The Washington Commanders fell to Cooper Rush and the Dallas Cowboys, 34-26, after kicker Austin Seibert missed a game-tying extra point in the final minute at Northwest Stadium.

After rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels found star receiver Terry McLaurin for an improbable 86-yard touchdown with 30 seconds remaining, Seibert failed to convert the extra point, keeping Dallas’ lead.

Dallas safety Juanyeh Thomas then returned the Commanders’ onside kick attempt for a touchdown on the following play, all but sealing the game for the Cowboys.

Entering the game at 7-4 led by star rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders were heavily favored against the rival Cowboys who were starting Rush with Dak Prescott on injured reserve.

Daniels finished with 274 passing yards, 72 rushing yards, three total touchdowns and one interception.

Daniels didn’t get much help from the Commanders’ run game as he had more than double the rushing yards of any other player on the team. Starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. finished with just 13 yards on five carries.

After a strong first half, Washington’s defense struggled in the second half, allowing 24 points in the fourth quarter alone (14 on special teams). Linebacker Frankie Luvu was one of the few standouts, finishing the game with eight combined tackles, one tackle-for-loss and three pass breakups.

One aspect that Washington’s defense struggled with was getting pressure. The defense sacked Rush just once. He finished with 247 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Dallas – which entered the game at 3-7 and with tanking on its mind – got a late boost on KaVontae Turpin’s kickoff return for a TD, helping to set up the even-more-improbable late-game special-teams events.

The Commanders are now 7-5 and have now lost three straight games at a key point in the season. With just six weeks remaining, they will need to pick up some momentum with the playoffs quickly approaching.