Cowboys vs. Washington: Rare Penalty Costs Dallas NFC East Head Attempt

The Dallas Cowboys were about to put Washington in overtime in a decisive game for the NFC East standings. And then, a violation of the team's long snapper led to their disappearance.

The Dallas defense forced a decisive 1: 9 game with 1:09, and Dak Prescott led his team to the Washington 28-yard line to bring in a 47-yard field goal that would have allowed 20-17 to mark. overtime. But before the Cowboys could catch fire on the final regulation game, L.P. Ladouceur flinched with the ball, pulling Washington's defensive line forward and pushing Dallas five meters in the wrong direction.

It was a penalty that made recruiting Brett Maher much more difficult. The Cowboys are ready for the deciding match, to watch Maher's 52-meter hook turned to the left as he gets closer to the goal line. The kick finally gave way to Washington's place at the top of the division with a three-point win over his longtime rival:

The long-range missionary broke a series of 16 consecutive goals against the first-year specialist. He had already beaten 47 yards to reduce Washington's lead to 13-10 early in the fourth quarter.

Maher did not take the miss lightly. He returned to the cloakroom without even removing his helmet.

But Maher should never have been in that position

Forget the false start that made a 47-yard 52-yard pass lose a decisive pass – Maher should have looked for a much more reasonable kick from the start. The Cowboys had the ball on the 46-yard line in Washington with 52 seconds to play when Prescott teamed with Cole Beasley for a 9-yard gain that put the club within reach. Then Dallas took 24 seconds to stage his next play – a six-yard shot by Beasley.

The Cowboys did not rush to the finish line to stop the clock, as the time went to 20 seconds, but they got a reprieve when officials called for a review of the catch. This forced head coach Jason Garrett to coordinate his team as the restart team confirmed Beasley's take.

And Garrett took advantage of the opportunity to call … an Ezekiel Elliott in the center. The Cowboys were content with a long field goal even though they had time to play three to four more times, respecting a timeout. Rather than consuming more distance, the Cowboys became conservative, protecting the ball and trusting their special teams to make a difference.

They did not do it and Dallas gave up claiming first place in the East of the NFC. And in a season where Garrett's seat is hotter than ever and where he's being called under a bigger microscope than ever before, that's a big deal.