Trivia Thursday: Dallas-Commanders rivalry answers 

1) Counting this season, how many times in their history have the Cowboys played on Christmas?

The 2025 schedule features just the sixth time in franchise history that Dallas has played on Christmas. Back in 1971, in the only playoff game the Cowboys have had on the holiday, Roger Staubach (pictured) and the team faced Minnesota in the divisional round, winning 20-12. They have also matched up with Arizona twice (1995, 2010) in the regular season as well as Tennessee (2000) and Philadelphia (2006) once each. In those Christmas contests, the Cowboys went 1-3.

2) True or false. With this afternoon game at Washington on Christmas Day, the Cowboys will have played more games on Thursday during the 2025 campaign than in any other season in team history.

True. The Cowboys' four Thursday games this year are the most in franchise history for one season. In fact, only one other time have they had more than two games scheduled on a Thursday. That came in 2021 when Dallas faced the Raiders on Thanksgiving, along with Thursday night games against the Buccaneers in the season opener and then at the Saints on Dec. 2. This year, the Cowboys faced Philadelphia in the Thursday night opener, Kansas City on Thanksgiving, Detroit a week later and now Washington on Christmas.

3) In this second matchup of the season against the Commanders, CeeDee Lamb has the opportunity to become only the fourth player in Cowboys history to accomplish this rare feat. What is it?

Only three players in franchise record books have totaled 100 receiving yards in both of the Cowboys games against Washington in a single season. In 1967, Lance Rentzel cut loose for 223 receiving yards and then 104 in the second matchup. That was followed in 1984 by Tony Hill earning 119 in the first matchup and 134 in the second. The last to do so was Michael Irvin in 1995 when he slipped past the century mark with 101 and 105 receiving yards in the two games. Lamb enters this next matchup with the Commanders after posting 110 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' 44-22 win over Washington on Oct. 19 of this season.

4) Which backup quarterback led the Cowboys to an upset victory at Washington on Nov. 24, 1991?

When Troy Aikman had to leave the game early in the second half with a knee injury, Steve Beuerlein stepped in and led Dallas to a 24-21 win over the eventual Super Bowl champs. He completed seven of 12 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown while wideouts Michael Irvin and Alvin Harper both topped 100 yards receiving on the day with 130 and 101, respectively.

5) On Dec. 14, 2003, at Washington, which Cowboys running back rushed for a career-high 189 yards in a 27-0 win?

Enjoying a career day against the Redskins, Troy Hambrick averaged 5.7 rushing yards on 33 attempts, which is tied for the fourth-most carries in franchise history. In fact, he had to shoulder the load during the cold, rainy evening because Dallas quarterback Quincy Carter and his counterpart with Washington, Tim Hasselbeck, combined to complete just 33.3 percent of their passes, the third-lowest mark for a game in Cowboys record books. Hambrick, though, didn't get into the end zone while Carter threw for one score and ran for another in the shutout victory.

6) To cap off the 1999 season opener at Washington, this Cowboys receiver scored the winning touchdown in overtime on a 76-yard catch and run.

After the Cowboys scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime, Troy Aikman threw deep down the middle to a streaking Raghib Ismail, who hauled in the pass and raced untouched into the end zone to give Dallas an unlikely 41-35 victory. Ismail finished the afternoon with a career-high 149 receiving yards.

7) The last time a Cowboys running back had at least 30 carries in a game was on Oct. 29, 2017, at Washington. Who was it?

Ezekiel Elliott was a workhorse in this one as he became the last player in Cowboys record books to have at least 30 carries in a game. On a whopping 33 attempts, he rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys' 33-19 win. Not only was that a career best for Elliott, but the effort also equaled Troy Hambrick and others for the fourth-highest total in team history.

8) This Cowboys quarterback holds the record for consecutive passes completed in a single game, connecting on 19 straight on Jan. 7, 2024, at Washington.

Dak Prescott was sharp in the Cowboys' 38-10 win over the Commanders in the 2023 regular-season finale. His 19 consecutive completions are not only the most for a single outing, but the mark is the third highest in franchise history when including streaks over multiple games. Prescott also had four touchdowns in the contest, which is tied for the second most of his career.

