Cowboys outlast Commanders in Christmas showdown

Prescott finished 19-for-37 for 307 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Javonte Williams had 13 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown before leaving with a shoulder injury.

Malik Davis had 20 carries for 103 yards. Hunter Luepke added seven carries for 30 yards and one catch for 14 yards.

CeeDee Lamb had five catches for 46 yards while George Pickens finished with four catches for 78 yards.

The Commanders were led by Josh Johnson who was 15-for-23, for 198 yards with no touchdowns. Jacory Croskey-Merritt had 11 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Deebo Samuel had two catches for 68 yards and Terry McLaurin had five catches for 63 yards.

1^st Quarter

Dallas had a nice drive to open the game – when they ran the ball. Williams and Malik Davis chewed up the Commanders’ defense.

Prescott missed his first four passes before hitting Pickens with a short pass that the Pro Bowl receiver turned into a huge gain.

The Cowboys capped a 13-play, 78-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown catch by Ferguson for the early 7-0 lead with 9:42 left in the quarter.

Washington’s opening drive was highlighted by Deebo Samuel’s 41-yard catch and run to the Cowboys’ six. Samuel ended the play by running over Donovan Wilson hard enough to knock Wilson’s helmet off.

But the drive stalled when Jadeveon Clowney sacked Josh Johnson.

Jake Moody hit a 29-yard field goal to make it 7–3 Cowboys with 4:44 left in the quarter.

The Cowboys shook off a bad penalty by Tyler Booker, as well as a sack, and drove the ball down to the Commanders’ 23. The quarter came to an end with Dallas facing a third-and-two.

2^nd Quarter

Prescott’s pass in the endzone to Jalen Tolbert to open the quarter was broken up, and the Cowboys went for it on fourth down for a third time.

This time, Tolbert hauled in a short pass for a first down.

Three plays later, Dallas successfully converted on fourth down for the fourth time as Brian Schottenheimer clearly decided it was touchdown or bust.

Williams capped a 17-play, 65-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run and a 14-3 lead. The drive ate up 7:38 off the clock.

The Commanders moved the ball into Dallas territory, but punted on fourth down at the Cowboys’ 43, pinning Dallas at their own three with 9:09 left in the half.

Five plays later, Prescott hit Turpin for the huge 86-yard touchdown and a 21-3 lead, and it looked like the rout was on.

Croskey-Merritt kept the Commanders in the game, capping a five-play, 60-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. The drive was aided by two big penalties that gave Washington a pair of first downs.

Up 21-10 with 4:35 left in the half, the Cowboys launched their fourth drive from their own 26.

Dallas moved downfield, but the drive stalled after Prescott was sacked at the Commanders’ 24 with 22 seconds left.

Brandon Aubrey hit a 42-yard field goal to extend the lead to 24-10 with 19 seconds left. Washington tried to move the ball after the kickoff, but a false start ended the half.

3^rd Quarter

The Commanders got the opening kick of the half. But punted after just four plays that took just 2:12 off the clock.

Williams was injured during the first half, leaving Davis and Luepke at running back. Luepke had two quick carries for 15 yards.

But a sack and an offensive pass interference call on Pickens stalled the Cowboys, who punted for the first time in the game with 9:52 left in the quarter.

Ferguson was also ruled out for the game in the third quarter as the Cowboys’ injury woes mounted.

On the very next Commanders’ offensive play, Croskey-Merritt broke free for a 72-yard touchdown and suddenly, Dallas had a game on its hands.

Aubrey’s 52-yard field goal capped an 11-play, 53-yard drive for a 27-17 lead with 4:42 left in the quarter. A late hit on Prescott by Frankie Luvu had moved Dallas into field goal range.

Washington moved quickly downfield.

But they settled for a 23-yard field goal with 16 seconds left to cut the lead to seven at 27-20.

4^th Quarter

Prescott hit Brevyn Spann-Ford on a big pass across the middle for 31 plays to quickly get into Commanders’ territory.

But the drive stalled at Washington’s 40. Aubrey’s 58-yard field goal attempt was pushed to the right to keep the Commanders within one score with 13:31 left.

Washington couldn’t take advantage of the great field position and punted after a three-and-out with 11:32 left in the game.

The Cowboys converted on fourth down for a fifth time to extend their next drive. Prescott’s seven-yard pass to Tolbert gave Dallas a first down at the Commanders’ 48 with over six minutes left.

Aubrey drilled a 51-yard field goal with 3:59 left to make it 30-20.

Moody answered with a 51-yard field goal with 2:09 left to make it 30-23.

Prescott found Pickens for 21 yards on third down for a game-sealing first down with 1:42 to play.

By The Numbers

The Cowboys are 81-49-2 overall against Washington. When it comes to playing in the nation’s capital, the Cowboys are now 37-31 against the Commanders.

While this was the first Christmas Day game in the series, the two teams are familiar foes on Thanksgiving Day.

Dallas is 9-2 all-time against Washington on Thanksgiving Day.

The Cowboys are now 3-2 overall when playing on Christmas Day. Dallas won the first two games, in 1971 and 1995, but lost in 2000 and 2010.

Cowboys’ Scoragami Update

The final score of 30-23 was the second time in Cowboys’ history that a game ended that way.

The first was in a victory against the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 6 of the 2014 season.