The Washington Commanders clinched the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs with a narrow 23-19 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. Despite their intention to play all starters, head coach Dan Quinn opted to bench starting quarterback Jayden Daniels for the second half after a challenging first half where he was sacked four times and completed only 50% of his passes for 38 yards. Marcus Mariota took over at quarterback and led the team to a comeback victory.

With this win, the Commanders secured a rematch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the upcoming Wild Card round. Mariota's performance was critical in the second half, along with strong contributions from receiver Terry McLaurin. The team now looks ahead to the playoffs with confidence.