Despite the loss, five players stuck out for the Washington Commanders against the Dallas Cowboys with all eyes on the future.
The Washington Commanders dropped their second consecutive game and fell to 4-12 on the season after a 30-23 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, but with the future the focus, we take a look at five who stuck out on Christmas Day:
RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt: the Commanders were dealt a surprising blow during pregame warm ups after running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. was ruled questionable then out after battling illness, putting a bigger emphasis on the rest of the running back room in a game when Washington already entered with questions at quarterback. But that also meant Thursday marked the latest opportunity for rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt to lead the room in an expanded role and prove himself as more than just a change of pace back. And that he did in the reps available to him, averaging 9.5 yards per carry after finishing with 105 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. The highlight of course was his 72-yard run to open the scoring in the second half on a play head coach Dan Quinn pointed to as evidence of good execution despite the loss, but for the rookie, it showcased his big play ability and clear role in whatever the future holds for the Commanders’ offense with questions at wide receiver, tight end - and at coordinator. His eight touchdowns this season make him the first rookie Commander to post at least eight rushing touchdowns since Antonio Gibson did in 2020. ‘Bill’ was a bright spot for the Commanders.
WR Deebo Samuel: the near-30 year old wide receiver is making the case as maybe the most debated re-signing target of the offseason with Samuel heading into the final game on his current contract, proving his worth in the Commanders’ offense along the way. Before Croskey-Merritt got going, it was Samuel who provided the big play with a 41-yard catch highlighted by a truck stick at the end of the run to set the offense up for its first score of the game, a 29-yard field goal. But Thursday also provided glimpses into how the Commanders envisioned using the versatile former ‘Niners star - out of the backfield. Samuel broke free for a 29-yard rush, marking a new season-long and longest since posting a 39-yard against Arizona back on Nov. 21, 2022. Two highlight plays on four targets and four total touches? Not bad given the sample size. But what does that mean for the future? Samuel finished tied with TE Ben Sinnott for the second-most targets, while Terry McLaurin led the way in both catches (five) and targets (seven) in the loss.
DL Jer’Zhan ‘Johnny’ Newton: Washington finished with a season-high six sacks against Dallas and Newton, who entered the day with two on the season, was a big piece of that. The Illinois product and Florida native had his breakout game, finishing with a team-high three sacks and a pair of TFLs while finishing second with nine total tackles to go with five quarterback hits. Javon Kinlaw also produced seven tackles in the loss, but it was the type of performance needed after what has largely been a disappointing start to his career behind Daron Payne and Kinlaw. But with Payne and Eddie Goldman sidelined, Newton capitalized on a chance to finally play more snaps, doing so with a season-high 56 vs. Dallas. He was the good that emerged from the trenches on Thursday for Washington.
DL Ricky Barber: the UDFA rookie notched his first career sack in his first game, bringing down QB Dak Prescott midway through the fourth quarter at the start of the eventual 14-play drive spanning over seven minutes. For a unit looking for a spark and likely turnover with Daron Payne’s future a question, Barber’s performance was the type to watch down the stretch of what has proven to be a lost season.
K Jake Moody: after Washington moved on from Matt Gay after going 2-for-4 in the 16-13 overtime loss vs. Miami in Madrid, Washington was on the hunt for a new name to add stability to the kicking game. Jake Moody may be the one to provide exactly that. Moody went 3-for-3 on Thursday including a 51-yard field goal, his longest since the 49ers’ regular season finale in 2024, and is now 9-for-9 since the bye week. One offseason after giving Gay the most guaranteed money of any specialist, the former second-round pick turned journeyman in 2025 may be able to give general manager Adam Peters an easy and early offseason win to shore up a position ahead of 2026. No hard feelings despite Moody delivering Washington a primetime loss back on Oct. 13.