LANDOVER HILLS, Md. — Austin Seibert choked back tears taking responsibility for missing the extra point that would have tied the score in the final minute. Jeremy Reaves choked back tears blaming himself for a missed assignment that led to a kickoff return touchdown. And John Bates choked back tears talking about moving forward from his costly fumble.
All of those late mistakes contributed to the Washington Commanders' third consecutive loss, 34-26 to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in a game that was wholly unremarkable until fourth quarter chaos. The teams combined to score 31 points in the final four minutes, the most in an NFL game in more than a decade, and the Commanders (7-5) came out on the wrong end of it in a defeat that further endangers their playoff chances.
“Any time you lose a game or you lose a game in that type of fashion, it’s very difficult and it’s tough, but it never comes down to one play,” rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels said. “There’s plays throughout the game where little things add up to big things.”
There were a lot of little things.
After Bates fumbled, the Cowboys (4-7) took an 11-point lead and the Commanders made a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three, 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,” said Reaves, one of the league’s top special teams players and the All-Pro pick for that two seasons ago. “No excuse, man. I’ve made that play 100 times, and I didn’t make it today and it cost us the game. It’s unacceptable. It’s solely on me. It’s going to sting for a while. It’s going to hurt.”
After Seibert made a 51-yard field goal, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard TD that made it 27-26 with 21 seconds left.
Coach Dan Quinn said no thought was given to going for 2 in that situation. Seibert, who missed the past two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt.
“I just wasn’t striking it well,” said Seibert, who added he felt fine and did not blame a low snap for his miss. "It didn’t make a difference at all. It was on me.”
Juanyeh Thomas returned the onside kick immediately after 43 yards for a touchdown to put Dallas up eight with 14 seconds left.
The 31 combined points are the second most in a game since at least 2000, behind only Minnesota and Baltimore's 36 in their game Dec. 8, 2013. Cowboys-Commanders was the first game in the Super Bowl era to have two missed extra points, two kickoff return touchdowns and a blocked punt.
“We got down to the end there and it was a game-situational extravaganza,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. “It was like Yahtzee. Everything was in there."
While Washington's skid continued, the Cowboys ended their losing streak at five thanks to strong play from QB Cooper Rush, a defense that forced two turnovers and, of course, special teams success. Rush was 24 of 32 for 247 yards and TD 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 have some soul-searching to do after losing as a 10 1/2-point favorite in the meeting of NFC East rivals and doing so in a way that left players so emotional.
“The crazy games, I know they feel a little bit better whenever you win them,” punter and holder Tress Way said. “But that’s a tough pill to swallow.”