The Washington Football Team was at its own 48-yard line, and Trevon Diggs was arguing with Terry McLaurin at the end of a three-yard run. It's unclear exactly what Diggs said to the second-year wide receiver, but McLaurin made him pay for it seconds later.
Lined up as an outside receiver, McLaurin took off in a flat-out sprint past Diggs to get open. Quarterback Kyle Allen then delivered a high-arching pass to the former Ohio State Buckeye, who hauled in the ball and ran into the end zone to give Washington a 15-3 lead.
McLaurin flashed a grin as he jogged off the field. It was just one example of how he and Washington's offense were able to handle the Cowboys' defense with relative ease as the team racked up 397 yards in a 25-3 victory.
From start to finish, Washington moved the ball more effectively than it had all season. As Antonio Gibson put up his first-career 100-yard game with 128 yards on 20 carries and McLaurin caught seven passes for 90 yards, the offense averaged six yards per play compared to the Cowboys' 2.6.
Despite going against the NFL's No. 1 offense, the defense was able to stymie a unit that put up 464 yards per game. Andy Dalton and Ben DiNucci were sacked six times, which is the defense's best outing since Week 1, and they combined for 114 passing yards.
Ironically enough, it was the defense that got Washington on the board first after the offense drove down to Dallas' one-yard and was stopped short of the goal line. Landon Collins slapped the ball from Dalton's hand, which forced a safety that gave Washington a 2-0 lead. Following a Cowboys free kick, the offense marched 63 yards downfield on seven plays. This time, Washington punched the ball in on a 12-yard run from Gibson.
Dallas responded with a 45-yard field goal, but Washington extended the lead even further with McLaurin's touchdown as well as a 15-yard touchdown to Logan Thomas. By halftime, Washington held a 22-3 lead, which stands as the first time all season the team entered the third quarter with a lead.
From there, Washington was able to chip away at the clock. It was the only team to score points in the second half with a 30-yard field goal from Dustin Hopkins, but thanks to a stellar performance from the defense, which only allowed 30 yards in the final 30 minutes, Washington did enough to secure its second victory of the season and bring a 2-1 NFC East record into the bye week.
