On Christmas Day, the Dallas Cowboys narrowly defeated the Washington Commanders 30-23 in Landover, Maryland, after blowing an 18-point lead.
Game Overview
The Cowboys opened the game with a 21-3 advantage, scoring touchdowns on their first three drives. Washington cut the deficit to a touchdown on three separate occasions but failed to complete a comeback, ending their season with a 10th loss in 11 games.
Dak Prescott’s Performance
Prescott finished 19 of 37 for 307 yards and two touchdowns, and he guided Dallas to all six fourth-down conversions. His two TD passes gave him 30 career touchdown throws, tying Tony Romo’s franchise record for four seasons with at least 30 TDs. He shrugged off six sacks, including three by Jer’Zhan Newton.
Washington’s Attempts
With quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota sidelined, Washington turned to 39-year-old Josh Johnson. In his 10th career start and first since 2021, Johnson went 15 for 23 for 198 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt scored two runs-10 and 72 yards-for Washington, the 72-yard touchdown moving the Commanders to 24-17 in the third quarter.
Key Plays
The opening drive saw Prescott throw a 7-yard TD pass to Jake Ferguson. Johnson responded with 3-for-3 for 68 yards, including a 41-yard completion to Deebo Samuel, his longest pass since 2018. Samuel later ran into Donovan Wilson, knocking the safety’s helmet off.
Dallas’s second possession featured a 17-play march that converted three fourth downs, ending with a touchdown run by Javonte Williams. Prescott then completed an 86-yard scoring pass to KaVontae Turpin.
After Washington pulled to within a touchdown, Dallas extended its lead with a 52-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey, then added a 51-yard kick to make the score 30-20 with 3:59 remaining.
Key Takeaways
- Cowboys won 30-23 on Christmas Day after losing an 18-point lead.
- Prescott’s 307 yards and two TDs tied a franchise record.
- Washington’s Josh Johnson posted 198 yards, no TDs or INTs.
The game underscored the Cowboys’ resilience and the Commanders’ struggles, leaving both teams out of playoff contention.
