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5 takeaways from Commanders vs. Cowboys
Josh Johnson was solid in his first start since 2021.
Johnson had just five days to prepare for his first start in four years, but you wouldn’t have known it based on how he performed on Christmas.
He looked calm and composed in the pocket, completing 15 of his 23 passes for 198 yards with two carries for 10 yards. It ended up being one of the best performances of his career; his passing yards were his fifth most in a single game, while his 65% completion rate was his fourth best in games with at least 20 attempts.
Part of that comfort came from the gameplan offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury designed for Johnson. He gave Johnson shorter passes that allowed receivers to pick up yards after the catch, and that approach worked well on the Commanders’ opening drive. Johnson completed his first four passes, including a 16-yard completion to Terry McLaurin as well as a 41-yard catch-and-run from Deebo Samuel.
“Coming into the game, it was going to be important for Josh Johnson taking care of the ball that we could extend some drives to keep their offense off,” head coach Dan Quinn said after the game. “I thought he did a good job of that.”
Johnson said he got more comfortable as the game went on.
“I was just trying to play clean and just give us a chance to win the game. We had a chance; unfortunately, we just came up short.”
The Commanders signed Johnson in the offseason with the belief that he could lead the offense in a pinch. It wasn’t ideal, but Johnson did his job and kept the unit afloat.
Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders have been losing the ‘winning-time moments’ all year
After leading the NFL in fourth-down conversion rate a year ago and ranking sixth in the league on third downs, the Commanders’ offense ranks 13th and 25th in those categories, respectively. And its defense has fared worse. Opposing teams have converted 69 percent of fourth-down chances against Washington (28th in the NFL) and 41 percent of third downs (23rd).
On Thursday, the Cowboys were 8 for 20 on third downs, but they then attempted and converted six times on fourth down. That efficiency allowed Dallas to control the ball in a way few teams have this season, racking up 87 offensive plays to Washington’s 41. It’s just the second time this season that one team has run twice as many offensive plays as its opponent; the other was the Kansas City Chiefs in their 31-0 drubbing of the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7.
Dallas had drives of 13, 17, 12, 11 and 14 plays — all of which resulted in points. It held the ball for nearly 39 of the game’s 60 minutes.
Washington’s offense, meanwhile, averaged a season-best 8.0 yards per play — even with third-string quarterback Josh Johnson under center and several key players out with injuries. The problem? The offense ran only 41 plays, Washington’s fewest in a game since 2019.
Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury seemed to slow down the offense a bit with Johnson, the 39-year-old journeyman, at quarterback — eschewing its typical no-huddle style for a more deliberate attack. But the Commanders still lost the time-of-possession battle handily because of their poor efficiency on third downs (1 for 6) and, perhaps ironically, because of their success with big plays. Their shortest drive of the day lasted just one play because rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt sprinted through a crease and ran 72 yards for a touchdown.
Commanders.com
Commanders-Cowboys Stats & Snaps
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders must get Ricky Barber more involved in Week 18 after impressive showing
Barber, an undrafted free agent out of Central Florida, was making his NFL debut. He was signed immediately after the draft and became the fourth member of the original 10-player cohort of UDFAs to see the field. Excluding special teams, the other three had a combined total of 18 snaps this season. Despite playing just 15 snaps, the rookie can now be considered the most productive of Adam Peters’ UDFA signings this season.
On paper, Washington’s interior linemen had strong games against Dallas. But that can be a little misleading. Johnny Newton was solid for much of the contest. It’s hard to argue with nine tackles, three sacks, and five quarterback hits. Fans can hope this will serve as a breakthrough for the 2024 second-round draft pick, who has been a disappointment thus far.
Similarly, Kinlaw’s seven tackles — five of them solos — is very encouraging on paper. The problem, for all of those defenders, is that far too many of those tackles came five to eight yards downfield.
