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DOWN X DOWN › week 18 › Cowboys at Commanders
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 18 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Northwest Stadium

DALvsWAS

Cowboys offensevsCommanders defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Cowboys, 7 for Commanders. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

DAL offenseWAS offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Third downs favor Cowboys

Cowboys convert 50% of third downs (3rd). Commanders allow 44% (26th).

02
Opportunity

Deep right is open

Commanders are worst against deep right throws, allowing +1.19 EPA per attempt. Cowboys send 7% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Ground game stalls

Cowboys average 3.7 yards per carry (24th). Commanders allow 3.5 (5th).

04
Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Cowboys gain 5.4 yards per play (20th). Commanders give up 5.4 (17th), with the league at 5.4.

Players to watch

DAL Cowboys

4Dak PrescottQB · 197/302 · 2046 yds · 14 TD · 5 INTEPA per dropback +0.17 · 11th33Javonte WilliamsRB · 134 car · 528 yds · 9 TD · 20 recEPA per touch +0.01 · 16th88CeeDee LambWR · 60 rec · 709 yds · 6 TD · 92 tgtEPA per target +0.353George PickensWR · 39 rec · 533 yds · 2 TD · 62 tgtEPA per target +0.4192Quinnen WilliamsLeft Defensive End · 28 tackles · 5 sacks · 1 PD5 sacks · T-12th in the NFL26DaRon BlandRight Cornerback · 31 tackles · 6 PD6 passes defended · T-27th in the NFL

WAS Commanders

5Jayden DanielsQB · 91/145 · 976 yds · 6 TD · 0 INTEPA per dropback +0.04 · 18th1Rachaad WhiteRB · 47 car · 200 yds · 3 TD · 16 recEPA per touch +0.01 · 17th3Stefon DiggsWR · 27 rec · 252 yds · 5 TD · 44 tgtEPA per target +0.2314Antonio WilliamsWR · 23 rec · 259 yds · 1 TD · 33 tgtEPA per target +0.3129Rasul DouglasLeft Cornerback · 27 tackles · 2 INT · 6 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL98Odafe OwehWeakside Linebacker · 16 tackles · 4 sacks4 sacks · T-22nd in the NFL
The series · Cowboys and Commanders since 1999, and this season's records55 meetings

The Cowboys lead the series 39–16 since 1999. They have won the last 3. Sep 20, 2026, at AT&T Stadium: the Cowboys won 37–20. Dak Prescott started at quarterback for the Cowboys and Jayden Daniels for the Commanders; Brian Schottenheimer and Dan Quinn coached.

Cowboys at home21–7the Cowboys' record
In Washington18–9the Cowboys' record
Most pointsCowboys 56 · Commanders 412021 · 2020
Biggest winCowboys by 42 · Commanders by 282021 · 2005

The last 5

2026 · Wk 2WAS 20 at DAL 37
2025 · Wk 17DAL 30 at WAS 23
2025 · Wk 7WAS 22 at DAL 44
2024 · Wk 18WAS 23 at DAL 19
2024 · Wk 12DAL 34 at WAS 26

2026 records

CowboysCommanders
Overall3–52–4–1
Division2–11–2–1
Conference2–42–3–1
Other conference1–10–1
Home1–32–1–1
Away2–20–3
Last 5WLLWLWLTLW
StreakLost 1Won 1
Points a game27.4 – 26.622.7 – 26.0

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Cowboys' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Cowboys offense against the Commanders defenseDepth charts
Commanders defense · 3-4 DCowboys offense · 3WR 1TE60Guyton73Smith56Beebe52Booker78Steele87Ferguson4Prescott33Williams88Lamb19Flournoy3Pickens99Kinlaw97Settle90Omenihu98Oweh92Armstrong52Styles4Luvu23Amos29Douglas2Robertson25Cross39Reaves

Cowboys offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBDak Prescott#4 · 197/302 · 2046 yds · 14 TD · 5 INT
  • RBJavonte Williams#33 · 134 car · 528 yds · 9 TD · 20 rec
  • WRCeeDee Lamb#88 · 60 rec · 709 yds · 6 TD · 92 tgt
  • WRGeorge Pickens#3 · 39 rec · 533 yds · 2 TD · 62 tgt
  • WRRyan Flournoy#19 · 30 rec · 342 yds · 2 TD · 44 tgt
  • TEJake Ferguson#87 · 17 rec · 115 yds · 3 TD · 25 tgt
  • LTTyler Guyton#60
  • LGTyler Smith#73
  • CCooper Beebe#56
  • RGTyler Booker#52
  • RTTerence Steele#78

Commanders defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEJavon Kinlaw#99 · 13 tackles · 1 sack · 2 PD
  • NTTim Settle#97 · 11 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • LDECharles Omenihu#90 · 5 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • WLBOdafe Oweh#98 · 16 tackles · 4 sacks
  • SLBDorance Armstrong#92 · 19 tackles · 1 sack
  • RILBSonny Styles#52 · 52 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • LILBFrankie Luvu#4 · 34 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • RCBTrey Amos#23 · 6 tackles · 2 PD
  • LCBRasul Douglas#29 · 27 tackles · 2 INT · 6 PD
  • NBAmik Robertson#2 · 46 tackles · 8 PD
  • SSNick Cross#25 · 22 tackles
  • FSJeremy Reaves#39 · 47 tackles · 3 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · DAL offense against WAS defense
StatDAL DAL offFavors DAL · Favors WASWAS WAS def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
+0.09#7
+0.03#21+0.00
Success rate
47%#9
46%#2744%
Yards per play
5.4#20
5.4#175.4
Explosive play rate
7%#29
8%#89%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.15#7
+0.02#17+0.03
Sack rate
4%#2
6%#197%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.02#10
-0.08#16-0.08
Yards per carry
3.7#24
3.5#54.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
50%#3
44%#2641%
Red zone TD rate
68%#10
79%#2961%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
207#2
149#18147
TE yards per game
32#28
75#3055
TE targets per game
5.8#26
8.0#227.6
RB receiving yards per game
17#30
36#2232
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Cowboys: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.297% of throws
+1.213% of throws
+0.457% of throws
Short
+0.2732% of throws
-0.1715% of throws
+0.1835% of throws

Commanders: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.2712 throws
+0.5911 throws
+1.1920 throws
Short
-0.0481 throws
+0.4146 throws
-0.0983 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.