Cowboys' KaVontae Turpin shows off spin move, speed on 99-yard kick return touchdown

The Dallas Cowboys entered Week 12 and expected to lose to the Washington Commanders. Instead, they pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the week, beating their divisional rival 34-26.

KaVontae Turpin played a major role in the victory. The third-year wide receiver made one of the most important plays of Dallas' season, returning a kickoff 99 yards for a game-winning score late in the fourth quarter.

The Commanders had just cut the Cowboys' lead to 20-17 after a Zach Ertz touchdown and a Jayden Daniels 2-point conversion. Austin Seibert's kickoff landed short of the end-zone and bounced through Turpin's legs, eliciting a gasp from the crowd.

Turpin gathered the ball at the 1-yard line before starting upfield. He ran about 10 yards before he executed a perfect spin move to evade two defenders. From there, he burst through an open lane and sped into the end-zone without being touched.

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Below is a look at Turpin's impressive play, which gave the Cowboys a 27-17 lead:

Turpin's return was part of the overarching theme of Sunday's game. Dallas' special teams dominated Washington's, as the Commanders allowed two kick return touchdowns, missed two extra points and missed a field goal in its eight-point loss.

Turpin's touchdown also ended up being the game-winning score. It gave the Cowboys a 27-17 lead that they nearly blew, as the Commanders scored on each of their next two possessions. That included a Terry McLaurin touchdown with 21 seconds left that cut Dallas' lead to 27-26.

However, one of Washington's two missed extra points came after the McLaurin score. That allowed Dallas to snap its five-game losing streak and build momentum ahead of the team's Thanksgiving Day matchup with the New York Giants.

KaVontae Turpin 40 time

For those wondering how fast KaVontae Turpin is, the 28-year-old ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds at his Pro Day in 2019, according to Sports Management Worldwide Agency.

More recently, Turpin logged the fastest speed by an NFL ball carrier during the 2024 season, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats. That came in Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season after he posted a top speed of 22.36 mph on his 64-yard touchdown against the Houston Texans.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: KaVontae Turpin spin move: Dazzling 99-yard kick return on winning TD