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The Commanders fell short of a Christmas miracle win against the Cowboys, but the reason they lost was not what we expected

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Josh Taylor | Last updated Dec 25, 2025 8:40 PM ET

The Washington Commanders came up just short of a comeback win against the Dallas Cowboys, despite going into the game beaten up and counted out.

The Commanders had to start third-string quarterback Josh Johnson and were without many other starters, but that wasn't the main reason they lost the game. Of course, the offense missed some opportunities, but the defense also gave the Cowboys' offense more plays than their own.

Dallas stayed on the field as long as it wanted to, and ran the third most plays by a team this season, which is a recipe for a loss by the Commanders' defense.

The Commanders' defense couldn't get a stop when it mattered the most

We saw splash plays from the defense, especially in the second half, but when it came to needing a stop, the Commanders' defense had no answer. The Cowboys went six for six on fourth down, which kept them on the field and grinded out the clock with long drives. The Cowboys won the time-of-possession battle by a staggering 17 minutes.

Dak Prescott stayed on the field for way too long, and the Cowboys ran 87 offensive plays, which is the third-most by a team this season.

The Cowboys' 87 plays are the third-most in an NFL game this season, per TruMedia.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 25, 2025

The Commanders' offense was the complete opposite, as it ran only 39 plays, which is extremely low given Prescott had 37 passing attempts and 44 rushing attempts as a team. That's over half fewer plays by the Commanders. The rushing defense was a huge disappointment, leading to longer drives and a time-of-possession win by the Cowboys, even after Javonte Williams went down.

The Commanders' run defense struggles continue

The Commanders give up the third-most rushing yards per game in the league, and it didn't help out at all today. Williams left in the second quarter, and it didn't matter with backup running back Malik Davis rushing for over 100 yards against the Commanders.

The Cowboys rushed for 211 yards, and it won't be talked about enough. You can't be mad at the Commanders' offense when they weren't given enough opportunities because the defense couldn't get off the field.

When they did have the ball, Josh Johnson protected it with zero turnovers, and they ran the ball at will with Bill Croskey-Merritt going over 100 yards with two touchdowns after Chris Rodriguez Jr. became a late scratch with an illness. The Commanders' defense continues to drag down the rest of the team, and it needs a major overhaul this offseason.

This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Dec 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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