[Barber] lined up almost exclusively in the A gap on the left side of the line, which means he was matched up with 335-pound center Cooper Beebe or 321-pound guard Tyler Booker, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Those linemen won the battle on some plays. But Barber usually held his own. Like Commanders’ veteran Day — another undersized interior lineman — he uses a quick first step and technically proficient hands to beat bigger opponents.
Barber played six years in college. He had 63 games to learn his craft. He may never have the physical tools to be a dominant player in the NFL, but he shows more savvy than most rookies. And lest we undervalue his athleticism. On his first professional sack, he essentially overpowered the very talented Booker, despite giving up all that height and weight.
A to Z Sports
Deebo Samuel showed out on Christmas Day to earn a contract bonus & make a case to be re-signed this offseason
Going into the game, Samuel needed two more catches for $450,000 and $250,000 with 61+ receiving yards. Samuel wasted no time getting active for his bonus, which he hit after finishing with two catches for 68 yards, and he fought for every yard.
Helping out your third-string quarterback, Josh Johnson, is a great way to start the game, especially when you run defenders over along the way. It wasn’t his only big play of the game, however, and he took another short, quick pitch in the backfield for 27 yards to hit his contract incentives bonus.
The Commanders have a decision to make with Deebo Samuel this offseason
The Commanders have a list of free agents to either re-sign or move on from and replace, and Samuel is on that list. Whether it’s in free agency or the NFL Draft, the Commanders have to add more help for Jayden Daniels. Will Samuel come back, though? He’s already expressed that he wants to stay, and price will be a major factor, of course.
Heavy.com
John Bates : Held without a catch vs. Cowboys
Bates was not targeted during Thursday’s 30-23 loss to Dallas. Bates played 43 percent of offensive snaps but didn’t draw a single target from fill-in quarterback Josh Johnson, while Ben Sinnott (61 percent of snaps) secured three of four looks for 29 yards. Expect Bates to again contribute as the No. 2 tight end behind Sinnott during Washington’s regular-season finale against the Eagles in Week 18.
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“Own your role” – Jacob Martin on the NFC East + Fred Smoot’a Claus | Next Man Up | Commanders | NFL
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NFL.com
Dak Prescott looks to play in Week 18, finish Cowboys’ season with ‘pride,’ .500 record
Fresh off a win on Christmas, the Cowboys enter Week 18 with extra time to rest, recover and prepare for their season finale.
Playoffs are no longer possible for Dallas, a 7-8-1 team that will be expected to defeat the lowly New York Giants (2-13) if Dak Prescott plays. With nothing but pride to play for, however, it’s fair to wonder if the Cowboys’ franchise quarterback will play.
“For sure, no question,” Prescott said when asked if he wanted to play in Week 18, via the team’s official site. “I love this game, I love any opportunity that I get to play it.
“In my mind, any conversations I’ve had to Schotty (coach Brian Schottenheimer) or anybody about it would be I’m playing.”
Prescott is also coming off a game in which he was sacked six times, and the Cowboys QB has been sacked 14 times over the last month.
With one game to play before an offseason that is guaranteed to start on Jan. 5, the risk might not be worth another four quarters of participation. Prescott, however, sees plenty of value in finishing 8-8-1 — the rare .500 record in a league that now plays an odd total of games — and also believes finishing a season on the field with a non-losing record is important.
ESPN
Raiders sit DE Maxx Crosby for game vs. Giants
Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll announced Friday that defensive end Maxx Crosby will not play in Sunday’s matchup against the New York Giants because of a knee injury.
Crosby told Carroll that he wanted to leave the facility once informed of the team’s decision. Carroll agreed.
“He knows that he’s banged up, so he’s talking about, ‘I’d like to get out of here.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, get out of here.’ So, he took off,” Carroll said. “…This didn’t just spring on him. We’ve been talking about it, and it was exactly what you would think he would do, and he should do. I agree with him 1,000 percent on how he responded, and I [would have] responded the same way.”
