{"id":466688,"date":"2025-12-23T13:43:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T13:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/466688\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T13:43:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T13:43:29","slug":"5-things-to-know-about-the-dallas-cowboys-week-17-opponent-the-washington-commanders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/466688\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things to know about the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 Week 17 opponent, the Washington Commanders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington endured an eight\u2011game winless streak before finally beating the New York Giants on Dec. 14<\/a>, a team that had also dropped nine straight. <\/p>\n

That stretch exposed the Commanders\u2019 biggest problem: a defense that has unraveled under head coach Dan Quinn.<\/p>\n

Washington sits near the bottom of the league in virtually every major defensive category, including yards allowed, points allowed, and explosive plays surrendered.<\/p>\n

Here are five things to know about the Cowboys\u2019 Week 17 opponent, the Washington Commanders.<\/p>\n

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Defensive collapse<\/p>\n

Washington\u2019s season unraveled during an eight\u2011game winless streak that lasted until Dec. 14, exposing the full extent of the team\u2019s defensive issues under Quinn. Throughout the season, the Commanders have hovered near the bottom of the league in nearly every major defensive metric, struggling to contain opponents in yards allowed, points allowed, and explosive plays. <\/p>\n

In November, Quinn took over defensive play\u2011calling duties from Joe Whitt Jr. in an effort to stabilize the unit. Whitt remains involved in weekly preparation, but Quinn, a former defensive coordinator, now calls plays directly from the sideline. <\/p>\n

The statistical drop\u2011off from last season has been dramatic. Washington ranks next\u2011to\u2011last in total yards allowed per game at 382, with only Cincinnati performing worse. The Commanders surrender 6.1 yards per play (31st), and their scoring defense has collapsed as well, allowing 26.9 points per game (27th). Opponents are rushing for 141 yards per game (29th) and throwing for 255 yards per game (27th). Washington\u2019s 8.3 yards allowed per pass attempt is the worst mark in the NFL. <\/p>\n

The Commanders\u2019 defensive regression has been one of the defining reasons for their disappointing season.<\/p>\n

Jayden Daniels\u2019 magic disappears<\/p>\n

QB Jayden Daniels entered 2025 with enormous expectations. After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and receiving down\u2011ballot MVP votes in 2024, he was expected to lead Washington back to the postseason. <\/p>\n

Instead, his second NFL season was defined by injuries, inconsistency, and frustration, ultimately ending prematurely. Daniels suffered three separate injuries, each disrupting his rhythm and costing him valuable playing time:<\/p>\n

Week 2: <\/b>Sprained knee vs. Green Bay (missed two games)<\/p>\n

Week 7:<\/b> Hamstring strain vs. Dallas (missed one game)<\/p>\n

Week 9:<\/b> Dislocated left elbow vs. Seattle (missed three games)<\/p>\n

He returned in Week 14 but re\u2011injured the same elbow after falling on it while chasing down a defender following an interception. In total, Daniels played only seven games before Washington shut him down. <\/p>\n

Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota is day\u2011to\u2011day after injuring his throwing hand and quad in Week 16, requiring stitches. With Mariota\u2019s status unclear, the team signed quarterback Jeff Driskel off the Cardinals\u2019 practice squad<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Daniels\u2019 struggles mirrored Washington\u2019s collapse. The Commanders went from nearly reaching the Super Bowl in 2024 to falling out of playoff contention early in 2025. Without stability at quarterback, the offense never found its rhythm, and the team spiraled.<\/p>\n

Kliff Kingsbury\u2019s offense faded<\/p>\n

Under Kliff Kingsbury\u2019s watch, the Commanders\u2019 offense showed promise early in the season, particularly when Daniels was healthy. But as injuries mounted, Washington frequently drifted away from the run game or leaned into pass\u2011heavy stretches that stalled drives and disrupted rhythm. <\/p>\n

In the Week 16 loss to Philadelphia<\/a>, Washington led at halftime but abandoned its ground attack, which had been working, resulting in a string of incompletions and ultimately another defeat. Washington\u2019s offense is averaging 20.6 points per game (24th in the league) and 321 yards per game (20th). <\/p>\n

Their most productive running back is Jacory Croskey\u2011Merritt, who has 671 yards (25th in the NFL) on 151 carries. He has scored six touchdowns and is averaging 4.4 yards per carry. <\/p>\n

Through the air, Washington\u2019s most dangerous weapon is wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who has 639 yards on 69 receptions along with five touchdowns. Kingsbury is in his second season as Washington\u2019s offensive coordinator, and his name is being mentioned for several head\u2011coaching vacancies expected to open around the NFL next season.<\/p>\n

Odds and series history<\/p>\n

For Sunday\u2019s matchup, sportsbooks list Dallas as a 6.5\u2011point favorite, with the over\/under set at 50.5. The Cowboys\u2011Commanders rivalry has been played 131 times (including two postseason games), with Dallas winning 80, Washington winning 49, and the teams tying twice. In their first meeting this season, Dallas won 44\u201322<\/a>. According to Dimers\u2019 NFL model, which ran 10,000 simulations, the projected score is Dallas 27, Washington 25.<\/p>\n

Fantasy spotlight:<\/b> Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. appears to have taken control of the backfield as the season winds down, making him a legitimate fantasy option for managers seeking late\u2011season help. He posted 63 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries against the Eagles on Saturday, adding a six\u2011yard reception. With his workload trending upward, Rodriguez profiles as a strong waiver\u2011wire pickup for anyone needing running back depth in the final weeks.<\/p>\n

Things you might not know about the Commanders<\/p>\n

Their fight song is one of the oldest in the league<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cHail to the Commanders\u201d is a modernized version of the original \u201cHail to the Redskins,\u201d which dates to the 1930s. It remains one of the NFL\u2019s longest\u2011running team songs, even after several lyric changes.<\/p>\n

Hall of Fame quarterbacks<\/b><\/p>\n

Since the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened its doors in Canton, Ohio, in 1963, Washington has had 32 former players, coaches, and administrators inducted into the Hall of Fame. Two of them are quarterbacks: Sammy Baugh (inducted in 1963) and Sonny Jurgensen (inducted in 1983).<\/p>\n

Their stadium location has changed multiple times<\/b><\/p>\n

Washington has played home games in three different states:<\/p>\n

-Massachusetts (briefly, in the franchise\u2019s earliest days)<\/p>\n

-Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

-Maryland (FedExField)<\/p>\n

The franchise continues exploring new stadium sites in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., making it one of the most geographically fluid teams in the league.<\/p>\n

\"San<\/a>Brock Purdy throws career-high 5 TD passes vs. Colts, leads 49ers to 5th straight win<\/a><\/p>\n

The 49ers (11-4) stay in the chase for the NFC\u2019s top seed after clinching a playoff spot by virtue of Detroit\u2019s loss to Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/a>Could Tyler Smith\u2019s season-ending stint at LT shape Cowboys offensive line moving forward?<\/a><\/p>\n

Smith sticking at left tackle could impact Tyler Guyton, Terence Steele and others on Dallas\u2019 O-line.<\/p>\n

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Washington endured an eight\u2011game winless streak before finally beating the New York Giants on Dec. 14, a team…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":466689,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,7311,1596,8998,56924,1232,112058,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-466688","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-cowboys","10":"tag-dallas","11":"tag-dallas-cowboys","12":"tag-dan-quinn","13":"tag-nfl","14":"tag-nfl-dallas-cowboys","15":"tag-texas","16":"tag-tx","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-united-states-of-america","19":"tag-unitedstates","20":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","21":"tag-us","22":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115769182190885327","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}