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Eliminated from the postseason weeks ago, the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have much to play for in Week 18, tangibly speaking of course. Players and coaches don’t tank but management decisions, such as starting Trey Lance over Cooper Rush at quarterback, can play a part in achieving the same result.
Making his first start since 2022, Lance went 20 for 34, posting 244 yards through the air with no touchdowns or interceptions. He came close to both, throwing a near pick on his first drive of the game and missing a wide-open Rico Dowdle late as the running back ran across the end zone.
It was a tightly contested game and required a come-from-behind touchdown in the final seconds, but the Commanders claimed the win by a final score of 23-19. The loss moved the Cowboys to a 7-10 record and officially placed them in offseason mode.
Dowdle’s strong season ended in decent, yet unspectacular fashion, running for just 72 yards on a 3.3 yards/carry average. As a pending free agent, it’s not yet known if this was his last day in a Cowboys uniform or if it’s a sign of more games to come. Hunter Luepke, a fullback in title, made the case for a bigger role as a ball carrier next season. He carried the ball three times for 15 yards, looking like the second coming of Mike Alstott for a brief moment. Even Deuce Vaughn got in on the action, rushing for a 6.2 yards/carry average in what could be his last game in Dallas. So much is now up in the air at the RB position.
But there were plenty more takeaways to be had in the Cowboys’ Week 18 loss to Washington, but sadly, they weren’t very clear takeaways.