December 25, 2025 | Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD Dallas Cowboys 30, Washington Commanders 23 Cowboys: 7-8-1 | Commanders: 4-12
The Dallas Cowboys arrived at Northwest Stadium on Christmas Day having lost three straight, already eliminated from playoff contention, and facing a Washington team starting its third quarterback of the season. They left with a 30-23 win, a franchise passing record tied, and 87 offensive plays on the board to Washington’s 41.
Dak Prescott threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns, absorbed six sacks without turning the ball over, and tied Tony Romo’s franchise record of four seasons with 30-plus passing touchdowns. Dallas converted all six of its fourth-down attempts — tied for the most fourth-down conversions at 100% in a single game since 1991 — and controlled the ball for 38 minutes and 44 seconds.
“I never worry about these guys’ effort. I really don’t,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “These guys are built different, man. I thought we were hitting on all cylinders offensively early on.”
For Washington, this was their 10th loss in 11 games. Jayden Daniels was out with an elbow injury. Marcus Mariota was unavailable with a quad and hand issue. That left 39-year-old Josh Johnson — announced as the starter just two days before kickoff — making his 10th career start and first since 2021.
Table of Contents
Score by Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 7 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
| Washington Commanders | 3 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Team | Play | DAL | WAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 9:42 | Cowboys | Jake Ferguson 6-yd pass from Prescott (Aubrey kick) | 7 | 0 |
| Q1 | 4:44 | Commanders | Jake Moody 29-yd FG | 7 | 3 |
| Q2 | 12:06 | Cowboys | Javonte Williams 4-yd rush (Aubrey kick) | 14 | 3 |
| Q2 | 7:00 | Cowboys | KaVontae Turpin 86-yd pass from Prescott (Aubrey kick) | 21 | 3 |
| Q2 | 4:35 | Commanders | Croskey-Merritt 10-yd rush (Moody kick) | 21 | 10 |
| Q2 | 0:19 | Cowboys | Brandon Aubrey 42-yd FG | 24 | 10 |
| Q3 | 9:34 | Commanders | Croskey-Merritt 72-yd rush (Moody kick) | 24 | 17 |
| Q3 | 4:42 | Cowboys | Brandon Aubrey 52-yd FG | 27 | 17 |
| Q3 | 0:16 | Commanders | Jake Moody 23-yd FG | 27 | 20 |
| Q4 | 3:59 | Cowboys | Brandon Aubrey 51-yd FG | 30 | 20 |
| Q4 | 2:09 | Commanders | Jake Moody 51-yd FG | 30 | 23 |
Prescott Ties Romo, Cowboys Run Perfect on Fourth Down
Prescott went 19-of-37 for 307 yards with a 97.5 passer rating and no interceptions. He scrambled four times for 24 yards, including a 12-yard pickup on a third-and-four in the second quarter that kept a scoring drive alive. His two touchdown passes on the day brought his season total to 30, tying Romo’s mark of four seasons reaching that number as Dallas’s quarterback.
Three of his six sacks came from Jer’Zhan Newton, but Prescott kept the ball and kept moving the offense.
“I took some hits, but I was able to come out clean,” he said.
On Dallas’s second possession — a 17-play, 7-minute-38-second drive — the Cowboys converted three straight fourth downs on the way to a Javonte Williams touchdown. That drive alone set the tone for a game Washington could never fully take back.
Passing Stats
| Player | Team | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | INT | Sacks | Yds Lost | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dak Prescott | DAL | 19 | 37 | 307 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 38 | 97.5 |
| Josh Johnson | WAS | 15 | 23 | 198 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 92.3 |
Dallas Ground Game: Davis Carries the Load, Williams Scores Early
The Cowboys ran 44 times for 211 yards at 4.8 per carry. Malik Davis led with 20 carries and 103 yards. Williams scored on a 4-yard run to make it 14-3 before exiting with a shoulder injury in the second quarter. Hunter Luepke contributed 30 yards on seven carries out of the fullback spot.
Washington allowed 103 yards to a running back (Davis) who entered the game with modest production, a sign of how badly Dallas controlled the line of scrimmage in this matchup.
Rushing Stats
| Player | Team | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Davis | DAL | 20 | 103 | 5.2 | 0 | 21 |
| Javonte Williams | DAL | 13 | 54 | 4.2 | 1 | 9 |
| Hunter Luepke | DAL | 7 | 30 | 4.3 | 0 | 8 |
| Dak Prescott | DAL | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 0 | 12 |
| DAL Total | 44 | 211 | 4.8 | 1 | 21 | |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS | 11 | 105 | 9.5 | 2 | 72 |
| Deebo Samuel | WAS | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 0 | 29 |
| Josh Johnson | WAS | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Jeremy McNichols | WAS | 1 | –2 | –2.0 | 0 | –2 |
| WAS Total | 16 | 138 | 8.6 | 2 | 72 |
Turpin 86 Yards, Pickens and Lamb Steady the Receiving Corps
Jake Ferguson caught a 6-yard touchdown to cap Dallas’s opening drive — a 13-play march that took 5 minutes and 18 seconds — before leaving at halftime with a calf injury.
