If the Washington Commanders beat the Dallas Cowboys in their final regular season game of 2024, they will play either the Los Angeles Rams or the NFC South champions — most likely the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — in the first round of the playoffs. If they lose, they will travel to the Philadelphia Eagles instead.
I know which scenario I would prefer.
Head coach Dan Quinn must decide whether it is more important to rest some of his players than put his best ones on the field in Dallas. Rams head coach Sean McVay has the exact same question this week. He has indicated an intent to rest players, even if it increases the likelihood of a tougher first-round opponent.
On the other sideline this weekend, Mike McCarthy needs to decide whether to give some younger prospects a chance to prove themselves in a game with no playoff implications. Dallas has been eliminated from postseason contention for a few weeks. They have already announced stars like CeeDee Lamb will not play. Others could follow in the coming days.
With so many unknowns, it is hard to predict how Washington's regular-season finale will turn out. However, several things remain constant.
We won’t repeat our warning before the first game about keeping the ball out of KaVontae Turpin’s hands. Even with Lamb on the field, the diminutive kick returner may be the Cowboys' most dangerous scoring threat as he proved back in November. It goes without saying that Washington needs to convert all of its extra points.
With those obvious issues out of the way, here are three hurdles the Commanders must overcome in Week 18 to lock up the sixth seed.
Hurdles the Commanders must overcome at the Cowboys in Week 18
Commanders must harass whoever is playing quarterback
The Washington Commanders could not slow the Dallas Cowboys offense even with backup Cooper Rush under center. The veteran quarterback completed 75 percent of his passes and recorded a passer rating of 117.6. That was the highest completion percentage and second-highest rating he accumulated all season.
Washington’s defense sacked Rush once and hit him one additional time. Both numbers were well below the normal pressure he's faced throughout the year.
If Rush plays this weekend, the Commanders have to apply more pressure. But it’s not entirely clear whether McCarthy will go with Rush, or finally give Trey Lance or even Will Grier a shot. Joe Whitt Jr. must be prepared for every eventuality.
Neither Lance nor Grier have much experience or success at the NFL level. It is just as important to make their lives miserable should they be in the game.
Giving an untested quarterback a shot of confidence early on can lead to unexpected results. The Cowboys will have a couple of backups on the offensive line, so the Commanders' pass rushers must take advantage.