It hasn’t been the best season for the Dallas Cowboys. That doesn’t mean they can’t finish things on a strong note.
This week, Dallas faces the Washington Commanders in a Christmas Day showdown at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Like the Cowboys, Washington is hoping to make some positive progress as its 2025 campaign winds down.
Can the Cowboys snap a three-game skid Thursday? Our columnists and beat writers give their predictions for Cowboys-Commanders below.
Tim Cowlishaw
Cowboys
Expect some mud, expect some missed kicks, expect a lower score than most Cowboys’ games are delivering these days. Washington still has a knack for battling its opponents — the Commanders were a two-point conversion away from beating Denver — but injuries have mounted and they don’t have the kind of offense that can slice up the Cowboys’ defense. Expect this to be a CeeDee Lamb showcase after he was not picked for the Pro Bowl. May take until the third quarter but Cowboys will eventually grab control.
Cowboys 24, Commanders 10
Joseph Hoyt
The Cowboys have reiterated over and over again that there’s still something to play for, despite being eliminated from playoff contention. I actually believe it. I also believe in a talent discrepancy for this game, specifically at the quarterback position. I think the Cowboys’ defense has a good performance against Josh Johnson and the Commanders.
Cowboys 31, Commanders 17
Damon Marx
The Cowboys have talked about the importance of finishing strong, despite weakening their draft positioning in the process. A lot of jobs are on the line, for coaches and players, so expect them to give a full effort for the national Netflix audience. We could see some backups, like QB Joe Milton, in the fourth quarter.
Cowboys 28, Commanders 10
Abraham Nudelstejer
Dear Santa: Next year, please gift the NFL a Christmas slate filled with meaningful matchups featuring true gridiron stars. This time around, I’m left choosing between teams already eliminated from playoff contention and sporting two of the league’s weakest defenses. Dallas, at least, brings a fully loaded offense into this one. That should be more than enough for the Cowboys to march into the nation’s capital and head home with a comfortable win.
Cowboys 28, Commanders 14
Kevin Sherrington
The Cowboys’ inexorable climb to mediocrity begins with a win over Washington in a game only a mother could love. The real shame of this season is that never did a Lombardi Trophy look so winnable, and the Cowboys couldn’t even make the playoffs. Makes you think someone should apologize, but the Cowboys won’t, so I will. I’m sorry you had to suffer this. Hope that helps.
Cowboys 31, Commanders 24
Calvin Watkins
The quest to finish above .500 is on. The Cowboys will go to cold Landover, Md., and take over the place. If you thought Dallas had problems, look at how bad Washington is. This game will be ugly, low scoring and Butter Aubrey will win it.
Cowboys 17, Commanders 14
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