The biggest play of the game came with just over seven minutes left in the second quarter. From his own 14-yard line, facing second-and-ten, Prescott hit KaVontae Turpin on a crossing route and Turpin was gone — 86 yards, untouched, past Antonio Hamilton. One target, one catch, one touchdown, 86 yards. That made it 21-3, and Washington’s path back became exponentially harder.
George Pickens followed with four catches for 78 yards at 19.5 per reception. CeeDee Lamb drew the most volume with 10 targets, converting five for 46 yards. Brevyn Spann-Ford hauled in a 31-yard reception in the fourth quarter from the tight end spot that put Dallas in field goal range.
Dallas Cowboys Receiving Stats
| Player | Rec | Tgt | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KaVontae Turpin | 1 | 1 | 86 | 86.0 | 1 | 86 | 46 |
| George Pickens | 4 | 5 | 78 | 19.5 | 0 | 21 | 50 |
| CeeDee Lamb | 5 | 10 | 46 | 9.2 | 0 | 24 | 14 |
| Brevyn Spann-Ford | 1 | 2 | 31 | 31.0 | 0 | 31 | 12 |
| Jalen Tolbert | 4 | 8 | 31 | 7.8 | 0 | 14 | 11 |
| Luke Schoonmaker | 2 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Hunter Luepke | 1 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 | 8 |
| Jake Ferguson | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6.0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Malik Davis | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Javonte Williams | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Jonathan Mingo | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| DAL Total | 19 | 36 | 307 | 16.2 | 2 | 86 | 151 |
Johnson Keeps Washington Alive, Croskey-Merritt Does the Damage
Johnson was clean. No touchdowns, but no turnovers either, and his 92.3 passer rating was better than the final score suggests. His longest completion was a 41-yard pass to Deebo Samuel on Washington’s first drive — his longest since 2018 — and he showed the pocket awareness to not force throws into tight coverage against a Dallas secondary that blitzed periodically.
“I was just trying to play clean and give us a chance to win the game,” Johnson said. “We had a chance. Unfortunately, we just came up short.”
Samuel added 25 rushing yards on two carries to finish with 93 scrimmage yards on the day. Terry McLaurin was Washington’s leading receiver with five catches for 63 yards. Ben Sinnott contributed three receptions for 29 yards from the tight end spot.
Croskey-Merritt gave Washington its two most electric moments. He scored from 10 yards out in the second quarter to make it 21-10, then broke a 72-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to cut it to 24-17 — the closest Washington would get.
“I saw daylight,” Croskey-Merritt said. “I was like, ‘This is my chance to show when there’s open field, I can take it the distance.'”
He finished with 11 carries, 105 yards, two touchdowns, and 9.5 yards per carry.
Washington Commanders Receiving Stats
| Player | Rec | Tgt | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deebo Samuel | 2 | 4 | 68 | 34.0 | 0 | 41 | 54 |
| Terry McLaurin | 5 | 7 | 63 | 12.6 | 0 | 16 | 6 |
| Ben Sinnott | 3 | 4 | 29 | 9.7 | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Chris Moore | 1 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 | 15 | 7 |
| Jeremy McNichols | 3 | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Treylon Burks | 1 | 2 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | 5 |
| WAS Total | 15 | 21 | 198 | 13.2 | 0 | 41 | 98 |
Defense: Newton Wrecks Prescott, Williams Anchors Dallas Interior
Newton was Washington’s standout defensive player. He recorded three credited sacks and five QB hits, generating six total pressures on 25 pass-rush snaps per PFF. Prescott absorbed six sacks for a loss of 38 yards — the most in a single game all season.
“I was in my zone. Whenever I catch fire, it’s hard to cool me off,” Newton said.
On the Dallas side, Quinnen Williams earned the game’s highest defensive PFF grade at 90.6 across 31 snaps. Jadeveon Clowney led with 1.5 sacks and three QB hits. Bobby Wagner anchored Washington’s linebacker group with 10 combined tackles, a 0.5-sack, and an 84.4 PFF grade. Despite Newton’s dominance at the line, Washington held Dallas to a converted third down on just 8 of 20 attempts after the first quarter — but it was too late by then.
