play.
When the game resumed, so did the beatdown, as Dallas cruised to a 38-10 victory to secure the NFC East title. The Commanders left with their own parting gift — the No. 2 selection in this year’s NFL Draft.
With four quarterbacks getting early buzz, as well as standout receivers and offensive linemen, Washington will be able to get a big-time prospect to start a top-to-bottom rebuild of the franchise.
New owner Josh Harris was at the game, watching as Cowboys fans invaded FedEx Field. Starting Monday morning, he’ll put his stamp on his childhood team, one he paid nearly $6 billion for in 2023.
Coach Ron Rivera is expected to be out, as will most of the team’s players, a full overhaul that represents just how far Washington fell under previous owner Dan Snyder — as evidenced by the lack of burgundy or gold in the stands.
At 4-13, the Commanders finished the season on an eight-game losing streak. The Cowboys, meanwhile, absorbed an early punch and then finished off an NFC East title that will allow them at least two home games in the playoffs, should they continue winning.
The lone suspense of the fourth quarter was whether receiver Terry McLaurin would reach 1,000 yards for the season, giving him a franchise record fourth consecutive season of at least 1,000.
McLaurin was 13 yards away with 8 minutes remaining, but a late stop by the defense gave him one more shot — and a 15-yard catch pushed him across the finish line to reach the milestone.
Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, who entered the game having made 35 straight field goals, had his first attempt blocked by Joshua Pryor, and returned into Dallas territory by Jace Whittaker — two players who weren’t on any fans’ radar entering the season.
Quan Martin also added an interception for Washington, as they claimed an early 10-7 lead.
That was the high water mark, though, as the Cowboys used a Donovan Wilson interception right before halftime to set up a CeeDee Lamb touchdown that gave them a 21-10 margin entering the locker room, which they immediately extended to a 35-10 lead after a Tress Way blocked punt.
The errors that punctuated Washington’s season did not take the day off on Sunday, including back-to-back false start penalties and more sacks and interceptions by quarterback Sam Howell.
The stands remained full to the final whistle as Cowboys fans sang and cheered, celebrating their NFC East title.
Washington’s joy will come in the next few months, as the Commanders create a new structure within the organization.
The new coach will have the No. 2 overall draft pick, and nearly $90 million in cap room to work with — potentially more if they trade defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who is on a favorable contract and has indicated he might prefer being traded to a contending team.
Once the housecleaning is complete, there are likely to be few remnants of the Snyder era remaining, including Rivera, who saw his career record drop below .500 on his 62nd birthday.
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