Dak Prescott threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 30-23 victory over the Washington Commanders on Christmas Day. The Cowboys jumped to a 21-3 lead early, holding off a late comeback attempt by Washington despite both teams being eliminated from playoff contention. The game, broadcast exclusively on Netflix, featured pre-game entertainment by Kelly Clarkson and drew complaints about streaming quality.
The Dallas Cowboys wasted no time asserting dominance in their Christmas Day road game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Prescott connected with tight end Jake Ferguson for a 7-yard touchdown on the opening drive, setting the tone for Dallas's explosive start. They converted all six fourth-down attempts, including three on a 17-play drive that ended with a touchdown run by Javonte Williams, pushing the lead to 14-3. Prescott then capped the first-half surge with an 86-yard scoring pass to KaVontae Turpin, making it 21-3.
Washington, playing without injured quarterbacks Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Marcus Mariota (quad, hand), turned to veteran Josh Johnson, who completed 15 of 23 passes for 198 yards but no touchdowns or interceptions. The Commanders narrowed the gap with field goals and two rushing scores by Jacory Croskey-Merritt, including a 72-yard run that made it 24-17 in the third quarter. Dallas responded with a 52-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey, and after another Washington score, Aubrey added a 51-yarder to extend the lead to 30-20 with 3:59 left.
The Cowboys ran 87 offensive plays to Washington's 41, controlling possession by over 17 minutes. Prescott shrugged off six sacks, including three from Jer'Zhan Newton, and tied Tony Romo's franchise record with his 30th touchdown pass of the season. "It was huge," Prescott said of the early lead. "Not playing for anything, you want to get on top and not give them any hope."
Johnson reflected, "We had a chance. Unfortunately, we just came up short." Injuries impacted both sides: Williams left with a shoulder issue, Ferguson missed the second half with a calf injury, and Commanders center Tyler Biadasz exited with knee and ankle problems.
The game opened with Kelly Clarkson performing her holiday hit "Underneath the Tree," descending in a sleigh amid festive NFL-themed visuals. However, Netflix's stream faced backlash for lagging, low resolution, and delays, with viewers complaining about bandwidth issues during key moments. Both teams, at 7-8-1 and 4-12 respectively, finish non-playoff seasons, with Dallas hosting the New York Giants and Washington visiting Philadelphia in Week 18.
