ARLINGTON, Texas — In this season of unexpected awesomeness behind a rookie quarterback and a reclaimed coach, one thing the Washington Commanders have ensured for their loyal fans and growing bandwagon is that there will be drama.

And needless chaos. Unnecessary heart palpitations. Final seconds of jubilation that always come after hours of agony. But why such randomness, you ask? Because the most fun season of Washington football in decades would not have revived the brand and won back its fan base without all this racket.

This season has long gone drunk, as if the roller-coaster operator lost his license years ago and wants to make every rider scream in fear. But lucky for the DMV, this unhinged melodrama will continue into the postseason, and can you imagine anything less than these drama kings landing the NFC’s sixth seed Sunday because they secured a 23-19 win over an already-eliminated team on a touchdown with three seconds left?

Now ask yourself: Would you want anything else from the Commanders?

All season, they’ve played this way. They’ve won this way. By now, we should have learned the requirements for enjoying this 12-5 fantasy: Just strap in, say a prayer and hold on tight. There will be randomness. That’s just part of the journey.

“We’ve got a flair for the dramatic, that’s for sure,” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said minutes after he set the franchise record with his 13th touchdown catch of the season.

Imagine needing backup quarterback Marcus Mariota to be a hero and McLaurin to be a kid again — going up as high as he can to grab the cookies off Grandma’s top shelf — just to beat the Dallas Cowboys, most of whose roster should’ve been busy booking vacations to Mallorca by halftime. Better yet, no need to imagine it. Any theoretical on what should have happened Sunday has no bearing when you consider the primary actors in this performance.

Since the 2024 Commanders were on the field, then naturally they would need a comeback, a fourth-down conversion and a spectacular catch just to beat the Cowboys.

After a snooze of a first half, Washington trailed 6-3. Even though Jerry World still featured all the juice and frivolous sizzle — a sound system blasting classic rock at unforgivable levels, extreme close-ups of a screaming Michael Irvin on the video board trying to hype up the crowd — the opening 30 minutes lacked depth. If this was a dress rehearsal for the playoffs, then the Commanders’ offense looked like a bunch of understudies who aren’t quite ready. Fortunately for them, a trip to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers awaits — not a prime-time clash in Philadelphia.

Washington already had its playoff ticket punched. And so, Coach Dan Quinn could’ve opted to rest his starters. Give rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and his go-go gadget legs a break. Save linebacker Frankie Luvu, the defense’s wild man who would risk it all for a tackle, from himself. Force McLaurin into street clothes, even though he stood on the cusp of team history. That’s not a crazy proposition; the Eagles shelved running back Saquon Barkley for the finale even though he could’ve chased league history in pursuit of Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. As team-oriented and possibly old-fashioned as the decision seemed, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni chose correctly. Rest over records.

Similarly, the Los Angeles Rams chose rest — even with their playoff positioning up in the air, just like the Commanders’. The Rams went into Sunday as the NFC’s No. 3 seed and weren’t assured of keeping it, but Coach Sean McVay didn’t care about winning in Seattle. He sat quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Williams. Siesta over seeding.

Instead of chilling, the Commanders went all-in. They started the game with their main guys on the field and designed plays for Daniels to read and run — and take hits. These decisions revealed an intention: They wanted no part of the Eagles in the first round. There’s nothing cowardly about that. Going on the road for a second time to face an NFC East rival, to try again against a rested Barkley and a potentially healthy Jalen Hurts? No, thank you. Washington did that dance back in November, and its loss highlighted a season-long storyline of how the Commanders struggled to beat opponents with a winning record — until Week 16.

So it made sense to watch Daniels run for a first down on third and short in the opening quarter but take the punishment. The Commanders were trying to compete and were showing their willingness to go for the sixth seed. They also showed their weaknesses. As dynamic as Daniels is as a pocket passer, a savior of plays when things go sideways and the comeback king, he was not sharp in the 17th start of his rookie season.

Daniels takes sacks — the sixth most in the league. Sunday was no different. The first time Daniels touched the ball, he would soon have Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons’s arms wrapped around him. Two plays later, Daniels again couldn’t escape Parsons’s embrace. In all, the Cowboys sacked Daniels four times, with one coming as the rookie escaped the pressure but had to step out of bounds for a loss.

In its first three possessions, Washington twice went three-and-out. On its third possession, Daniels had McLaurin open on a slant but missed him. And when the Commanders attempted to create some normalcy by mixing in the running game with Brian Robinson Jr. and newly activated Austin Ekeler, the offense remained stuck in neutral. No explosive plays, few third-down conversions and just no oomph. Not even a trick play in the second quarter could kick-start the offense — Daniels pitched the ball to Dyami Brown, who would’ve tossed a beauty of a completion to Olamide Zaccheaus had his fellow wide receiver actually caught the ball.

Daniels closed the half by completing just 6 of 12 passes for 38 yards, and then his regular season came to an end. In the second half, Mariota entered — so, yes, Quinn ultimately did choose to protect his prized rookie. With Mariota behind center, he orchestrated the Commanders’ only touchdown drives. Then, after getting the ball back with 3:18 remaining and Dallas leading by a field goal, the Commanders turned to Mariota’s leadership — and some magic — to create another one of those moments that delight their fans and elevate their heart rates at the same time.

A loss could have dropped Washington down to the No. 7 seed. So how badly did the Commanders want to win this game? Bad enough to make 31-year-old Mariota run for his life on fourth and one. But the play was so well designed that Dallas defenders thought they had Ekeler sealed up in the backfield even though Mariota kept the ball. While scrambling for 33 yards, he saw green and was thinking end zone.

“Maybe a few years ago,” he quipped.

During the drive, Mariota had found a new best friend in McLaurin, locating him for three completions. So with six seconds left and the Commanders committed to winning this game, Mariota again looked for his buddy, this time in the back of the end zone as the Cowboys made the grave mistake of defending McLaurin one-on-one. McLaurin leaped high to corral the fade pass and climbed his way into the Washington record book.

Because, of course, the Commanders’ best receiver would wait until the closing seconds of the season to make history.

There were needless theatrics when a nice, easy Sunday would have been appreciated and possibly preferred. But admit it: This season would not have been as wondrous without all of its wild and satisfying moments. If the Commanders are to perform well in the first round of the playoffs and beyond, then buckle up. There will be drama.