Ranking the top 10 plays from Washingtons 41-16 win over Cowboys

Man, waking up is just so much more fun when you’re coming off of a season sweep of the Dallas Cowboys, isn’t it?

Not only did Washington complete the sweep on Thursday afternoon, but they did so in dominating fashion, absolutely stomping the Cowboys, 41-16, on Thanksgiving Day, in Jerry World. It doesn’t get much better than that.

We saw the world’s introduction to rookie RB Antonio Gibson, as well as a dominant second half from the defense that was capped off by a Montez Sweat pick-six. Through it all, though, what we really saw was a team win that covered all facets of the game. The offense was sound, the defense was stout, and the special teams were perfect.

It left us with a lot of things to be thankful for, and a number of highlights to run back. Here are the 10 best from Thursday’s game:

Alex Smith and Terry McLaurin connect

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332110282118758400 In a normal game for the Washinton Football Team, this would, unfortunately, be regarded as one of the better plays of the day, simply because we are used to seeing a lot of outings that are largely devoid of offensive production. However, on a day when your team puts up 41 points, 20+ yard passes like this are nothing special, though they deserve to get recognized. The offensive line did a great job of giving Smith some time to survey the field, and the veteran QB delivered a strike to McLaurin, who was streaking over the middle for a nice gain.

Antonio Gibson breaks the seal

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332084110467026944 The first of three rushing touchdowns on the day for rookie RB Antonio Gibson was solid, and it gave Washington its first lead of the game. With a quick stretch to the right side, Gibson used his speed to get around the edge and hit the corner of the end zone before any Cowboys defenders could get near him. That would be a common theme on this day.

Logan Thomas stands his ground

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332094075781095424 Cowboys fans may look at how TE Logan Thomas created space in the endzone here and call it offensive pass-interference. We call it a grown's man game. Running a stick-route into the end zone, Thomas plants a foot hard into the ground and turns around with a slight shove, and gets himself open for the TD pass from Alex Smith to give Washington a 7-point lead late in the first half. This is everything you want to see from your tight end.

Antonio Gibson adds some flair

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332116745553813506 Antonio Gibson's second touchdown of the game was better than the first, but it might be our favorite thanks to the added salt he poured into the Cowboys' wound when crossing the goal line. Look close, and you'll see Gibson look back and wave at the nearest Dallas defender as he jogs across the plain, putting Washington up double-digits in the fourth quarter. This kid has the skills, and the style to go with it.

Gibson turns on the burners

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332120972090982400 Three touchdowns, huh? Why not, let the world know who you are. At this point, the game was pretty much over, with Washington up 11 and only 3:39 left in the game, but that didn't matter to Antonio Gibson. The rookie took this handoff up the middle and never looked back, dashing 37-yards, practically untouched, leaving everyone else in his dust with the back-burners clicked into high gear. It was a great day for Gibson before this run, but a hatrick on Thanksgiving — the first for a rookie since Randy Moss in 1998 — is just what the doctor ordered.

Chase Young joins in on the party

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332096070713700352 After the game against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, DE Chase Young remarked that he couldn't wait to play on Thanksgiving, because everyone would be watching and that's when you make your money. Young got his money's worth on this sack of Andy Dalton, absolutely bull-rushing the LT and swallowing Dalton whole. It gave Young 4.5 sacks on the year, which is a number that we will likely see start to rise soon.

QB2 Logan Thomas

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332081872059285506 Once we saw Logan Thomas pull up on the reverse and set to throw, we knew that offensive coordinator Scott Turner wasn't messing around this week. Thomas was a quarterback in college, and he showed his ability to sling it has not left over the years, as he dropped a dime to Terry McLaurin downfield for an early chunk-play that would lead to a touchdown for Washington. The gloves were off at this point, Washington was coming to play.

'The Annexation of Puerto Rico'

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332090743440044032 The Annexation of Puerto Rico. The Fumblerooski. Whatever you want to call it, Washington pulled it off on Thursday afternoon against the Cowboys. Of course, the play only gained a modicum of yards and didn't have a huge impact on the game, but the fact that Turner would even draw up a play like this is just hilarious, and better yet, run it an NFL game is mind-blowing. If you're wondering why this play is called the Annexation of Puerto Rico, it comes from the 1994 movie 'The Little Giants.' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibR7f0Uqt5A

Terry McLaurin shows heart and hustle

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332112603137470466 You could argue that this is the play of the game for Washington. You could also argue that Terry McLaurin got robbed by the play that eventually came in at No. 1 on our list. All of that is fair. This was an incredible play from The Captain. After Smith threw an unfortunate interception, Cowboys LB Jaylon Smith had a clear path to the end zone for a pick-six, but McLaurin wasn't having that. He chased Smith down and tackled him right before the goal line. Washington's defense ended up holding the Cowboys to a FG, so McLaurin's tackle saved the team four points. In the end, those four points didn't matter much, but the momentum that the team gained from a hustle play like that is immeasurable. Time and time again, McLaurin proves that he's just different.

Montez Sweat pulls a J.J. Watt

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1332121807206240256 Just a mere seconds after Antonio Gibson put Washington up big with his third TD of the game, DE Montez Sweat got in on the action and made this incredible leaping interception at the line of scrimmage, coming down with the ball and rumbling for a defensive touchdown. It was the perfect cherry on top of what had been an incredibly fun game to watch for Washington fans, and the icing on the cake of a brilliant second-half performance for the defense. Sweat has been stepping up all year, and he came away with some huge points in this one on a giant stage.

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