4 winners (and 3 losers) from Commanders' dramatic triumph at the Cowboys

In 2024, the Washington Commanders developed a flair for the dramatic. It was only fitting that this occurred again during their regular-season finale at the Dallas Cowboys.

This was a messy game. It was sloppy and Washington struggled to get into an early rhythm. However, as has been the case for most of the campaign, they found a way to get the job done when it mattered.

Terry McLaurin's walk-off touchdown with two seconds remaining officially cemented the sixth seed. The result didn't matter after the Green Bay Packers lost at home to the Chicago Bears, but it's always nice to get one over on your fierce division rivals.

The Commanders finished the season at 12-5 and travel to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wildcard round, which is getting the primetime treatment on Sunday Night Football. That's a testament to how quickly things came together under the new regime, but there are things to clean up in the coming days before taking the field at Raymond James Stadium.

That's for the not-too-distant future. For now, here are four winners and three losers from Washington's last-gasp victory at the Cowboys in Week 18.

Winners and losers from Commanders' thrilling triumph at the Cowboys

Winner No. 1

Terry McLaurin - Commanders WR

It took a while for Terry McLaurin to get going. The two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels were out of sync throughout the first half. Once adjustments were made at the interval and Marcus Mariota came into the lineup, things picked up.

McLaurin was terrific throughout the second half. He got the better of his matchup with Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland through his measured separation techniques and assured hands. When Mariota needed to make a play, the veteran typically went in his direction successfully.

This was no more evident than on the final drive of the game. Mariota got the Commanders into scoring range. He displayed outstanding touch on his final throw to McLaurin, who brought it in with aplomb to seal Washington's victory.

The former third-round selection out of Ohio State finished the contest with eight receptions from 12 targets for 62 receiving yards and one score. Washington needs all that and more if they want to make some noise in the postseason.