WASHINGTON — The fun the Dallas Cowboys were having following their bye week, to the tune of a three-game win streak, has since come to a screeching halt. They lost three of their following contests entering their Week 17 matchup with a longtime, bitter rival in the Washington Commanders, and with only two games remaining to end 2025 on a positive note — especially on Christmas Day on Netflix.
To that end, Dak Prescott outright refused to not take the field, instead wanting to send the message that the Cowboys were going to continue to leave it all on the field, regardless of anything, and he was joined by every other healthy starter in the lineup.
The Commanders were without former second-overall pick Jayden Daniels due to injury, but Josh Johnson is a longtime NFL veteran who can be wily at times, and Dan Quinn's defense knows Prescott and CeeDee Lamb quite well, to say the least, from their multiple seasons on the same side of the tracks in Dallas.
When it was all said-and-done, the players who stood out most this week did so because of a combination of grit, determination and playmaking ability, the gifts that keep on giving.
[Note: This list is unranked.]
Dak Prescott
Yeah, Prescott was not kidding around at Northwest Stadium. He said in the days prior that he was not going to "be away from his family" on Christmas to be on the sideline or to not play at a high level, and he kept his promise. The four-time Pro Bowler was making it happen both on the ground and in the air, moving the chains with a 12-yard run on third down and throwing an 86-yard touchdown bomb to KaVontae Turpin in the second quarter alone. The Cowboys' offense got off to a blazing hot start, and Prescott was a key reason.
KaVontae Turpin
Speaking of Turpin, whew. He's made plays a time or two on offense this season, but the home run ball had consistently eluded him, that was until Santa came bearing gifts — Santa dressed oddly in a Dak Prescott jersey when dropping that gift down the chimney against the Commanders. Their 86-yard touchdown connection was not only the longest of the season for the entire Cowboys' offense, but also the longest by Dallas since the 2023 season.
Javonte Williams + Malik Davis
There is no other way to put it: Javonte Williams has so much grit he should be in a Quaker Oats commercial. The veteran running back continues to deal with a shoulder issue, and despite it being his second game in four days, he powered through it to deliver a rushing touchdown and a critical conversion that required a second effort, and Malik Davis made sure to help out in a major way when Williams couldn't go. Davis tore off impressive run after impressive run, to the point he was averaging 6.3 yards per carry on eight carries at halftime —adding yards as the second half went on.
Jake Ferguson
Ferguson ended his recent touchdown drought, and in front of a Christmas crowd on Netflix, no less. Looking to get off to another hot start, for a third consecutive game, Brian Schottenheimer and Dak Prescott dialed up the Pro Bowl tight end for what became a bit of a circus catch to end the team's first offensive drive of the game. It had to feel great for Ferguson, especially, having been unable to find pay dirt in the previous five outings. He'd unfortunately leave with a calf injury and not return, but his impact was felt on the scoreboard.
Jadeveon Clowney
Did Clowney step into a time machine at some point this season, because he sure is playing like it. To be fair, he was also doing serious damage for the Panthers in 2024 and, without the benefit of a training camp, he needed time to ramp up for the Cowboys. He's since done so in spades and, at this point, he's Dallas' best pass rusher — just ask Josh Johnson. Clowney had one hell of a game in both run defense (see the four-yard TFL on Deebo Samuel for reference) and in the pass rush,
George Pickens
A strange (read: awful) offensive pass interference call aside, Pickens was making things happen for the Cowboys, and in a game where Lamb had a difficult time getting going against the Commanders defense. It wasn't the most explosive outing for Pickens, but he was dependable and move the chains on more than one occasion, and he was a headache for whichever defensive back tried to line up opposite him throughout the contest.
