After officially being eliminated from playoff contention less than 24 hours before their Week 16 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Cowboys had to find things to play for in a hurry, and deal with the latest talk around “The Streak” of not reaching a NFC Championship game aging another year.

On Sunday, Washington was able to stay ahead of the chains for long stretches. The Commanders weren’t always successful, but they were able to average nearly four yards a carry and win the time of possession over New York by pounding the ball between the tackles to good effect multiple times.

The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East on Saturday thanks to their 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders. They're the first back-to-back winners of the division since they themselves won it four times in a row from 2001 through 2004.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders NFL game to be played on December 25, 2025 on ESPN.

Winners and Losers after the Chargers loss shows the Cowboys defense is consistently bad as team tank takes center stage

Updated 2026 NFL Draft order after the Cowboys' Week 17 win . New York Giants (2-13) Las Vegas Raiders (2-13) Cleveland Browns (3-12) New York Jets (3-12) Tennessee Titans (3-12)