Some of the NFL's top contenders will roll out their backups on Sunday, but that won't be the case in the Dallas Cowboys Week 18 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Dak Prescott and company need to handle business against the Commanders to clinch a division championship and host a playoff game. It'll be all systems go for the Cowboys Sunday afternoon.
The same will not go for the Commanders, however, who are battling a slew of injuries as the season winds down. Here are our Cowboys Week 18 bold predictions in a game Dallas is favored to win by two touchdowns on the road.
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Dak Prescott re-enters the MVP discussion
Dak Prescott's realistic MVP aspirations were short-lived thanks to a disappointing road performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, but he's got a chance to put a compelling case on paper with a big performance in Week 18.
With Tyler Huntley set to start instead of MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson in the Baltimore Ravens' regular season finale against the Steelers, Prescott needs just 20 passing or rushing yards to finish with more total yards, completions, and touchdowns than Jackson. A strong performance would also likely mean that Prescott finishes with a better quarterback rating, completion percentage, and interception percentage than Jackson for the season.
Are stats everything when it comes to the MVP race? Absolutely not. Jackson has the Ravens playing like the best team in football, certainly in the AFC at the very least. If Prescott can turn in a stat sheet that beats Jackson's, he'll at least deserve to be included in the discussion. With a soft matchup on tap against a hapless Commanders team, the odds are in Prescott's favor to make that happen.
Rico Dowdle reignites the running game
This hasn't been the season a lot of people – including Tony Pollard – probably had pictured for the Cowboys' first-year starting running back. With his ankle injury obviously still nagging at him, Pollard hasn't been nearly as explosive as we've seen in seasons past.
The Cowboys' running game rates right around the middle of the pack in terms of total yardage, but a lot of that production came in garbage time while Dallas blew out an inferior opponent. In truth, there haven't been a lot of bright spots for the Cowboys on the ground this season.
One of them has been the play of Pollard's backup, Rico Dowdle. Dowdle has only garnered 80 carries this season. His numbers aren't eye-popping, but he gives the Cowboys a little physicality in the running game they don't get with Pollard. Dowdle was injured in Week 17, but he's set to return against the Commanders in the final game of the regular season.
Dowdle gave the Cowboys a charge on the ground once already this season. When he received a season-high 12 carries against the Giants in Week 10, Dowdle turned in 79 yards and a touchdown. Pollard isn't productive enough to stand alone in the running game this season. Dowdle should be prominently featured, especially in short-yardage and goal-line scenarios.
Washington doesn't roll over
Something about the Commanders on the road gives the Cowboys trouble. Washington lost a squeaker to the Cowboys at home in 2021 and nearly shut them out last season. On paper, these two teams are in two different leagues, but that hasn't mattered recently when the Cowboys travel to Washington.
The Commanders will also have plenty of reserves on the field in Week 18. That works to the Cowboys' benefit, but it also means the Commanders will have guys on the field playing for their careers. That can go a long way in the NFL.
The Cowboys are heavily favored in their regular-season finale, as they should be. This is still going to be one of those finicky divisional showdowns that have the potential to get hairy for the favorites.
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