Austin Seibert fought back tears as he took responsibility for missing the extra point that would have tied the game in the final minute. Jeremy Reaves also fought tears, blaming himself for a missed assignment that allowed a kickoff return touchdown. John Bates choked back tears while discussing moving forward after his costly fumble.
These late mistakes played a big part in the Washington Commanders’ third straight loss, 34-26 to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The game was mostly uneventful until the fourth quarter, when both teams combined to score 31 points in the final four minutes, the highest total in an NFL game in over ten years. The loss hurt Washington’s playoff hopes, dropping them to 7-5.
“Losing like that is tough, but it’s never just one play,” said rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. “There are plays throughout the game where little things add up to big things.”
There were many little things that went wrong. After Bates’ fumble, the Cowboys took an 11-point lead. The Commanders made a 2-point conversion to cut it to three, but Dallas’ KaVonte Turpin returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.
“I didn’t make the play when it was there to make, and it cost us,” Reaves, one of the league’s top special teams players and an All-Pro two seasons ago, said. “No excuse. I’ve made that play 100 times, but I didn’t today, and it cost us the game. It’s unacceptable. It’s on me. It’s going to hurt for a while.”
After Seibert made a 51-yard field goal, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard touchdown pass to put Washington ahead 27-26 with 21 seconds left.
Coach Dan Quinn said there was never any thought of going for two points in that situation. Seibert missed the extra point attempt, sending it wide left.
“I just wasn’t striking it well,” Seibert said. “I felt fine, and it wasn’t a low snap. It was on me.”
Immediately after, Juanyeh Thomas returned the onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown, giving Dallas an eight-point lead with just 14 seconds remaining.
The 31 combined points in those final moments is the second-highest in an NFL game since 2000, just behind the 36 points scored in the Minnesota-Baltimore game on Dec. 8, 2013. This game was the first in the Super Bowl era to feature two missed extra points, two kickoff return touchdowns, and a blocked punt.
“Down to the end, it was a game-situational extravaganza,” said Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. “It was like Yahtzee. Everything was in there.”
While Washington’s losing streak continued, the Cowboys snapped their five-game skid thanks to solid play from QB Cooper Rush, a defense that forced two turnovers, and strong special teams. Rush was 24 of 32 for 247 yards, with touchdown passes to Jalen Tolbert and Luke Schoonmaker.
“Lot of games left,” Rush said. “We’re sitting at 4-7. This is why you play them.”
The Commanders now face some tough questions after losing as 10 1/2-point favorites in an NFC East rivalry game. It was a loss that left many players deeply emotional.
“The crazy games feel a little bit better when you win them,” said punter and holder Tress Way. “But that’s a tough pill to swallow.”
