The Washington Commanders bested the Dallas Cowboys in the regular season finale to improve to 12-5. The game ended with an exciting finish that saw a last second touchdown pass lift the road team to victory.
A few plays prior, the Dallas defense had a chance to end the drive and potentially the game. A few miscues on a crucial fourth down, one of which involved safety Malik Hooker, thwarted that plan.
The Washington offense took over from its own nine-yard line trailing 19-16 late in the fourth quarter. Marcus Mariota would manufacture a 91-yard drive that eventually ended in the endzone.
At one point, the Commanders faced a fourth-and-one from midfield. Mariota faked a handoff to his running back before scrambling 33 yards for a fresh set of downs.
The Cowboys were completely fooled on the play as most everyone ran towards the tailback. Once Mariota crossed the line of scrimmage, he was off to the races.
Malik Hooker watched the play unfold from his safety position in the defensive secondary. Initially, he, too, believed Mariota handed the ball off. He began celebrating upon seeing Dallas defenders bring the running back to the ground, only to look up and see the quarterback flying by him.
Malik Hooker, what are you doing!?!
#DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/bH20BQMGlo
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) January 5, 2025
The run set the offense up inside the redzone. They’d later score with just three ticks remaining on the clock to secure the win.
Hooker likely wouldn’t have been able to stop the Commanders from getting a first down. He was on the third level of the defense, and Washington just had one yard to gain.
Still, he likely could’ve limited the damage and saved the defense some yardage by getting to Mariota more quickly. That yardage might’ve made the difference with so little time left in the game.
With the loss, the Cowboys’ season ends with a 7-10 record. Washington, meanwhile, will gear up for the NFL Playoffs.
The post Cowboys DB Prematurely Celebrates Crucial 4th Down Play Only To Watch Marcus Mariota Fly By appeared first on BroBible.
Cowboys DB Prematurely Celebrates Crucial 4th Down Play Only To Watch Marcus Mariota Fly By
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