Cowboys debate commanders in such a negative way…
On Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys must prevail. The Cowboys are in control of their own fate because of the Arizona Cardinals. If they win on Sunday afternoon at FedEx Field (the game is scheduled during the late window), they will have secured the NFC East and the #2 seed in the NFC playoff picture.
Dallas entered the game as heavy favorites—13.5 points, to be exact—which implies that they ought to win very easily. It appears likely that the Cowboys will take care of business, except from the usual anxiety and terror that accompany major sporting events and the sporadic scar from our team losing games like this in the past.
At the moment, the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is owned by the Washington Commanders.
To put it as plainly as possible, there is zero motivation for the Commanders organization to win this game. It is obvious that the franchise is going through a period of transition, change, and adjustment. By this time the next week, they should have moved on from Ron Rivera. It seems sense that they would want to have the most premium resources available in order to improve their squad and draw in the best head coach possible.
The #2 pick is a valuable asset, but the Commanders’ 4-12 record is shared by the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals. The Commanders could fall in the draft order if they prevail.
Since there is a division rivalry, it makes sense that Washington would want to get even with the Cowboys and hurt Dallas’ prospects of getting closer to the postseason. But at what price? Aiding the Eagles of Philadelphia? An additional division rival? Although pride is constantly at stake, it is not as though harming the Cowboys in particular resolves all rivalries.
Just four years ago (Happy New Year!) Washington selected Chase Young over quarterbacks like Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa with the second overall choice. Young was a potential talent, but given that Washington sold him away this season before the deadline, it is difficult to believe the team would not desire a second chance if given the chance.
The main idea here is that on Sunday, everyone has similar interests. The greatest conceivable outcome for the Cowboys is a win, and the best possible outcome for the Commanders is a loss.
