Washington overwhelms the Cowboys, 41-16, to grab the NFC East lead

The play was one of many baffling ones in the Thanksgiving matchup, but Washington saved its best trick for last: a 41-16 blowout win of its rival on the road to claim the division lead at 4-7.

Welcome to the NFC East, home of the NFL’s tightest playoff race, where the play can both be memorable and too ugly to look away.

Still riding the momentum of its previous win, against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at home, Washington appeared unfazed by its limited rest. Its win not only completed a season sweep of Dallas, its first since 2012, but Washington handed the Cowboys their second-worst loss in Thanksgiving games.

Washington had as many mistakes as impressive plays, but nothing could trump the odd decision-making of Cowboys Coach Mike McCarthy, who had his team pass on fourth and one at its 34-yard line after losing both of its starting tackles to injuries, and who basically handed the game to Washington with a failed fake punt deep in his team’s territory in the fourth quarter.

Washington turned both Dallas gambles-gone-wrong into scores, first with a five-yard touchdown catch by tight end Logan Thomas and then a 23-yard touchdown run by rookie running back Antonio Gibson.

Over the past 3½ games, Washington’s offense has found stability and efficiency while boosting a defense that had been relied upon too often to lead the way.

Washington amassed 338 yards, 22 first downs and seven scoring drives Thursday as Smith, the game manager Washington sorely needed, finished 19 for 26 for 149 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Yet it was Washington’s youngest stars who shined the brightest Thursday. Gibson had 115 of the team’s 182 rushing yards and added three touchdowns. His first — a five-yarder in the first quarter — capped a 12-play drive that included another trick from Turner. Thomas, a former quarterback, threw a 28-yard completion to Terry McLaurin on a reverse.

Thomas later caught Washington’s go-ahead score in the second quarter, a five-yard touchdown after Dallas’s failed fourth and one.

Dustin Hopkins, who had struggled with misses, had a perfect kicking game with 23- and 36-yard field goals to pad Washington’s lead. Gibson added to that advantage with rushing touchdowns of 23 and 37 yards in the fourth quarter, and second-year pass rusher Montez Sweat sealed the win with a pick-six.

But the game-saving play — the one that prevented a momentum shift and a game-tying score by Dallas — was a tackle by McLaurin of all people.

Smith was intercepted by Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith in the third quarter, and McLaurin, the intended receiver, sprinted downfield to bring down Smith at Washington’s 4-yard line. The defense held and forced Dallas to kick a short field goal to make it 20-16 late in the third quarter. Washington quickly expanded that edge to 25 points in the fourth.