Dallas (3-7) at Washington (7-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox
BetMGM NFL Odds: Commanders by 10 1/2
Against the spread: Cowboys 2-8; Commanders 7-4
Series record: Dallas leads 78-48-2.
Last meeting: The Cowboys clinched the NFC East title last season by beating the Commanders 38-10 at Washington on Jan. 7.
Last week: Cowboys lost to the Texans 34-10 on Monday; Commanders lost to the Eagles 26-18 on Thursday, Nov. 14.
Cowboys offense: overall (20), rush (31), pass (T-7), scoring (T-24)
Cowboys defense: overall (27), rush (31), pass (19), scoring (31)
Commanders offense: overall (6), rush (6), pass (15), scoring (4)
Commanders defense: overall (18), rush (30), pass (5), scoring (T-14)
Turnover differential: Cowboys minus-11; Commanders plus-5
Cowboys player
to watch
Star pass rusher Micah Parsons has six of his 43 1/2 career sacks against Washington, more than any opponent. But Jayden Daniels is the biggest threat Parsons has faced at QB with this opponent. There’s no question the Dallas pass rush suffered in the four games Parsons missed with a sprained ankle and has been substantially better in the two games since the two-time All-Pro’s return. Parsons making life difficult for Daniels might be the only way for the Cowboys to stay close.
Commanders player to watch
Rookie CB Mike Sainristil held his own against A.J. Brown despite being at a sizeable height disadvantage. If trade deadline pickup Marshon Lattimore is out again, Sainristil could be counted on to do more of the same against CeeDee Lamb, who is still productive no matter who the Cowboys quarterback is.
Key matchup
Commanders rushing offense vs. Cowboys rushing defense. Dallas allowed Houston RB Joe Mixon to pick up 109 yards and three TDs and the ground and has struggled against the run all season. Brian Robinson Jr. returned last week after missing the previous two games with a hamstring injury, and Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols provide some depth for Washington.
Key injuries
Cowboys: Perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin and promising young LG Tyler Smith sustained ankle injuries on the same drive in the fourth quarter for the Cowboys against the Texans. Neither returned. … Rookie LT Tyler Guyton re-injured a shoulder trying to run with a fumble after QB Cooper Rush had the ball knocked out of his hand on a throw. The status of all three will be in question on a short week. … TE Jake Ferguson had a concussion in the first quarter against the Texans, and coach Mike McCarthy said he would be hard-pressed to play this week. … CB Jourdan Lewis (neck) and RB Hunter Luepke (calf) missed the Houston game. … Dallas might get some reinforcements in WR Brandin Cooks (knee), rookie DE Marshawn Kneeland (knee), CB DaRon Bland (foot) and T Chuma Edoga (toe). Cooks last played in Week 4 and Kneeland in Week 5. Bland and Edoga haven’t played all season. … DB Markquese Bell, a key special teams player, is set for season-ending surgery after injuring a shoulder covering a kickoff against the Texans.
Commanders: Lattimore was on the field but did not take part in practice Wednesday, meaning he could miss a third consecutive game with a hamstring injury since being acquired at the deadline from New Orleans. … K Austin Seibert appears to be trending toward returning from the right hip injury that sidelined him the past two games.
Series notes
The Cowboys have won five of the past six meetings. Washington’s only victory in that span was in the 2022 season finale when Dallas had nothing to play for once it was clear Philadelphia would finish first in the NFC East. … The Cowboys are 16-4 against NFC East opponents since 2021 and haven’t lost consecutive division games since 2020, when they finished 6-10. Dallas lost to Philadelphia two weeks ago and plays the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day. … This is Commanders coach Dan Quinn’s first game against the Cowboys since spending the past three seasons as their defensive coordinator. … Washington with a win would have its best start through 12 games since 1996 and first 3-1 division record since 2012.
Stats and stuff
The Cowboys are on a five-game losing streak, their longest since a seven-game skid in 2015. Mike McCarthy has matched the longest losing streak of his coaching career. He lost five in a row in 2008, late in the third of his 12-plus seasons in Green Bay. McCarthy is on an expiring contract and the possibility of returning to the Cowboys diminishes with each loss. … Dallas is 3-2 on the road. … Rush has lost three consecutive starts as an injury replacement for Dak Prescott after winning his first five. He is 0-2 this season with a touchdown, an interception and three fumbles lost. Prescott had season-ending surgery on his torn hamstring last week. … Lamb needs 81 yards receiving to become the fastest Dallas wideout to reach 6,000 yards. … WR KaVontae Turpin had a career-long touchdown catch of 64 yards against the Texans. It’s the only TD at home for Dallas since Week 3. … K Brandon Aubrey has 10 field goals of at least 50 yards this season. That’s one behind Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn, who has already tied Daniel Carlson’s single-season NFL record from 2022. … Daniels has thrown for 10 TDs and three INTs, including one of each against the Eagles. He has four rushing TDs but none since Week 4. He’s 18 yards away from being the first rookie QB since Kyler Murray in 2019 to run for 500. … Robinson’s seven TD runs through eight games match his first two professional seasons combined. … Ekeler had a season-high eight catches for 89 yards at Philadelphia. … WR Terry McLaurin had just one catch on two targets last week. … Zach Ertz’s 428 yards receiving are his most in a season since 2021. He’s 35 away from moving into the top 10 among tight ends in league history. … LB Bobby Wagner is nine tackles away from joining London Fletcher as the only players with 100-plus tackles in 13 consecutive seasons since 2000. … LB Frankie Luvu sacked Jalen Hurts twice to tie a career high with seven.
Fantasy tip
McLaurin will almost certainly be targeted more often than last week, especially after he, Daniels and the offense got a full week of practice. Washington’s top receiver could be in for a big game.
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