“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season, recalling the preceding game between Washington and the next opponent on the Commanders’ schedule.
Dallas 30, Washington 23: Week 17, Dec. 25, 2025
It was Christmas Day 2025, and unfortunately the Commanders were scheduled to play that day. The opponent was the Dallas Cowboys, and they rushed for 211 yards in a 30-23 win at Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD.
RB Malik Davis led the Cowboys, gaining 103 yards on 20 carries, while QB Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes and K Brandon Aubrey kicked three field goals. The Cowboys jumped out to a 21-3 lead, appeared to lose intensity and simply coasted the rest of the way.
Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt 11 CAR, 105 YDS, 2 TDs vs DAL Today.🎄pic.twitter.com/1Mzbs39HBW https://t.co/nKuT7PFmgr
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) December 25, 2025
The Commanders’ defense offered little to no resistance as the Cowboys had drives on their first four possessions of 78, 65, 97 and 51 yards. The first three of those possessions ended up in Dallas touchdowns, while the fourth was an Aubrey field goal. Only the initial possession of the second half did the Commanders force a punt. After the punt, the Cowboys picked up where they left off in the first half, driving 53, 36, 52, and 42 yards, kicking two field goals and missing a third. On the final drive, they kept the ball out of the Commanders' hands for 42 yards.
Commanders defensive tackle Johnny Newton had flashes, recording three QB sacks and five QB hits, plus nine tackles total (3 solo, 6 assists). But Ricky Barber and Jordan Magee were the only other Commanders to record a tackle for a loss. Barber and Von Miller both recorded a sack, while Bobby Wagner and Preston Smith shared a sack.
Prescott connected with Kavontae Turpin for an 86-yard touchdown. George Pickens had four receptions for 78 yards and CeeDee Lamb had five receptions for 46 yards. The Cowboys offense dominated the Commanders' anemic defense, amassing 38:44 of time of possession compared with only 21:16 for the Commanders.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a 72-yard touchdown, totaling 105 rushing yards on his 11 carries. Deebo Samuel caught two passes for 68 yards, while Terry McLaurin caught five for 63 yards. The Commanders fell to 4-12, and the Cowboys rose to 7-8-1.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: What happened when the Commanders last played the Cowboys?
