The Dallas Cowboys are staring down their longest losing streak in years while the ascendant Washington Commanders are thriving under former Dallas DC Dan Quinn.
DALLAS — Week 12 has arrived, and for the Dallas Cowboys that means their first of two contests with the much-improved Washington Commanders. This isn’t the normal meeting between the two division mates that we’ve grown accustomed to around this time of the year.
Instead of Dallas looking to bully their most storied division rival, it’s the Commanders who are near the top of the standings in the NFC East with the Cowboys trying to pull off the upset. The roles have been reversed in 2024 with Dallas facing an uphill battle, fighting for a win.
The game also brings back a familiar face as former Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn faces his old team after helping to flip the script in Washington. After flirting with other head coaching gigs in previous offseasons, Quinn took the job he said coveted, turning around the Commanders.
Through 11 weeks of his initial season in D.C., Quinn’s done just that. A new coaching regime has the Commanders at 7-4 and currently holding a playoff spot. Here are some of the other strengths and weaknesses for the Cowboys’ Week 12 opponent:
Strength: Jayden Daniels
Last April, the Commanders selected Daniels with the second pick overall, and they might’ve finally found their long-term quarterback. Daniels has turned out to be everything that the franchise had hoped for in his rookie season and is a big part of their turnaround.
The strength of Daniels was said to be his athletic ability, but he’s also been ahead of the curve as a passer. The rookie has only thrown for 10 scores, but he’s been efficient when he’s been tasked with making plays with his arm, ranking inside the Top 10 in the league in both completion percentage and yards per attempt.
As expected, Daniels has also been impressive with his legs, rushing for close to 482 yards and has four touchdowns on the ground. Daniels has the second most rushing yards for a QB this season, trailing only Baltimore Ravens signal-caller Lamar Jackson. His ability to escape the pocket and extend plays has made defending him a nightmare, something that wears down defenses.
The Cowboys haven’t fared well against mobile QBs over the last few years, and haven’t had a good time of it this year either, and now they’ll be going up against one of the best.
Weakness: Passing defense
Despite giving up just under 185 yards per game through the air, Washington is a defense that struggles to slow down opposing passing attacks. The Commanders’ secondary hasn’t been able to keep offenses out of the end zone through the air, allowing 17 passing touchdowns.
A talent deficiency in the secondary appears to be an issue, which is why Washington traded for former New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore. However, Lattimore still hasn’t played for the Commanders and is questionable for the matchup with a hamstring injury.
The Commanders’ secondary has just four interceptions on the season, which gives them a 17-4 TD-Int. ratio. If given time to get the ball out, the Cowboys should be able to throw the ball against Quinn’s uncharacteristically questionable secondary.
Strength: Running game
The Commanders’ rushing attack is more than just Daniels, it includes three running backs who are playing at a high level, and that’s bad news for Dallas. Starting RB Brian Robinson has been one of the more efficient runners in the league, rushing for seven scores in just eight games. That ties the veteran RB for 10th in the league in rushing touchdowns, despite missing three games.
Veteran RB Austin Ekeler has also fit in well in his first year with the Commanders, running for over five yards per carry and adding four touchdowns. When Robinson’s been out, it’s been Ekeler keeping the running game on track and Washington’s offense hasn’t skipped a beat.
Third-string back Jeremy McNichols has also gotten opportunities to carry the ball and has cashed in with four touchdowns while averaging almost five yards per carry as well.
Including Daniels gives the Commanders a scary rushing attack. Their offense ranks sixth in the league in rushing at 148 yards per game, and they’re tied for the NFL lead in touchdowns on the ground with 19. Washington is the only team in the league to have at least four players with four or more rushing scores.
Dallas’ defense is one of the worst in the league against the run which makes this a poor matchup on paper.
Weakness: Rushing defense
As strong as the Commanders are running the ball, they’re just as poor at defending the run. Washington’s defense is slightly better than the Cowboys’ unit, ranking 30th in the league while giving up over 150 yards per game on the ground. They’ve also allowed 13 rushing touchdowns on the year, including three in their last outing, a loss to the Eagles.
A bad rushing defense is one of the reasons that the Commanders aren’t worse against the pass as teams can simply move the ball without having to throw. Washington also sports a run defense that also struggles as the game goes on. The Commanders have allowed seven of those rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter, a sign that teams have been effectively wearing them down.
If the Cowboys can stay in the game, they should be able to have some success in the fourth quarter while utilizing running back Rico Dowdle more than they have in the last few weeks.
Strength: Pass rush
In what shouldn’t be considered a shock, Quinn has dramatically improved the Commanders’ pass rush. Joe Whitt was plucked by Quinn from the Cowboys to be Washington’s defensive coordinator, and the duo has their defense ranked eighth in sacks. With 29 on the season, they are on pace to surpass the totals from the last four years.
The pass rush is led by two offseason acquisitions, former Cowboys edge rusher Dante Fowler, who has 8.5 sacks, good for fourth in the league, and linebacker Frankie Luvu, who has seven. Another former Cowboy, defensive end Dorance Armstrong, is third on the team with three sacks.
Washington doesn’t look like one of the more formidable pass rushing teams in the league on paper, and the Cowboys’ offensive line won’t have to deal with a singular dominant pass rushing threat like they have for most of the year. However, injuries are likely to force head coach Mike McCarthy into playing some backups on the OL, which isn’t a recipe for success.
Do you think the Cowboys can shock former coach Quinn and the Commanders? Share your predictions with Ben on X (formerly Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.