Cowboys at Commanders: The good, the bad, and the ugly from the regular-season finale

It started off a little shaky, but the Dallas Cowboys were able to take care of business in the regular-season finale with a 38-10 victory over their division rival, the Washington Commanders. They will now set their sights on the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy’s former team, when they host them next week at AT&T Stadium in the playoffs.

Before we shift our focus on to the playoffs and the Green Bay Packers, let’s take a look back at the Week 18 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders and identify the good, the bad, and the ugly from this game. Who knows? Maybe we can even learn something from it.

THE GOOD – Tony Pollard

CeeDee Lamb being CeeDee Lamb is no doubt one of the bright spots from the Dallas Cowboys regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders, however, it was really good to see Tony Pollard ball out and return to his pre-injury form just in time for the postseason. He finished the night with 17 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, and in so doing, hit the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season in a row. This was quite possibly the best he’s looked all season as both a runner, receiver, and even as a pass protector. If he can carry this over into the playoffs Dallas’ offense could be close to unstoppable.

THE BAD – Stephon Gilmore’s injury

In an ideal world the Dallas Cowboys would’ve walked away from FedEx Field with the victory and absolutely zero injuries. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Stephon Gilmore exited the game early with a shoulder injury in the second quarter and didn’t return at any point in the second half. As players go, if he’s unable to play next week in the playoffs or if he’s limited, that’s a significant blow to the Cowboys secondary. He’s been a godsend for Dallas’ secondary after Trevon Diggs’ season-ending injury and will be needed just as much, if not more so, in the postseason. Luckily, it’s looking not too serious.

THE UGLY – Brandon Aubrey

Having his first FG attempt blocked and his next “doink” off the upright, Brandon Aubrey was suddenly giving Dallas Cowboys fans Brent Maher vibes after being automatic all season on field goals. Fortunately he was able to redeem himself by splitting the uprights right down the middle on his next and final attempt from 50 yards. The thought of entering the postseason once again with a liability at kicker is not something any of us wanted to see. Fortunately, he closed out the regular-season on a high note and looked unfazed by his previous misses. Chalk it up to nerves or whatever you want, but there’s no need to worry.