FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys needed to win to potentially advance to the playoffs, while the Washington Commanders had nothing to lose in their last meeting. Nevertheless, the Commanders dominated the Cowboys at FedEx Field, winning 26–6 in the end.
In a few weeks, the two storied rivals will square off in their first game of the 2023 campaign. However, don’t expect Micah Parsons to use last season’s Week 18 as inspiration for this Thanksgiving.
“That’s stuff from last year,” the First-Team All-Pro pass rusher remarked. “This is a really good team.”
It is undoubtedly true that the Commanders play better than their record suggests—and they usually do when they play the Cowboys—but they have proven to be a formidable opponent for a number of the NFC’s top players.
They scored 31 points in each of their two losses against the Philadelphia Eagles, while the margin of defeat was only 10 points overall. In both games, they had a late-game opportunity to win.
The Cowboys, according to Parsons, are preparing for a dogfight after they also fell to the Seattle Seahawks by a field goal.
“You turn on the tape and they’ve been close to beating the Eagles — it could’ve [gone] either way,” he stated. “I don’t really count the Giants game because of how many turnovers there were. The Seahawks match was quite close. They resemble the Chargers quite a bit.
“They’re a fantastic team, but occasionally the ball doesn’t go in their favor. This is a group that has the potential and ought to be performing well. We have to be very serious about this team, and that should be enough incentive.”
And with that, quarterback Dak Prescott and wideout CeeDee Lamb lead an offense that looks to explode against the Commanders’ secondary, and Parsons and his defensive counterparts will attempt to capitalize on a porous offensive line that has allowed pressure on Sam Howell on almost 40% of his dropbacks, with a league-high 51 sacks.
The Cowboys are aware of the task, as they have a home winning streak that might extend to 13 games and help make the impending rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles important in the NFC East title battle.
It’s to ensure that Thanksgiving is filled with delicious food, without going overboard.
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