LANDOVER, Md. – The ball bounced through KaVonte Turpin’s legs and stopped at the 1-yard line. He picked it up, made a spin move and was off to the races.
Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return touchdown was the highlight of the Dallas Cowboys' 34-26 win at Washington on Sunday that ended their losing streak at five. That came with just under three minutes left, and then Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick for a TD to provide a little happiness in the middle of a lost season.
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"Feels good to win," coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been a minute.”
Chauncey Golston ripping the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.'s hands for what counted as an interception of Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and Donovan Wilson forcing a fumble of John Bates earlier in the game helped put the Cowboys in position to make it a game, as did the play of Cooper Rush.
Turpin's monster return after initially muffing the retrieval had everyone buzzing.
"He did that for timing," McCarthy said. “That was part of the plan. He’s a special young man. Obviously a huge play for us.”
Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves, the All-Pro special teams selection two seasons ago, was the first one down the field and blamed himself for not tackling Turpin when he had the chance.
“I’ve made that play 100 times,” Reaves said. “I didn’t make it today, and it cost us the game.”
Turpin's spin move will likely be replayed over and over — and not stopped by many. Receiver CeeDee Lamb called it “his escape move” because Turpin has been showing it off in practice.
“I know I can just get them going one way and then spin back the other way,” Turpin said. "That’s just one of my moves when I’m in trouble and I've got nowhere to go: something nobody ever seen before.”
In a wacky finish that McCarthy likened to a game of Yahtzee, Thomas' return was almost as unexpected. It came with 14 seconds left after Washington kicker Austin Seibert missed the extra point following Daniels' 86-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin to leave Dallas up 27-26.
“I kind of waited a second and I was like: ‘Should I try? Should I try?’” Thomas said. “I said, ‘I think I’m gonna score the ball,’ so just ran and I scored.”
The Cowboys' playoff odds are still incredibly long at 4-7, but with the New York Giants coming to town next for the traditional Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas, players are willing to dream after winning for the first time since Oct. 6.
“Lot of games left,” said Rush, who threw two TD passes. “Pretty insane. ... I think both sides of the ball and special teams picked each other up all game. I think it was a full team effort. Finally picking each other up like we’re supposed to.”
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