The Dallas Cowboys (7-9) close out the season on Sunday against the Washington Commanders (11-5), who are headed to the playoffs under first-year coach Dan Quinn.

Washington is on a four-game winning streak since losing to Dallas as a double-digit favorite at home just before Thanksgiving.

Will the Cowboys claim the season sweep? The Dallas Morning News’ columnists and beat writers make their predictions:

Tim Cowlishaw

The Commanders went from last in the NFC East to first for much of the season before settling behind Philly and clinching a wild card spot last Sunday. With Jayden Daniels as the obvious Rookie of the Year at QB, this is a team on the rise. The Cowboys might spring Trey Lance on us for a while Sunday, which could be a fun show if a bit of a roller coaster. Dallas will be trying to win because it has too many coaches and players hoping to save jobs, but a sweep of Washington doesn’t seem like a fitting ending to this lost season.

Commanders 27, Cowboys 19

Damon Marx

The Cowboys’ playoff hopes were realistically extinguished when QB Dak Prescott was injured in Week 9. We’ve been playing out the string and waiting to hear about coach Mike McCarthy’s fate ever since. That decision will come soon enough, but for now there is one more game against the Commanders, who still have postseason goals within reach. About the only intrigue for the Cowboys will be whether backup QB Trey Lance makes an appearance.

Commanders 27, Cowboys 17

David Moore

An argument can be made that the Cowboys would be better off losing this game since they won’t make the playoffs. It will improve their draft position. Washington, meanwhile, has the potential to improve its playoff seed with a win. Motivation is clearly on the Commanders’ side. But when has logic ever applied in this rivalry?

Cowboys 24, Commanders 21

Abraham Nudelstejer

The best thing that could happen in this game is the Commanders let quarterback Jayden Daniels work some of his magic before benching him to protect him from a playoff-preventing injury. Washington’s rookie is a sight to behold, running or passing the ball, and seeing him on the field will make the ticket price well worth it. The Cowboys will want to go home with a win, but the Commanders are best equipped, emotionally and physically, to win the regular season’s final game.

Commanders 24, Cowboys 14

Kevin Sherrington

The fact that the most intriguing aspect of the Cowboys’ final game is whether Trey Lance will play tells you all you need to know about this season. No one should care about a third-string QB. We shouldn’t even know who he is. But here we are. Dan Quinn will beat the Cowboys and Jerry Jones will say nice things about his former defensive coordinator and soon we’ll get to the real business of the next head coach. The most disappointing Cowboys season of this century is about to be a wrap, and it can’t come soon enough.

Commanders 27, Cowboys 20

Calvin Watkins

The season is finally over and the next two weeks will show us what the future holds for the Cowboys. Before we get to that point, Dallas and Washington will play a wild game. We say this because that’s just something we want to see in the regular season finale. Washington is moving on to the postseason and Dallas is moving toward the draft and making decisions on the coaches. As for the game, we’ll take the visiting team.

Commanders 31, Cowboys 27

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

Tonight was technically UW’s 3rd conference game in the Big Ten but you’ll be forgiven if it didn’t feel like it after playing only the traditional L.A schools in December. It was the start of a brutal stretch for the Huskies in conference play with the Dawgs taking on a Maryland team that entered 10th nationally in points for and points against per game. But the Huskies stymied Maryland’s 5-star freshman center and pulled away in the 2nd half behind Great Osobor and Zoom Diallo for a 75-69 win and their first ever in a Big Ten conference game. The victory moves the Huskies to 10-4 (1-2) on the season and drops Maryland to 11-3 (1-2).

The Huskies got on the board first as Wilhelm Breidenbach was left open at the three-point line and knocked down the shot from deep. Washington seemed hesitant to attack Maryland’s twin towers lineup inside and were generally content to shoot it from deep. Mekhi Mason missed a trio of 3’s in the first 70 seconds of the game though and Maryland went to the first media timeout up 6-5.

