3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 18 Win vs. Commanders

The Dallas Cowboys entered Week 18 needing only a win to secure an NFC East title and the No. 2 seed in the conference. While the Washington Commanders did enough to give Dallas an early scare, the Cowboys managed to pull away.

After giving up some easy completions early, the defense tightened over the final three quarters. Quarterback Dak Prescott had another spectacular outing, this one on e toad.

The Cowboys had already secured their third playoff berth in four seasons under head coach Mike McCarthy, but this was very much a meaningful game. The Cowboys played like it, and they'll now go on to prepare for the Green Bay Packers.

Here's what we learned during the Cowboys' Week 18 win over the Commanders.

Cowboys Finally Played Like They Wanted a Division Title

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Cowboys LB Buddy Johnson

As has often been the case this year, the Cowboys came out a bit sluggish on the road. While the Cowboys struck first with a Jalen Tolbert touchdown, the usually-dependable defense struggled to keep up.

Washington quickly countered with 10 unanswered points and actually held a lead midway through the second quarter.

Then, something shifted for Dallas. It's as if the Cowboys suddenly remembered that a victory would give them their first division title since 2021. A pair of scores by Tony Pollard and CeeDee Lamb gave Dallas an 11-point lead, and the team never looked back.

The Cowboys are your 2023-24 NFC East champs, and they finally played like it on Sunday. After watching the Philadelphia Eagles do the exact opposite against the New York Giants at the same time, there should be no question that Dallas is the best team in its division this season.

While the Commanders don't represent a playoff-caliber challenge, Dallas' answer to its early-game struggles sows that the Cowboys will be a tough out in the postseason.

Earning the No. 2 Seed Is Massive

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Cowboys DL Dorance Armstrong

The Cowboys have secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC, which is extremely important. While Dallas ended the season with a resounding road win, it hasn't been particularly reliable on the road.

Entering Sunday, the Cowboys had a mere 3-5 record on the road. Prescott hadn't been as efficient away from Arlington, and Dallas' eighth-ranked defense simply wasn't the same unit.

All of the Cowboys' lopsided losses—against the Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills—came on the road. By comparison, Dallas was undefeated at home.

Now, the Cowboys will be at home for the first two rounds of the postseason, making them an extremely dangerous Super Bowl threat. Dallas won't have to deal with travel for Wild Card Weekend either, which could be important for ailing players like Tyler Smith and Zack Martin—both of whom were inactive on Sunday.

There's now a very real chance that the Cowboys aren't on the road again until a rematch with San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game.

Dak Prescott Is Playoff-Ready

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Dak Prescott

Prescott probably isn't winning league MVP thanks to a late-season surge by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. However, he made a late push against the Commanders, having arguably his best road performance of the season.

While Prescott did throw an early interception, he rebounded masterfully, finishing 31-of-36 for 279 yards, four touchdowns and the pick.

While a big performance from Prescott might not be shocking, given Washington's lack of a quality pass defense, it's still important. As previously noted, the newly-minted Pro Bowler has been far better at home than he has on the road this season.

This won't come into play until the NFC title game, at the earliest, but it never hurts to head into the playoffs with a fair bit of momentum. Prescott is playing like one of the best signal-callers in the playoff field,

The Cowboys should be more than happy to trust their quarterback in critical situations in win-or-go-home games.