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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

WASvsDAL

Commanders offensevsCowboys defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Commanders, 8 for Cowboys. 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

Ground game edge

Commanders average 3.9 yards per carry (18th). Cowboys allow 5.1 (31st).

02
Opportunity

Short middle is open

Cowboys are worst against short middle throws, allowing +0.59 EPA per attempt. Commanders send 18% of their throws there.

03
Watch out

Checkdowns go nowhere

Cowboys give up 27 yards a game to running backs (10th), against a league average of 32. Commanders' running backs produce 24 (24th).

04
Wash

Success rate

Call this one even. Commanders succeed on 41% of plays (25th) against a defense that allows 46% (28th).

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 · Commanders offense against the Cowboys defenseDepth charts
Cowboys defense · 3-4 DCommanders offense · 3WR 1TE74Coleman75Paul63Patrick76Cosmi72Conerly85Okonkwo5Daniels1White3Diggs13Burks14Williams97Clark91Ogbonnia92Williams7Gary6Ezeiruaku53Winters0Overshown26Bland25Porter13Downs1Locke24Hooker

Commanders offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBJayden Daniels#5 · 91/145 · 976 yds · 6 TD · 0 INT
  • RBRachaad White#1 · 47 car · 200 yds · 3 TD · 16 rec
  • WRStefon Diggs#3 · 27 rec · 252 yds · 5 TD · 44 tgt
  • WRAntonio Williams#14 · 23 rec · 259 yds · 1 TD · 33 tgt
  • WRTreylon Burks#13 · 12 rec · 233 yds · 2 TD · 22 tgt
  • TEChig Okonkwo#85 · 17 rec · 182 yds · 0 TD · 24 tgt
  • LTBrandon Coleman#74
  • LGChris Paul#75
  • CLucas Patrick#63
  • RGSam Cosmi#76
  • RTJosh Conerly Jr.#72

Cowboys defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEKenny Clark#97 · 19 tackles · 1 sack
  • NTOtito Ogbonnia#91 · 23 tackles
  • LDEQuinnen Williams#92 · 28 tackles · 5 sacks · 1 PD
  • WLBRashan Gary#7 · 18 tackles · 1 sack
  • SLBDonovan Ezeiruaku#6 · 32 tackles · 2.5 sacks
  • RILBDee Winters#53 · 34 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD
  • LILBDeMarvion Overshown#0 · 20 tackles · 1 INT · 2 PD
  • RCBDaRon Bland#26 · 31 tackles · 6 PD
  • LCBJoey Porter Jr.#25 · 8 tackles · 3 PD
  • NBCaleb Downs#13 · 52 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • SSP.J. Locke#1 · 11 tackles
  • FSMalik Hooker#24 · 27 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 · WAS offense against DAL defense
StatWAS WAS offFavors WAS · Favors DALDAL DAL def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.01#18
+0.13#31+0.00
Success rate
41%#25
46%#2844%
Yards per play
5.3#21
6.1#305.4
Explosive play rate
9%#14
11%#279%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.01#20
+0.21#30+0.03
Sack rate
7%#17
6%#257%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.12#21
-0.01#29-0.08
Yards per carry
3.9#18
5.1#314.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
32%#31
53%#3141%
Red zone TD rate
55%#20
70%#2661%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
156#13
164#26147
TE yards per game
33#27
53#1655
TE targets per game
5.1#28
7.1#147.6
RB receiving yards per game
24#24
27#1032
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Commanders: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.639% of throws
4too few
-0.0313% of throws
Short
+0.1026% of throws
+0.1318% of throws
-0.0233% of throws

Cowboys: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.2622 throws
+1.248 throws
+0.4325 throws
Short
+0.2072 throws
+0.5941 throws
+0.1689 throws

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