The Week 18 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders was filled with excitement and a few mishaps. Dallas Cowboys’ placekicker Brandon Aubrey’s kickoff attempt went awry when the ball was immediately kicked out of bounds to the left, hitting a Cowboys cheerleader in the back of the head. The cheerleader, suspected to be Michelle Siemienowski, got back on her feet and appeared to laugh off the incident. Commanders punter Tress Way and the rest of the cheer team checked on her after the unexpected hit. Despite the mishap, Siemienowski expressed gratitude for achieving her dream of being on the Cowboys cheer team and earning her boots.
The game continued with the Cowboys looking to finish the season on a high note, but the Commanders had other plans. With just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter and down by three points, Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota aimed to secure a win for his team. On 2nd-and-goal from the Dallas 5-yard line, Mariota threw a game-winning pass to Terry McLaurin on the outside, who made an incredible leaping catch and kept both feet in bounds. This final play secured a victory for the Commanders, who finished the season 12-5 and secured the No. 6 seed in the playoffs.
Despite their loss to the Commanders, the Dallas Cowboys finished the season with a 7-10 record. The Commanders’ victory over the Cowboys earned them the No. 6 seed in the playoffs, instead of the No. 7 seed, which would have required them to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round. The Philadelphia Eagles won the division with a 14-3 record, making them the top seed in the playoffs. While the Cowboys may have fallen short in their final game of the season, the Commanders’ win secured them a spot in the postseason.
Overall, the Week 18 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders was filled with excitement and unexpected moments, including a mishap involving a Cowboys cheerleader getting hit with a kicked ball. Despite the incident, the cheerleader was able to brush it off and continue supporting her team. The Commanders emerged victorious in the game, securing a 12-5 record for the season and earning the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. While the Cowboys finished with a 7-10 record, the Commanders’ win set them up for a playoff matchup with the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round.
