NFL schedule gifts Commanders' bitter rival more primetime games than wins

The Washington Commanders were streets ahead of the Dallas Cowboys last season. Dan Quinn's squad reached the NFC Championship game while his old employers flattered to deceive yet again. That didn't stop the league's schedule-makers from putting the overhyped club front and center more than most in 2025.

Washington was widely expected to become a prime-time darling after captivating the imagination of fans last time around. They have eight stand-alone games, which represent a new reality for an organization outcast by the NFL when Dan Snyder held absolute power. Five of those are on primetime, with an international contest, Christmas Day on Netflix, and a Saturday showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles thrown in for good measure.

It's a sign of how revered the Commanders have become in a short timeframe. But if there's one thing Cowboys' owner/general manager Jerry Jones knows how to do despite decades of incompetence, it's keep Dallas in the headlines.

Cowboys laughably get more primetime spotlight than Commanders in 2025

They have six primetime games, which is an astonishing number considering how little they achieved in 2024. They still drive ratings, but there is no way Jones deserved this much national recognition, which enables his constant fumbling of team affairs.

The Cowboys might have more primetime games than wins. That sounds laughable, but if new head coach Brian Schottenheimer doesn't galvanize the squad or quarterback Dak Prescott suffers more injury heartbreak, it's a legitimate possibility. Especially if the Commanders and Eagles improve enough.

In truth, the Cowboys could have won one or two games last season. It doesn't matter. So long as the numbers are high, they'll keep getting primetime exposure. Jones is a master manipulator with the media and hugely influential among other NFL owners. The billionaire would also be the first one to kick up a fuss if Dallas wasn't the focal point, no matter how things look between the white lines.

It won't matter much to the Commanders. Their primary objective will be to navigate a changed schedule in terms of timings and attention effectively. They need to keep their foot on the gas and build on the positive momentum generated last season. That should be enough to keep the Cowboys firmly in their place.

The ongoing Cowboys lovefest is nauseating to those who don't follow the team. They are constantly forced down fans' throat, hogging primetime games and airtime with the talking heads at ESPN. They drive clicks and ratings, which supersede any failure on the football side of things. That's just how Jones wants it after promising the earth and delivering very little.

That's the way it is, and might always be. But at least the Commanders have their fair share of the limelight next time around.

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