Week 18's matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders was thrilling until the end, but not every play was the best.
Just ask the Cowboys cheerleaders.
Brandon Aubrey, Dallas' reliable placekicker, was preparing for the kickoff. Given his position in the league, this is almost routine.
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Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform during the Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions game at AT&T Stadium on December 30, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
However, Aubrey's attempt to kick the ball downfield failed, and the ball was quickly kicked out of bounds to the left, where one of the Cowboys' cheerleaders was unlucky to receive the ball.
In a surprising incident, an NFL cameraman was unable to catch the ball with one hand and the ball hit a cheerleader in the back of the head, causing it to fall to the ground.
Social media users suspect the ball struck Michelle Siemienowski, a freshman cheerleader at the University of Dallas.
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Luckily, she stood up and seemed to be laughing about the situation after it happened.
The rest of the cheer squad checked on her, as did Commanders punter Tress Way, who was in the area.
Siemienowski formed the cheer team in July and wrote on Instagram that being a part of the famous team “has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember.”
“This has been the most life-changing experience, but it's just the beginning. I'm so grateful to have achieved my dream and earned my boots.”
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders perform during the Dallas Cowboys vs. Cincinnati Bengals game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on December 9, 2024. (Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
When play resumed after the incident, the Cowboys were hoping to finish the season on a high note, but managers had other things in mind.
Marcus Mariota, who replaced Jaden Daniels as the team's playoff berth at quarterback, was on the verge of seeding when he got the ball with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter. I realized that.
Down by three points, Washington wasn't just looking for a field goal to tie the game when Mariota hit a fade to Terry McLaurin on the outside for second score from the Dallas 5-yard line.
McLaurin jumped into the air, grabbed the ball and kept both feet in bounds for the win on the final play from scrimmage.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform during the NFC Wild Card Game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers on January 14, 2024 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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As a result, the Commanders finished the season with a record of 12 wins and 5 losses, but the Philadelphia Eagles won the division with a record of 14 wins and 3 losses. However, the win earned them the No. 6 seed instead of the No. 7 seed, and they had to travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles in the wild card round.
Dallas, on the other hand, finished the season with 7 wins and 10 losses.
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