Washington entered the Christmas Day matchup with long odds. Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota was sidelined, and veteran journeyman Josh Johnson—playing for his 14th NFL team at age 39—was thrust into the spotlightsports.yahoo.com. When Dallas raced to a 21‑3 lead behind scores from Jake Ferguson, Javonte Williams and KaVontae Turpin, the game looked headed for a blowout.
Instead, the Commanders made it a fight. Running back Jacory Croskey‑Merritt powered a ten‑yard touchdown late in the second quarter, then stunned the crowd with a 72‑yard burst down the right sideline on Washington’s first play of the second half. The former undrafted rookie finished with 105 rushing yards on 11 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per rush and scoring both Commanders touchdownssports.yahoo.com. Johnson, meanwhile, managed the offense efficiently, completing 15 of 23 passes for 198 yards despite constant pressure.
Washington’s comeback was aided by a defense that stiffened after halftime. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio dialed up pressure that resulted in six sacks on Dak Prescottsports.yahoo.com and forced Dallas to settle for three Brandon Aubrey field goals. The Commanders also controlled the clock, averaging more than eight yards per play for stretchessports.yahoo.com. Jake Moody drilled field goals of 23, 51 and 51 yards, the last pulling Washington within 30‑23 with 2:09 remaining.
Yet the rally fell short. Dallas kept possession after Moody’s final kick and ran out the clock thanks to Malik Davis’ 100‑yard rushing performance and Prescott’s fourth‑down conversionsports.yahoo.comsports.yahoo.com. Washington’s defense, which allowed just one sack, could not get a final stop. The Commanders finished with 328 total yards and outgained Dallas on the ground 138‑167sports.yahoo.com, but the early 21‑point deficit proved too steep.
Head coach Ron Rivera nonetheless praised his team’s resilience. “They fought their tails off,” he said, noting Johnson’s poise and Croskey‑Merritt’s emergence as bright spots in an otherwise difficult season. Washington dropped to 4‑12, but with several injured starters and third‑stringers playing key roles, the narrow loss offered a glimpse of grit that could carry over into 2026. For a franchise searching for answers, pushing Dallas to the brink on Christmas was an encouraging sign, even if the ultimate present—a victory—never materialized.
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