LANDOVER, M.D. – While touring through the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History on Christmas Eve, visitors are reminded of the multitude of offensives having turned the tides of wars for this country over hundreds of years.
Well, these Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day mounted an offensive at Northwest Stadium in nearby Landover, Md., reminding 64,407 folks on hand, those tuning into this Netflix production, the woebegone Commanders, their football commander Dan Quinn and this Cowboys exasperating defense of just how powerful they can be.
Hopefully you, too, could absorb this before engaging with the kids' new toys to appreciate just how dynamic this Cowboys offense can be, despite the shame that this 2025 season will be no better than meh, meaning .500 if they can win Game 17 against the Giants.
Think about all this:
The Cowboys, in one of their OK offensive performances, still managed to score 30 points, the eighth time this season they laid thirty-something on an opponent, finishing 6-1-1 over those games.
The NFL's top-ranked offense racked up 480 total yards, the ninth time this season and fifth in the past six games of earning more than 400 yards.
The backup running back Malik Davis, taking over for the banged-up starter Javonte Williams, rushed for a career-high 103 yards, leading the way for the team piling up a season-high 211 rushing yards.
Quarterback Dak Prescott, in his self-proclaimed "definitely not my sharpest" performance, still threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns. He also pushed his season total to 30 TD passes, the fourth time he's earned at least 30 passing scores in his career, which tied him with Tony Romo for the franchise high. And he did so while getting sacked a season-high six times and 14 overall in the last four games. Yet after that beating and clobbered 11 more times in the pocket, the guy steadfastly claimed a desire to play in the final game of the season.
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who rightfully could have been the franchise's first pair of Pro Bowl receivers in the same season, combined for 124 receiving yards on just nine catches, four of those on either third or fourth downs.
Then there was KaVonte's Turpin's 86-yard touchdown reception from Dak, when catching the deep post out of the slot on the run around midfield, me said at the time, "He gone," not anyone on this field capable of running him down.
And on a show of faith, while the Cowboys converted only eight of 20 third-down opportunities, they made up for their struggles by becoming the first team going back to 1991 to convert 100 percent of their six fourth-down opportunities.
Oh, and let me not forget Brandon Aubrey kicking three more field goals, two of those from 52 and 51 yards. He now has made 11 of the 50- yard variety this year to become the first NFL kicker in history to make at least 10 of those over three seasons.
One more if you will: The Cowboys hogged the ball for a season-high 38 minutes, 44 seconds, in other words 68 percent of the 60 minutes. That good.
And that's how you ride home Christmas night as joyful as Santa did the night before.
Cowboys 30, Commanders 23, Wasington's Jacory Croskey-Merritt's 72-yard touchdown jaunt through the middle of the Cowboys defense without an escort and only the goal line there to stop him decreasing the separation to a deceptive seven points.
Dang, this offense is good, producing:
- A crashing end to that season-spoiling three-game losing streak.
- Driving their record to 7-8-1.
- An opportunity one week from Sunday – we think Sunday – against the Giants to somehow finish an odd 17-game season total with a .500 record. And likewise finish with an NFC East best 5-1 record.
- And if nothing else, at least make them feel somewhat better about themselves.
"Winning is fun, winning is great, especially when you get to do it on Christmas. You get to do it to end a three-game losing streak," Dak said. "And you get a division game on top of that. It's all fun, winning is fun, it's what you do it for. We had wanted to end that losing streak and wanted to make sure that we can finish this game and next week on a high note. Getting wins and just taking good momentum into the offseason. So, this was important."
If only this defense had been good enough to hold up its end of the bargain all season long. You realize in the nine games the Cowboys didn't win, eight losses and the tie, the defense gave up at least 30 points seven times, one of those the 40-pointer in the Green Bay tie. Totally unacceptable. And remember in the recent three-game losing streak, it was 44, 34, 34 points given up, the Cowboys defense deficient in pressuring quarterbacks. Which was again evident in this game as they were only able to sack Washington's third-string quarterback Josh Johnson once, making this but two sacks for Dallas in the past four games.
And when playing without your two Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks, DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, for a combined 13 games this season, the coverage aspect has been on the shoulders of corners with no more than two years of NFL experience. So little wonder quarterbacks in now 11 of the 16 games played have put up QB ratings of at least 99.0. Meaning, no way to win consistently if your offense isn't putting up at least 30 points game.
And even though the Commanders trotted out at Northwest with but a 4-11 record, they did narrow the Cowboys' second-quarter 14-point lead to but seven with 16 seconds left in the third (27-20), as well as the game's final seven with 2:09 left to play after Washington decided to kick the field goal to pull within the final 30-23, knowing they would have the two-minute warning and all three times outs to play with if they could force a Cowboys punt.
Well, they couldn't. The Cowboys offense drove 42 yards in seven plays, recording two more first downs to finish with 28 and run out the clock to preserve win No. 7.
Despite Dak getting sacked six times. Despite being flagged 11 times for 89 yards. Despite failing to score a second-half touchdown again for the third consecutive game. Despite giving up that 72-yard TD run. Despite allowing Deebo Samuel's four touches for 93 yards.
And when the nitpicking began after the game, head coach Brian Schottenheimer would have none of it, knowing on the short week and having to travel with no full practice preparation that there's nothing better than being offensive on Christmas to get the win.
"It's Christmas. I'm going to enjoy Christmas," Schotty said, deflecting any criticism while knowing he's one win away from preventing a losing record in his first head-coaching opportunity. "I'm going to have some eggnog. I'll deal with that when I get looking back to the film. But definitely some eggnog, and we're playing to win."
And for sure a Merry Christmas "Schotty" after that.
