The Washington Commanders allowed the Dallas Cowboys to bury their chances of winning the NFC East with not one, but two kickoff return touchdowns in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 34-26 loss.
A ho-hum divisional rivalry turned into a barn burner with 41 points scored in the final quarter between both teams, as the Cowboys broke their five-game losing skid while sending the Commanders to their third consecutive loss.
However, there’s still plenty of optimism for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Killf Kingsbury during their first year together in Washington.
USA TODAY Sports’ NFL overreactions from Week 12 begin with the Commanders, who will still make the playoffs but are staring at an exit in the wild-card round.
The Commanders are in the seventh and final NFC playoff spot after Week 12, just ahead of the Arizona Cardinals (6-5) and trio of 5-6 teams in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. They’ll face the Philadelphia Eagles and Cowboys again this season, and they’re good enough to beat the Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons left on their schedule to reach the postseason.
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But they’ll regret this Cowboys loss.
Any chance the Commanders had of winning the NFC East (and hosting a playoff game) evaporated with every touchdown the Cowboys scored late.
If the Detroit Lions hang onto the No. 1 seed and first-round bye, the Commanders could wind up facing the Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
While reaching the postseason would undoubtedly be an accomplishment for Washington, facing the likes of Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and Saquan Barkley in the playoffs could be a bitter end for a transformational season.
Texans are suspect but will still reach postseason
While we’re handing out first-round playoff exits, the Houston Texans also appear as a team destined for an early postseason blunder.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud stepped out of bounds for a safety, and threw two interceptions in Houston’s 32-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. It’s never great losing to a 2-8 (now 3-8) team. But Houston showed it’s deeply flawed heading into the final stretch of the season.
To make matters worse, the Texans have games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens within a four-day stretch during Christmas week that will ultimately decide their playoff fate.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Titans again on the schedule, the Texans must shore up their shortcomings to not only stay in the playoff mix, but make the most of this season with Joe Mixon and Nico Collins playing at high levels.
The Texans are still in great shape to win the NFC South, but they’ll likely wind up as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. They’ll host the No. 5 seed, which could be the runner-up in the AFC North between the Pittsburgh Steelers or Ravens. And that would be a disappointing matchup for Houston in the postseason.
Just a matter of time before Giants regime is on the outs
Move over Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas. Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen could also be on a subway ride out of New York before the season is over.
While CBS Sports reported Giants owner John Mara will retain his coach, Daboll, and GM, Schoen, the Giants should cut ties with both after their latest 30-7 home loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
To make matters worse, the Giants face the Cowboys on Thanksgiving where another dreadful loss feels apparent.
Giants players have questioned leadership in recent weeks, including rookie receiver Malik Nabers after the Bucs game.
The Giants may have turned the page on former quarterback Daniel Jones, but Saquan Barkley’s resurgence in Philadelphia is a weekly stain on how Daboll and Schoen have set the franchise behind.
The Giants are in line for the No. 2 pick after Week 12, and should quickly join the market for coaches and general managers, like the Jets, and ensure they’re in play for the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by season’s end.