The Dallas Cowboys have had a season almost everyone with the organization would love to forget, but on Sunday in the biggest upset of the 2024 NFL season according to DraftKings, they pulled off an upset over their rival Washington Commanders.
The Cowboys entered the NFC East clash as two-score underdogs, coming off 5-straight losses and without their starting QB, Dak Prescott, who is out for the season with an injury.
Washington had lost two-straight entering the game, but the Commanders were predicted to win by just about everyone, with the previous two blunders being close losses to the Eagles and Steelers, who should both be playing in January.
But despite Dallas giving Washington opportunity after opportunity, with a blocked field goal, turnover and another missed field goal in the first half giving the Commanders great field position, the offense never found a rhythm in the first half.
So at the halfway point the score was tied at 3-3 — and after stifling the Cowboys offense in the first 30 minutes — Washington’s defense eventually broke in the second half and the special teams unit crumbled, allowing 24 points (and another seven on a failed onsides kick in the final seconds that was returned for a score).
But somehow, within the final three minutes, Washington’s offense came to life for the first time in a few weeks — after starting the year with one of the most efficient offensive units in the NFL.
Jayden Daniels orchestrated three scoring drives under the 3-minute mark that was capped off by an 86-yard touchdown pass to Terry McClaurin with only 21 seconds on the clock and no timeouts. The Commanders needed a simple extra point to go into overtime with all the momentum on their side, but kicker Austin Seibert shanked it which cemented a Cowboys win.
In a surprising admission, Dallas Cowboys’ superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons made a point to talk about the Commanders’ potential on the most recent episode of his podcast, saying they could be “unstoppable.”
“I knew he was good, but I didn’t know he was that good,” Parsons said on his podcast referring to Jayden Daniels. “And I said this to him after the game. I said yo, J, if y’all would have played like you played in that fourth quarter all game, I think you could be unstoppable. That is a well-talented team and they have an opportunity to be really really good with Jayden Daniels at quarterback.”
That’s high praise from one of the best players in the league who plays for Washington’s biggest rival. Parsons finished the game with 8 tackles and two sacks, but it’s clear he believes that Washington is going to be a contender for years to come.