Carroll said it’s a possibility that Crosby could also miss the team’s season finale against the Chiefs, but an official decision has not been made. Carroll added that he doesn’t think the move will impact their relationship.
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ESPN
NFL Week 17: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game
Minnesota 23 – Detroit 10
Key stat to know: The Vikings finished with 3 net passing yards, the fewest by a winning team in an NFL game since 2006, as rookie quarterback Max Brosmer took six sacks and struggled to find open receivers. They were at minus-7 net passing yards until Brosmer’s final throw, a 10-yard pass to receiver Justin Jefferson to convert a third down and seal the game. — Kevin Seifert
Dallas 30 – Washington 23
Will Dan Quinn end the season on the hot seat? There has been no indication that Quinn’s job is in jeopardy, but even if he doesn’t end the season on the hot seat, his future job security will be a topic entering next season. Washington has lost 12 of its past 13 games — one year after winning 12 in the regular season. But a lineup depleted because of injuries has been the main culprit to Washington’s season, giving Quinn and his staff a reprieve. However, Quinn will have a decision to make at defensive coordinator. He took over playcalling duties from Joe Whitt Jr. in Week 11. Multiple players have said Quinn hasn’t lost the locker room, and despite being undermanned against Dallas — starting their No. 3 QB in Josh Johnson — the Commanders made it a game thanks in part to strong performances from running back [Bill] Croskey-Merritt (105 yards rushing) and defensive tackle [Johnny] Newton (three sacks).
Biggest hole in the game plan: Third- and fourth-down defense. Dallas converted 8 of 19 third downs, which wasn’t horrible. There was one 14-yard gain on third-and-18 that set up a fourth-and-short. That’s where the Commanders faltered, as Dallas converted all of its fourth-down attempts, leading to 17 points. Dallas was able to run 87 plays — 19 more than any other team has had against the Commanders this season. — John Keim
Next game: at Eagles (TBD)
Discussion topics
Washington Post (paywall)
As the NFL fills the calendar, more football means more bad football
With broadcast platforms willing to spend big on more inventory, the emphasis is on quantity, and the quality is suffering.
The NFL didn’t need to play on Christmas Day. But why cede territory to the NBA when there are ratings to be pillaged? The league knows there are eyeballs to be drawn and dollars to be made even if someone named Max Brosmer is throwing for 54 yards to “help” the Minnesota Vikings to an atrocious victory over the flagging Detroit Lions. The league knows that feuding families can put down their eggnog and quietly take in the Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs as they flail against dragging Denver.
What we know this holiday season: More football isn’t better football. The product is all but ubiquitous. But the product also has suffered.
We already live with weekly games on Thursday that rarely play out as aesthetically pleasing. Three of them on the holiday just means more mediocrity. The league wants to go to an 18th game because that provides television networks — not to mention newcomers with cash, Netflix and Amazon — with more meaningful content. It says here that content would be borderline unwatchable.
It doesn’t take much time in an NFL locker room to figure out that the most important elements to an individual football player’s success aren’t necessarily practice and preparation. They’re rest and recovery.
Half of the teams that played Christmas Day this year were down to their third-string quarterbacks. When the NFL schedule was revealed back in May, viewers figured to see Dak Prescott face Jayden Daniels, Jared Goff take on J.J. McCarthy and Mahomes deal with Bo Nix. Instead, we were subjected to Josh Johnson in Washington, Brosmer in Minnesota and someone named Chris Oladokun for Kansas City.
The point: The NFL may not have mastered consistent, late-season quality. It has figured out competitiveness. Tweak the schedule by having last-place teams from the previous season play other last-place teams. Give everyone the same amount of money to spend on payroll so all 32 teams are on even financial footing. All of a sudden, market size doesn’t much matter. Indeed, 20 of the 32 NFL teams have at least two playoff appearances from 2021 to 2025.
[D]on’t expect the standard to match the sport at its highest level. There’s too much of it being played on odd days that make for short weeks and compromised performers. But the quality shows there’s a larger issue: There’s too much football being played, period.
