Washington preps for playoffs as Cowboys finish season that ended 3-year postseason run

Washington (11-5) at Dallas (7-9)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox

BetMGM NFL Odds: Commanders by 4 1/2.

Against the spread: Commanders 10-5-1; Cowboys 6-10.

Series record: Cowboys lead 79-48-2.

Last meeting: Cowboys beat Commanders 34-26 on Nov. 24, at Landover, Maryland.

Last week: Commanders beat Falcons 30-24; Cowboys lost to Eagles 41-7.

Commanders offense: overall (4), rush (3), pass (16), scoring (5).

Commanders defense: overall (9), rush (28), pass (3), scoring (19).

Cowboys offense: overall (19), rush (27), pass (11), scoring (21).

Cowboys defense: overall (28), rush (29), pass (20), scoring (31).

Turnover differential: Commanders plus-2; Cowboys minus-7.

WR Terry McLaurin had just one catch for 5 yards last week against Atlanta, when he was shadowed by Falcons CB A.J. Terrell all game. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels targeted McLaurin seven times, and he will almost certainly look his top receiver’s way a lot again, even if Dallas CB Daron Bland follows him all over the field. Daniels and McLaurin were each selected to the Pro Bowl on Thursday.

QBs Cooper Rush and Trey Lance. Coach Mike McCarthy has been coy this week about whether Lance might finally get a look for the first time since he played extensively in the preseason. Rush has validated the belief in the club's front office that he's a solid backup to Dak Prescott, going 4-4 since the star quarterback's season-ending hamstring injury. It's highly unlikely one regular-season start would move the needle much on Dallas' sense of wanting to bring back Lance, who came in a trade before last season after Lance lost the battle for the backup job in San Francisco. The 49ers moved up to get him with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft. The return of Lance seems like a long shot. Either way, the Cowboys will be in the market for a backup in the offseason. Rush and Lance are on expiring contracts.

Commanders run game vs. Dallas defense. Washington had to lean heavily on the pass to beat the Falcons, but RB Austin Ekeler is on track to return after missing the past four games with a concussion. The Cowboys were woeful against the run early in the season, improved some and then simply broke down as the blowout loss to the Eagles wore on. NFL rushing leader Saquon Barkley had 127 of his 167 yards rushing in the second half last week.

Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore could miss a second consecutive game after aggravating the hamstring injury that knocked him out for several weeks earlier this season. ... Washington’s offensive line is banged up with injuries to C Tyler Biadasz (ankle) and OT Cornelius Lucas (groin). Starting RT Andrew Wylie is progressing and could return from his groin injury.

Washington's most recent road victory over the Cowboys was in 2020. That's also the previous time the Commanders made the playoffs. The 41-16 Thanksgiving victory helped Washington win the NFC East at 7-9 before a wild-card loss to Tampa Bay and Tom Brady. The Cowboys can sweep the series for the third time in four seasons since then.

The Commanders are in the playoffs under first-year coach Dan Quinn, who made the postseason each of the past three years as the defensive coordinator for 12-5 teams with the Cowboys. ... Washington is on a four-game winning streak since losing to Dallas as a double-digit favorite at home. ... The Commanders last reached 11 wins in 1991, the most recent of the franchise’s three Super Bowl-winning seasons. ... Daniels threw three touchdown passes against Atlanta, including the game-winner to TE Zach Ertz in overtime. Daniels is the first player in NFL history with eight-plus TD passes and 200-plus rushing yards over a two-game span. ... RBs Brian Robinson, Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols have combined for just 124 yards on 58 carries over the past three games, an average of 2.14 yards an attempt. ... McLaurin is the only player with 70-plus catches and 1,000-plus yards receiving in each of the past five seasons. ... WR Olamide Zaccheaus tied his career high with eight catches last week and had 85 yards receiving. ... Ertz earned $750,000 in contract incentives for getting to six TDs, 60 catches and 600 yards receiving. ... Six-time All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner leads the team with 124 tackles. ... LB Dante Fowler, who played the previous two seasons with Dallas, has 10 1/2 sacks and 14 tackles for loss this season. ... S Quan Martin made his first interception of the season last week, picking off Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. ... The first four 100-yard games of Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle's career have come in the past five weeks. Those are the most triple-digit showings for a Dallas back since Ezekiel Elliott had seven in 2019. The Cowboys brought back their former two-time rushing champ on a one-year contract this season, but released Elliott this week. ... WR Jalen Tolbert has a touchdown catch in each of the past three games. ... Edge rusher Micah Parsons needs half a sack to reach 10 for a fourth consecutive season to start his career. The other three players to do that are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ... K Brandon Aubrey needs one field goal to break the club record of 36 he set as a 28-year-old rookie last season.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) takes the handoff from quarterback Cooper Rush (10) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) carries on a keeper during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) gesturing to fans at the end of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

TORONTO (AP) — Matthew Knies had three goals and two assists, Mitch Marner had a goal and four assists, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 6-4 on Saturday night.

Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists in his return after missing six games with an undisclosed upper-body injury, and Jake McCabe had a goal and an assist for Toronto, which has won three straight and four of five. Joseph Woll had 26 saves to win his fourth straight start.

David Pastrnak had two goals, and Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic also scored as Boston lost its third straight and fourth in its last five games. Jeremy Swayman finished with 23 saves.

Knies gave the Maple Leafs a 4-3 lead with his 14th of the season at 5:28 of the third period, beating Swayman after taking a feed from Matthews from behind the goal. After Marner’s empty-net goal, Pastrnak added his second to make it 5-4 with less than two minutes remaining. Mathews sealed it with an empty-netter with 31 seconds left.

Bruins: Boston finished a winless three-game trip that also included losses at Washington and the New York Rangers.

Maple Leafs: The line of Knies, Matthews and Marner combined for 13 points on the night. ... Matthews has missed 15 of the team’s 40 games this season — also sitting out nine games in November — with Toronto going 10-5-0 without him.

McCabe’s goal, at 3:29 of the first period, was the first by a Maple Leafs defenseman since Nov. 30 when Chris Tanev scored in a 5-3 win over Tampa Bay. Coming into this game, Toronto forwards had scored 50 goals in 16 games since then.

Toronto opened the scoring for the fifth straight game and is 17-2-1 when scoring first this season.

Bruins host the New York Islanders on Sunday, and Maple Leafs host Philadelphia to open a home-and-home set.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) tries to move the puck between Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) and teammate Brad Marchand (63) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll (60) gathers the puck after it struck the post without scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Nicholas Robertson (89) tries for a deflection on Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman (1) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Nicholas Robertson (89) watches for the deflection on Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman (1) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll (60) makes a save as Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) digs in during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (22) celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (22) celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit (2) watches the puck pass him on a shot towards teammate Joseph Woll (60) as Boston Bruins center John Beecher (19) looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) celebrates his goal with teammates Mitch Marner (16) and Auston Matthews (34) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Toronto, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)