Which player can’t be trusted among major takeaways from Cowboys’ 34-26 win over Commanders

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It’s a game that virtually no one gave Dallas a chance to win. The 3-7 Cowboys were in a freefall, losing five of their last five and on pace for a top-10 draft pick. The Commanders entered 7-4 with eyes on the playoffs and a shot at the division. It was supposed to be a mismatch and snoozefest and for most of the day it was as boring a game as there was in the NFL.

Neither team looked good enough for the postseason on Sunday afternoon. The first half, in particular, was an exercise in ugly. Miscues and unforced errors ruled the day as both offenses floundered early with the teams going into halftime tied at 3. But things soon opened up and chaos ensued with 54 of the game’s points scored in the second half.

After winning 34-26, the Cowboys have plenty of takeaways from the Week 12 affair and they aren’t all positive.

CB Josh Butler may be someone to build around

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In a losing season, finding out which players can be part of the future and which cannot is one of the top tasks for any front office. Josh Butler’s performance at the cornerback position was something to build on for 2025.

Butler showed all things fellow CB Caelen Carson struggled to show in the weeks prior. He showed an ability to play with the boundary, he was able to play off coverage and crash in and make tackles with reliability, and he was able to turn his head and track the ball on deep throws. It was an inspiring effort.

Jourdan Lewis is the defensive MVP

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One of the very few internal free agents the Cowboys re-signed last offseason was nickel CB Jourdan Lewis. It wasn’t met with much fanfare but it was one of the best decisions the front office made last March. Lewis is the heart and soul of the Cowboys defense in 2024, mixing in coverage savvy with run-stopping ability.

Lewis is the complete package and has been playing the best ball of his career this season. Assuming the price is right, Lewis is someone the Cowboys should look to retain again in 2025.

SNAFU central

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SNAFU (situation normal: all “fudged” up) perfectly describes the 2024 Cowboys. Even when things start going well the Cowboys find a way to muck up drives and scoring opportunities with the first half serving as a perfect example.

Dallas messed up scoring opportunities with snafus like a blocked field goal, a missed field goal, a Rico Dowdle fumble, a fumbled shotgun snap and a blocked punt. It was a comedy of errors and an illustration of how Murphey’s Law is out to get the Cowboys this season.

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Defense starting to click

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Mike Zimmer is known for his complicated playbook and high demands, so it’s been no wonder the Dallas defense has struggled so much this season. On a defense that’s severely lacking interior talent and is riddled with injuries, bad play isn’t just likely, it’s expected.

In Week 12 things appeared to start clicking for the Cowboys defense. Maybe it was inevitable or maybe it’s just Fool’s Gold from an overrated Commander’s offense, but the Cowboys looked legit on Sunday.

Cowboys need a real WR2

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Jalen Tolbert has been hot and cold for Dallas all year. Expected to play WR3 behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, Tolbert was thrust into the No.2 role in Week 5 after Cooks was lost to injury. In that time Tobert has made good and bad plays on a somewhat regular basis.

It’s hard to envision Tolbert ever jumping up into a real WR2 role and with Cooks slated to leave in free agency, finding a No. 2 should be a top priority for the Cowboys front office this offseason.