Check out this game blog for stats, highlights and updates from the Washington Commanders' Week 17 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Washington Commanders have begun arriving at Northwest Stadium for their Week 17 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
1:01 p.m.
Washington is starting this one on defense, and it'll be quite the task to match up against this Cowboys offense, particularly with Daron Payne out on the interior. Get ready for more snaps from Johnny Newton to try and bottle up Javontae Williams.
1:13 p.m.
The Cowboys are on the board first after a 13-play, 78-yard drive that culminated with a six-yard touchdown grab by Jake Ferguson. The Commanders actually did some good things on the drive. They forced two third downs, and Jonathan Jones got a nice pass breakup on a deep shot to CeeDee Lamb. But George Picken managed to keep both feet in bounds and ride the sideline to the Commanders' 7-yard line, and Ferguson finished things off two plays later. Now it's time for the Commanders' offense, which is without Chris Rodriguez, who has an illness. Expect a heavy dose of Jacory Croskey-Merritt today.
1:21 p.m.
The Commanders respond with a field goal after an efficient drive against a struggling Cowboys defense. The play of the drive came from Deebo Samuel, who finished off a 41-yard catch-and-run with a punishing hit on Donovan Wilson that knocked the defender's helmet off. Still, it was a frustrating finish to the drive, as Josh Johnson was sacked on third-and-goal.
1:32 p.m.
We're at the end of the first quarter, and the Commanders are doing relatively well at making things more difficult for the Cowboys' offense. They're still moving the ball, but there haven't been any explosive plays up to this point. Where the Commanders have struggled the most is on third and fourth down, as the Cowboys are 3-of-5 in such situations.
1:43 p.m.
The Cowboys just tacked onto their lead with another long scoring drive -- this time a 17-play, 65-yard possession that ended with a four-yard run from Javontae Williams. Fourth downs continue to be a problem for the Commanders, as they had two chances to get Dallas off the field on two fourth-down conversion. The Cowboys are 5-of-5 for the day on fourth downs.
1:52 p.m.
The Commanders just punted the ball away after Johnson's third-down pass to Sameul was batted away. The good thing is that the Commanders' punt team is still elite, because Pro Bowl punter Tress Way just pinned the Cowboys at their own 3-yard line.
1:57 p.m.
Another touchdown for Dallas. This time, Prescott found KaVontae Turpin for an 86-yard score.
2:10 p.m.
The Commanders hit paydirt for their first touchdown of the day with a 10-yard touchdown from Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The Commanders have looked efficient when they've been on the field, amassing 139 yards so far. Samuel has been a real spark plug for the unit, as he has 93 total yards so far today.
2:25 p.m.
We're getting close to the end of the first half, and while the Cowboys still added to their lead, the Commanders did manage to get a stop with a sack on third down from Preston Smith and force a field goal. The Cowboys lead 24-10, but the Commanders aren't in terrible shape. They get the ball to start the third quarter.
2:52 p.m.
The Commanders got a stop from their defense, thanks in part to an offensive pass interference call on Pickens. The Commanders have proven they can move the ball against the Cowboys, but it's come through what they've done through the air. Josh Johnson is 8-of-12 for 128 yards and looks comfortable in the pocket.
2:59 p.m.
How about that. Croskey-Merritt just had his longest run of the season with a 72-yard romp to the end zone on the first play of the Commanders' drive. The Commanders are now only down seven with plenty of time left to play.
3:08 p.m.
The Cowboys just went back up by 10 points with a 52-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey, but the drive could have ended differently. Earlier in the drive, a sack on Prescott was wiped away by an unnecessary roughness call.
3:20 p.m.
The Commanders are back down by seven following a 23-yard field goal from Jake Moody. The Commanders had to settle for three after getting all the way to the Cowboys' 5-yard line. It looked like Terry McLaurin was open in the end zone on second-and-goal, but Johnson didn't see him. Either way, the Commanders are firmly in the game with over a whole quarter left to play.
3:49 p.m.
The Commanders are down 30-20 with four minutes left to play following the 51-yard field goal from Aubrey. Time is obviously not in their favor, and they need to get down the field quickly to give themselves a chance.
