ARLINGTON — The Cowboys’ tiny hopes of making the playoffs were taken away before they even reached AT&T Stadium to face Tampa Bay.

Rookie Jayden Daniels closed that door by leading Washington to a win over Philadelphia. The Commanders’ win put an end to playoff drama in the final three games of Dallas’ schedule.

It’s the first time in 14 years the Cowboys have found themselves in this position with three games left. How did you react on Sunday evening?

Impressive.

The Cowboys’ 26-24 win over the Buccaneers doesn’t ease the pain of missing the playoffs after three straight games. But it says a lot about the grit and determination of this group.

Dallas still hasn’t clawed its way back to .500 in a disappointing season. But the Cowboys (7-8) beat two outstanding teams in Pittsburgh and Washington on the road and led the Bucs from start to finish in this game.

A team plagued by injuries is showing a toughness and resilience that it couldn’t even come close to displaying when healthy at the start of the season. Dallas once again had a strong defensive performance and kept quarterback Baker Mayfield on his heels all evening.

Mayfield was sacked four times and never really found a rhythm. He threw an interception late when his deep pass to Jalen McMillian was intercepted in the end zone by Jourdan Lewis. At some point in the second half of that game, he faced a third-and-40.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys’ offense had its weight. Thanks to a pair of 58-yard field goals and a 53-yarder from Brandon Aubrey, Dallas scored on six of its first seven possessions. But it wasn’t about Aubrey saving Dallas.

Cooper Rush was sharp, completing more than 72% of his passes for 283 yards and a touchdown. Another key: Dallas didn’t turn the ball over.

The turnover gap that plagued the Cowboys through the first two and a half months of the season has reversed. This has played a major role in Dallas winning four of their last five games.

But again, it’s the way this team keeps getting back on its feet. The game against Cincinnati on December 9th was something of a last stand for head coach Mike McCarthy and his players. A deflected punt in the closing moments appeared to put Dallas in position to win the ball, but the Cowboys’ unfortunate decision to throw the ball downfield went wrong and the Bengals quickly scored and won the game.

Getting that close and falling that hard could have left the Cowboys reeling in Carolina six days later. But Dallas was strong from start to finish and easily won a game in which the Panthers had the advantage.

The Cowboys’ flickering hopes were dashed on The Star’s bus ride to the stadium Sunday afternoon. They responded by taking a 10-0 lead and keeping the pressure on for the rest of the evening.

Only two games remain in the regular season. Next up is a trip to Philadelphia for a Sunday afternoon game before the season ends at home against Washington.

Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding every Wednesday during the Super Bowl from 7 to 8 p.m. on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM).

Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN

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