9) Who set a Cowboys rookie record for most catches in a game with eight receptions at Washington on Sept. 12, 2010?

In his first career NFL game, Dez Bryant tied the club's rookie record for most catches in the Cowboys' 13-7 loss at Washington. However, on Nov. 7 of that same season, he broke his own mark with nine receptions at Green Bay.

10) What player holds the Cowboys record for the longest pass reception in team history, a 95-yard touchdown on Nov. 13, 1966, at Washington.

Washington simply had no answer for the speed of Bob Hayes, who had won gold medals in the 100m dash and 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 1964. Not only did he break free for a 95-yard touchdown reception in the Cowboys' 31-30 victory, he also had a 52-yard scoring catch. His 246 receiving yards in the game set a team record that stood for 43 years until Miles Austin totaled 250 yards in an overtime win at Kansas City on Nov. 11, 2009.

11) What somewhat unremarkable Cowboys record did Patrick Crayton set on Dec. 27, 2009, at Washington?

In a bit of a lopsided affair, the Cowboys shut out a Washington team that was already well out of the playoffs, 17-0. Dallas held the Redskins to 208 yards of total offense and forced the home team to punt eight times. In turn, Patrick Crayton called for a fair catch on five of those punts, the most in a single game in franchise history.

12) True or False. The last Cowboys player to return a kickoff for a touchdown was KaVontae Turpin in a 34-26 victory at Washington on Nov. 24, 2024. False. While Turpin did indeed return a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown with 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' game at Washington, safety Juanyeh Thomas then grabbed an onside kick with 14 seconds left and raced to the end zone for another score. Statistically considered a kickoff return, it's the only time in franchise history Dallas has recorded two kickoff return touchdowns in the same game.

13) Which Cowboys defensive lineman tied Bob Lilly's team record for the most sacks in a game with five at Washington on Nov. 10, 1985?

In the Cowboys' 13-7 win, the Dallas defense intercepted Washington quarterback Joe Theismann three times and sacked him on six occasions. And remarkably, five of those sacks were registered by defensive end Jim Jeffcoat, who tied the franchise record set by Bob Lilly in 1966. Jeffcoat finished with 12 sacks overall in the 1985 season.

14) The Cowboys' first win in the Jerry Jones ownership era came in a Sunday night showdown at Washington on Nov. 5, 1989. Who was the starting quarterback for Dallas?

With Troy Aikman sidelined due to injury, fellow rookie Steve Walsh was behind center for this unlikely win. He completed only 10 of 30 passes for 142 yards, but a touchdown by running back Paul Palmer, who finished with 110 rushing yards, and two field goals from Roger Ruzek was good enough to pull out a 13-3 victory. That would mark the only win for Dallas in Jones' first season owning the team.

15) On Sept. 5, 1983, at Washington, Tony Hill hauled in a pass from Danny White and raced 75 yards for the touchdown. But the Cowboys had another play that went 77 yards, one of only three times since 1978 that the team has picked up at least 75 yards on a play twice in the same game. Who was the other player?

It was the Tony and Tony show in the 1983 season opener. Although he didn't score on the play, Tony Dorsett ripped off a 77-yard run that is tied for the sixth longest in team history. Dorsett and Hill finished with 151 and 133 yards, respectively, in the Cowboys' 31-30 win.

16) In that same win, how many points were the Cowboys trailing by at halftime to the Redskins?

The Cowboys trailed the defending Super Bowl champion Redskins by 20 points at the half. Washington scored a late touchdown to Charlie Brown before the half for a 23-3 lead, only to see the Cowboys roar back in the second half.

17) In Dave Campo's first win as a head coach in 2000, who was the quarterback to lead the Cowboys to a 27-21 road win at Washington?

With Troy Aikman injured with a concussion, veteran Randall Cunningham led the Cowboys to a win. He passed for just 187 yards, including 78 on one play, hitting Chris Warren for an early touchdown.

18) In that same game, what No. 88 caught a touchdown pass in front of Deion Sanders?

Jackie Harris (88) scores while James McKnight (82) celebrates a second-half touchdown. Deion Sanders (21), playing in his first game against the Cowboys since leaving for Washington earlier that offseason, looks on as the Cowboys won 27-21.