Both teams seemed evenly matched for much of the first half as no team led by more than 3 points until a pair of Julian Reese free throws put the Terps up 25-21 with 5:27 left until the break. The Huskies tied the game back up at 25 but Maryland went on an 8-0 run and led 33-25 with 1:51 remaining in the half.

Washington could have easily shied away at that point but finished strong. Great Osobor made a pair of baskets assisted by freshman Zoom Diallo and then Diallo was fouled with 1.8 seconds remaining and split a pair at the line to make it 33-30 at halftime.

Things got a little chippy after the break. Those Diallo free throws in the final seconds were UW’s only of the first half while Maryland was just 5/5. There were many more to come as fouls largely dictated the rest of the game.

Maryland came out strong and got off to a 41-32 lead early but Great Osobor answered with a bucket (again assisted by Diallo) to stop the run and then split a pair of free throws. DJ Davis went on a personal 5-0 run to bring the Huskies within a single point and Zoom Diallo knocked down a pair of free throws to give UW their first lead of the 2nd half at 45-44.

With Wilhelm Breidenbach in severe foul trouble, seldom-used center KC Ibekwe got into the game at center and went 2/4 at the free throw line on the same possession after UW rebounded the first miss. Ibekwe is…not known for his free throw shooting and both makes bounced off multiple surfaces before going in the hoop. Nonetheless, it gave UW a 47-46 lead.

UW continued to search for answers with both Breidenbach and Ibekwe saddled with fouls. Luis Kortright saw expanded playing time in the 2nd half and repeatedly muscled Maryland’s guards under the basket for layups. He also ended up guarding 6’10 star freshman Derek Queen for extended stretches. Being unable to push around such a smaller player seemingly bothered Queen who had his worst game in college with just 4 points and 1 rebound despite often having major size advantages. He came in averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds per game.

The fouls continued as Breidenbach fouled out shortly after re-entering with 4 (on a dubious call) but so too did Maryland’s starting point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie. DJ Davis made a pair at the free throw line to put the Dawgs up 59-58 and take the lead for good.

With 1:31 remaining Maryland was able to get an alley-oop slam off an inbounds pass which cut UW’s lead to just 2 points but Great Osobor answered with an and-1 layup (off an assist from, you guessed it, Zoom Diallo) to stretch it back out to 5. Maryland pressed all game and it caused some late problems as UW had to take a timeout to avoid a 5-second call and threw it away in the final 30 seconds. But the Huskies were able to get the ball to DJ Davis just enough to make the free throws to keep it from ever seriously getting in doubt in the closing seconds.

The margin of victory may not reflect it but this was clearly the best win of the season for Washington. Maryland was ranked 24th in the coaches poll and was 17th at KenPom coming into the contest. Prior to this, UW’s best win was over KenPom’s #73 ranked team in Washington State. Despite students still being on break, the crowd filtered in eventually and Hec Ed got truly loud over the final 10 minutes of game clock once it was clear that Washington had a real shot to pull off the upset.

Washington won the game despite shooting just 5/24 on three-point attempts in part because Maryland was just 2/11. The Terrapins had come into the game with 2 starting guards shooting over 42% from deep on the season.

Great Osobor struggled with turnovers (6) and had several throw aways but generally played good defense against Maryland’s two all-conference caliber centers while putting up 20 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He made a 3-point shot for the 2nd straight game and had one of his most efficient games from the field. Zoom Diallo didn’t start and had a few freshman moments but was incredible leading the show for most of the night with 18 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. DJ Davis finished with an incredible stat line of 17 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, and 0 turnovers.

The Huskies are back on the court on Sunday against a ranked Illinois team that evaporated Oregon in Eugene 109-77 (haha).

The Washington Capitals, fresh off their New Year’s Eve victory over the Boston Bruins, will play their first game of 2025. And it will be a tough test.

Tonight the Caps will face a slick-skating Minnesota Wild team that plays excellent on the road. Minnesota leads the league in road wins (13) and road points (29).

They will also face future Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury in net for perhaps the final time at Capital One Arena. Alex Ovechkin has lit up Fleury 27 times — the most of all his goalie victims. Also, I will never forget this moment.

