After three resounding victories and a heartbreaking loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys headed into their Thanksgiving bout against the Washington Commanders with high hopes of winning their division.
The Cowboys looked to continue their winning streak against their divisional “rival” in the Commanders and prove that they are still one of the best teams in the NFL, despite their loss to the Eagles.
Boy, did they prove it.
The team demolished the Commanders 45-10 in a Thanksgiving game that all fans should be thankful for. The Cowboys continued their home dominance as they clinched their 13th-straight victory at home.
However, the biggest piece of news to come out of the game was that star corner DaRon Bland had yet another pick-six. This was his fifth of the season, breaking the NFL record for most pick-sixes in a season.
The Cowboys went on to win their week 13 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks in a close 41-35 win. However, they faced a tougher matchup in week 14 with a rematch against division rivals the Eagles. They proved, once again, why they are still one of the best teams in the NFL, as they had a dominant 33-13 win.
The defense for the Cowboys was outstanding, as they held the Eagles’ offense to zero touchdowns and six points off of field goals. The team also forced three fumbles upon their rivals and had one sack from star defensive end Micah Parsons. The only touchdown the Eagles had was off of a fumble by Dak Prescott. The real star of the game was rookie kicking sensation Brandon Aubrey, who hit four field goals — three of which were over 50 yards and one 60 yard field goal. Aubrey outscored the Eagles by himself 15-13.
After the Cowboys defeated the Eagles in week 14, they went on a two-game road trip to face the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins. With a five-game win streak heading into their week 15 matchup against the Bills, Dallas appeared to have the upper hand. Although, this was not the case, as they got blown out 31-10 against the Bills. After their abysmal showing in Buffalo, the Cowboys went on to face the Dolphins in week 16, where they lost a nail-biter, 22-20.
Over those two games, doubt crossed the minds of Cowboys’ fans as the team had back-to-back losses. We were worried that, once again, the Cowboys would choke and not fare well against actual playoff contenders. If the Cowboys couldn’t beat a team like the Bills, how would they fare against a team like the San Francisco 49ers come playoff season?
But — despite the doubts — anything is possible when it comes to NFL football.
To round out the season, the Cowboys had a tough matchup against the Detroit Lions in week 17, which would have big playoff consequences if they lost since the Lions are one of the best teams in the NFC. Somehow, even if it’s a bit controversial, the Cowboys got the win and secured a spot in the playoffs.
Star receiver CeeDee Lamb had the best game of his career (13 receptions for 227 yards and a touchdown), and the final score was 20-19 after the Lions failed to convert a 2-point conversion. However, the ending was controversial as the Lions initially converted the 2-point attempt on a completion to offensive lineman Taylor Decker, yet it was called back due to Decker being ineligible.
After what some people would say was a “lucky” win, the Cowboys went to face the Washington Commanders once again in their final game of the regular season. With a chance to secure their division and the second seed in the NFC with a win, the Cowboys demolished the Commanders in a resounding 38-10 victory. Prescott threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns as well as having one interception, and Lamb had 98 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Bland also secured his NFL-leading ninth interception of the year.
With the win against the Commanders, the Cowboys secured the second seed in the NFC and will face the Green Bay Packers at home in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Things are looking good for us Cowboys’ fans; we are in the playoffs once again and we can only hope that this is the year we finally make it to the Super Bowl. Now is the time when it matters most; what this whole season has been leading up to. So, let’s see what the Cowboys can do against the Packers on Sunday, Jan. 14.
