FRISCO, Texas — The last time the Dallas Cowboys lined up against the Washington Commanders, it turned into an instant classic at Northwest Stadium and, to this point, still stands as arguably the most electrifying game of the entire 2024 NFL season.
This time, it'll be the Cowboys hosting the Commanders in what will be Dan Quinn's return to AT&T Stadium in a rival uniform, looking to avenge the events of Week 12 while also avoiding a season sweep at the hands of his former team.
But who will be the quarterback for the Cowboys? Hell, who will get a lot more playing time than usual at any position??
Keep an eye out for the following players in the regular season finale.
Trey Lance, QB
It wasn't Lance being marched onto the field to begin the third quarter of the eventual blowout loss to the Eagles, so maybe the Cowboys will let him start against the Commanders but, at this point, good luck guessing if he will and/or what his playing time might look like. As far as regular season game reps go, the Cowboys have very little data on Lance and here's one final shot to get that before the offseason is ushered in once the clock hits all zeroes on Sunday at around 3:30 pm CT.
Will Grier, QB
Grier reunited with the Cowboys in November following the season-ending injury to Dak Prescott and has been relegated to the practice squad ever since. He's not been elevated for any games as of yet, so let's see if that changes against the visiting Commanders, which would allow Grier and Lance to have an outright one-game competition. Grier's previously last game for the Cowboys saw him absolutely destroy the opponent with 302 passing yards, two passing touchdowns (122.0 passer rating) and no interceptions while adding another 53 rushing yards on 10 carries with two rushing touchdowns. Let him play.
Deuce Vaughn, RB
I'll be honest here and admit I have zero clue if Vaughn will see the field in the finale. He's only been active in six games this season, has only 11 rushing attempts for 33 rushing yards and three receptions on five targets for 18 total yards. But hearing Mike McCarthy and Jerry Jones intimate the Cowboys are [finally] looking to play some guys with the idea of evaluating for 2025, there's no way Vaughn isn't allowed what could be a final shot at making a case for himself, right?? Plus, with Ezekiel Elliott no longer on the roster, it just makes too much sense to give him plenty of handoffs against the Washington.
Jonathan Mingo, WR
It took quite a while for Mingo and Cooper Rush to get on the same page after the former was acquired via trade ahead of the deadline but, unfortunately, it lasted for only one play last week, with a critically-timed throw and catch. The very next play saw the disconnect return on a deep shot that left Mingo and Rush both frustrated, and I'd like to see what Mingo looks like with Lance or Grier under center, if only to give the young wideout a better opportunity (presumably) to show what might be on the horizon for 2025, seeing as the Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick to acquire him — currently having only three catches for 22 yards and no touchdowns in seven games.
Israel Mukuamu, DB
The depth chart at cornerback has been obliterated in Dallas, and it's led to Mukuamu getting a ton of reps at the position after being mostly relegated to backup safety duties prior to this season — his exceptional CB play versus Tom Brady in the Cowboys' playoff win over the Buccaneers notwithstanding. A former cornerback at South Carolina, it's a bit of a head scratcher as why he hasn't seen more work in that role before 2024, but you can count me in on trying to retain him in free agency in March. And knowing he only gets one more chance to up his stock before he begins taking calls from teams, I'd expect Mukuamu to try to make life very difficult for his former defensive coordinator on Sunday.