Neither Kirill Kaprizov or Wild captain Jared Spurgeon will suit up for the Wild due to injury. Martin Fehervary is in for the Caps after absorbing a high stick from Tom Wilson.

The Capitals-Wild game is airing on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and a returning Craig Laughlin have the call. Puck drop is shortly after 7:00 pm.

Lines

Washington Capitals

Minnesota Wild

Tunnel shenaigans

1st Period

Puck is dropped.

Huge glove save 21 seconds in by Charlie Lindgren. Wow.

🚨 1-0 Washington Capitals. WSH Goal: Tom Wilson (15). Assists: R. Sandin (12). Time: 10:19.

Sandin’s shot is saved by MAF, but the rebound falls right to Wilson’s skates for an easy put-in.

🚨 1-1 tie. MIN Goal: Ryan Hartman (15). Assists: Z. Bogosian (5), J. Eriksson Ek (11). Time: 11:24.

Hartman with a deflection in front of the net to tie 65 seconds later.

Tom Wilson gets cross-checked into Minnesota’s net. Then Marc-Andre Fleury cross-checks him out of it. Capitals go to the power play!

Oh NoOoOo

🚨 2-1 Minnesota Wild. MIN SHG: Yakov Trenin (3). Unassisted. Time: 19:07.

Poor stickhandling behind the net, Lindgren loses both the puck and his stick and Trenin scores a layup on his backhand.

At intermission: The Capitals are outshooting the Wild 13 to 11 and are out-attempting them 24 to 12 at five-on-five but go into break down 2-1.

2nd Period

Puck is dropped.

Another big early glove save by Lindgren. This time on Frederick Gaudreau 18 seconds in.

Tom Wilson to the box for roughing Brock Faber at 8:43.

Martin Fehervary loses a tooth. He looks like Ovi now. Oh no. Marat Khusnutdinov to the box for High-sticking – it’s a double minor.

🚨 2-2 tie. WSH PPG: Alex Ovechkin (18). Assists: D. Strome (30). Time: 15:08.

Alex Ovechkin scores again on Marc-Andre Fleury for 871st career goal, now 23 away from Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record

Ovi’s 871st career goal and 28th against MAF. 23 away from Gretzky.

At intermission: The game is tied 2-2. The Capitals are outshooting the Wild 21 to 18.

3rd Period

Puck is dropped.

Both teams are going hard for the next goal.

🚨 3-2 Washington Capitals. WSH Goal: Martin Fehervary (1). Assists: P. Dubois (24). Time: 05:34.

With Fleury bowled over by his own man, a missing-tooth’d Fehervary hits the back of the net for the first time this season. Huge goal.

Caps to the penalty kill after Nic Dowd takes an interference penalty on Mats Zuccarello at 6:20.

Penalty killed.

A Tom Wilson goal is taken off the board due to a high stick.

OH NO.

Seconds later…

🚨 3-3 tie. MIN Goal: Marco Rossi (15). Assists: R. Hartman (5), J. Brodin (10). Time: 11:19.

Rossi with a great redirect, then captures the rebound and scores.

Jakob Chychrun beats Fleury but hits the post with around three minutes remaining in the game.

Tom Wilson just misses scoring again after a great feed by PLD. The puck rolled on Wilson.

Capitals and Wild end regulation tied 3-3. To overtime we go. The Wild outshot the Capitals 32-31.

Overtime

Puck is dropped.

Matt Boldy in a foot race… and he hits the post!

John Carlson stopped at the last second by MAF after a huge rush of speed.

Shootout

This is the Capitals’ first shootout of the season.

❌ Dylan Strome is stopped by MAF.
❌ Mats Zuccarello is stopped by Lindgren.
❌ Pierre-Luc Dubois is stopped by MAF
✅ Matt Boldy beats Lindgren with a shot to the top corner past Lindgren’s glove.
❌ Alex Ovechkin is stopped by MAF.

Minnesota Wild win 4-3 (SO).

Skills competition sees Washington fall on home ice: Wild beat Capitals 4-3 (SO)

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