Inside The Star
If past performance is any indication, the Dallas Cowboys can expect to find a post-game Christmas Day meal of coal waiting for them on the plane ride home tonight.
The Cowboys are just 14-22 since the 17th week was added to the regular season slate. They are 6-17 when playing away from Dallas.
The Cowboys are 4-5 all-time against Washington in Week 17 games, and won the last Week 17 meeting back in 2019 at AT&T Stadium.
Neither team has much to play for. And we all get the added bonus of hoping Netflix’s streaming service holds up so we can watch the game with limited glitches.
Bah. Humbug.
The Cowboys come into this season with an impressive 79-49-2 all-time record against Washington. That number will change after the two teams meet in Week 7 at AT&T Stadium.
When it comes to playing in the nation’s capital, the Cowboys are just 36-31 against the Commanders.
That’s with the Cowboys winning the last two meetings in 2023 and 2024, and nine of the last 12 overall, in D.C.
After winning a wild game in D.C. last year, the Cowboys hosted Washington in the season finale. That game ended Trey Lance’s Cowboys’ career with a 23-19 loss.
While this will be the first Christmas Day game in the series, the two teams are familiar foes on Thanksgiving Day.
Dallas is 9-2 all-time against Washington on Thanksgiving Day.
The Cowboys have played on Christmas Day before.
In 1971, they defeated the Vikings, 20-12, in a Divisional round playoff game in Minnesota.
They have played three regular season games on the holiday. In 1995, they defeated Arizona, 37-13, before losing to the Titans, 31-0, in 2000.
The last time Dallas played on Christmas day was a 27-26 loss to Arizona in 2010.
All three regular season games were played on the road, as this year’s game will be, as Dallas tries to win for the third time in five tries on Christmas Day.
Since the NFL started tacking extra weeks onto the regular season schedule, the Cowboys don’t seem to care much about playing beyond Week 16.
Dallas is a combined 17-24 in Week 17 and Week 18 games. Part of the reason for the dismal record is that only 14 of those 41 games were played at home.
History says Dallas will struggle.
And they do have a knack for turning third-string quarterbacks like Josh Johnson into the next Tom Brady, too.
Washington may not have much fight left in them. Still, the Cowboys and Commanders usually put up a good game no matter the respective records.
Prediction: Commanders 24, Cowboys 21