Defensive Stats
| Player | Team | Comb | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Wagner | WAS | 10 | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Will Harris | WAS | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jer’Zhan Newton | WAS | 9 | 3 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Javon Kinlaw | WAS | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frankie Luvu | WAS | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jeremy Reaves | WAS | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mike Sainristil | WAS | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Noah Igbinoghene | WAS | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jordan Magee | WAS | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jalyn Holmes | WAS | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Martin | WAS | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shemar James | DAL | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shavon Revel | DAL | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Reddy Steward | DAL | 5 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jadeveon Clowney | DAL | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Donovan Wilson | DAL | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Quinnen Williams | DAL | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kenneth Murray Jr. | DAL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Hooker | DAL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Houston | DAL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Top PFF Defensive Grades
| Player | Team | Position | Grade | Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnen Williams | DAL | DI | 90.6 | 31 |
| Bobby Wagner | WAS | LB | 84.4 | 92 |
| Sam Williams | DAL | ED | 76.6 | 13 |
| Jadeveon Clowney | DAL | ED | 74.8 | 26 |
Kicking and Special Teams
Brandon Aubrey hit from 42, 52, and 51 yards but missed from 58 in the fourth quarter. Jake Moody was perfect for Washington, going 3-for-3 with a long of 51 yards. KaVontae Turpin returned five kickoffs for 115 yards, averaging 23.0 per return.
Kicking Stats
| Player | Team | FG | FG% | Long | XP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Aubrey | DAL | 3/4 | 75.0% | 52 | 3/3 | 12 |
| Jake Moody | WAS | 3/3 | 100.0% | 51 | 2/2 | 11 |
Punting Stats
| Player | Team | Punts | Yds | Avg | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Anger | DAL | 1 | 53 | 53.0 | 53 |
| Tress Way | WAS | 3 | 130 | 43.3 | 53 |
Kick Return Stats
| Player | Team | Ret | Yds | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KaVontae Turpin | DAL | 5 | 115 | 23.0 | 26 | 0 |
| Chase Edmonds | WAS | 4 | 90 | 22.5 | 27 | 0 |
| Chris Moore | WAS | 1 | 33 | 33.0 | 33 | 0 |
Full Team Stats
| Category | Dallas Cowboys | Washington Commanders |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 480 | 328 |
| Net Passing Yards | 269 | 190 |
| Rushing Yards | 211 | 138 |
| Total Plays | 87 | 41 |
| Yards Per Play | 5.5 | 8.0 |
| First Downs | 28 | 17 |
| Passing First Downs | 14 | 9 |
| Rushing First Downs | 9 | 4 |
| Penalty First Downs | 2 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 8/20 (40%) | 1/6 (17%) |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 6/6 (100%) | 0/0 |
| Completion % | 51.4% | 65.2% |
| Sacks Allowed | 6 (–38 yds) | 2 (–8 yds) |
| Red Zone (TD–FG–Att) | 2–0–3 | 1–2–3 |
| Penalties | 11–89 yds | 10–71 yds |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Avg Yards Per Drive | 48.4 | 34.3 |
| Avg Plays Per Drive | 10.2 | 5.5 |
| Time of Possession | 38:44 | 21:16 |
Game Information
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Date | December 25, 2025 |
| Venue | Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD |
| Attendance | 64,407 |
| Broadcast | Netflix |
| Weather | 50°F, 53% humidity, 7 mph wind |
| Vegas Line | Cowboys –10.0 |
| Over/Under | 50.5 (over) |
| Referee | Brad Rogers |
Injuries
- Javonte Williams (DAL, RB): Shoulder injury — did not return after the second quarter
- Jake Ferguson (DAL, TE): Calf injury — missed the entire second half
- Tyler Biadasz (WAS, C): Right knee and ankle — exited in the second half
The final two minutes of this game told the full story. Dallas took possession at their own 27 with a 30-23 lead and ran it out — seven plays, one more fourth-down conversion, clock expired. Washington never touched the ball again.
Prescott now shares Romo’s record and did it while absorbing the most sacks of his season in a single game. Newton’s three sacks and six pressures were the best individual pass-rush performance in this game, but one player wrecking the quarterback doesn’t change a 46-play possession disadvantage. Dallas ran 87 offensive plays. They kept the ball. They won the line of scrimmage on the ground with 211 rushing yards. And when it mattered, they converted every fourth down in front of them.
Washington’s offense showed more than the final score reflects. Johnson was clean. Croskey-Merritt was explosive when given room. McLaurin led all Commanders receivers on a day when the defense kept them within reach until the fourth quarter. But a team that scored three points in the first quarter, allowed a 21-3 deficit inside 13 minutes, and couldn’t get off the field on third down in the second half was never going to win this one.
