Cowboys injury report: Quinnen Williams questionable vs. Commanders – SportsDay Staff, Dallas Morning News
Second-year left tackle Tyler Guyton is done for the 2025 season.
The Cowboys could get one of their Pro Bowlers back in the lineup on Christmas.
Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (neck) was one of four Cowboys listed as questionable on the team’s injury report for Thursday’s game against the Washington Commanders.
Guard Tyler Booker (ankle), corner Caelen Carson (hamstring) and wide receiver Ryan Flournoy (knee) were also listed as questionable.
Five Cowboys were ruled out for Thursday: Payton Turner (ribs), DeMarvion Overshown (concussion), Phil Mafah (shoulder), Josh Butler (knee) and Tyler Guyton (ankle), who was placed on injured reserve Thursday.
Culture change: How 2025 is incomparable to McCarthy final season – Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire
Things are a little different this year under Brian Schottenheimer.
Another year, another lost season. The Dallas Cowboys have two games left to play and once again find themselves mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture. Despite undergoing major changes to the coaching staff over the previous offseason, the Cowboys are on the same trajectory as they were last year under Mike McCarthy.
The situation in Year 1 of Brian Schottenheimer has caused many to call for something along the lines of an “organic tank.” By replacing proven veterans with young up-and-comers the Cowboys can simultaneously learn more about their roster and increase their odds of losing in a somewhat respectable fashion. Obviously, the motivation behind that would be to gain better draft position in the 2026 NFL draft.
It was a similar plea heard around Cowboys Nation in McCarthy’s final season last year. The year was 2024 and McCarthy had just finished his fifth and final season under contract. After three consecutive 12-win seasons, 2024 marked a clear decrescendo for McCarthy’s tenure.
While the plea and circumstances behind it are similar for this year, the situations are apples and oranges. The first season in any head coach’s term is about building a culture. Messages are important and have lasting consequences. Send the wrong message early and a coach may never be able to overcome. It’s why letting off the gas, even a little, is a dangerous proposition, even when there’s seemingly nothing to gain.
Here We Goooo: 3 keys to the game for Cowboys-Commanders – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
What the Cowboys need to do to get their seventh win of the season.
Utilize the short passing game
In a year that’s been effective all across the board for the Cowboys offense, one area they’ve executed at a high level in is the short passing game, with attempts that are between the line of scrimmage and 10 yards down field.
For the year, the Cowboys have the third most passing yards in the short passing game (1,716) with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions to go alongside it.
In their first meeting with the Commanders earlier this season, Dak Prescott completed 15 of his 20 passing attempts within 10 yards for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
Dallas has multiple different ways that they can get to those types of plays. George Pickens’ quick slant routes were one of them. We’ve seen quick throws from Prescott to his tight ends on curls routes too. Or, Prescott can get into his groove in the play action game and hit someone on a crosser as well.
Ultimately, the Cowboys will have their choice for how they can use the short passing game to move downfield. The good news is, the Commanders have struggled recently to get pressure on the quarterback since their first meeting with Dallas, when they lost DE and former Cowboy Dorance Armstrong for the season to a knee injury. Since Armstrong’s injury, Washington has gone from a 40.7% pressure rate (third-highest in the NFL) to 25.9% (second-lowest).
Chance to try new things on defense
We saw a little bit of experimentation from the Cowboys in a few ways last week, most notably with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus moving from the sideline to the coaches booth in order to try and gain a better perspective of the defense.
Another moment that stood out was a specific formation where the Cowboys had three down linemen, and Donovan Ezeiruaku lined up like a linebacker and rushed against the interior of the offensive line as opposed to the outside like he usually does. He was trying to spring open Kenny Clark on a stunt, but the Cowboys couldn’t get home.
While that specific instance didn’t work, this week’s game and next week’s serve as an opportunity to continue to try different things and see if there’s anything that you can find success with that could carry over into next season.
For example, and I’m not saying this is the sole option that could be experimented with nor am I hinting it’ll happen, what about trying some more six-man blitzes? The Cowboys have sent six rushes 5.8% of the time this year, the tenth-lowest mark in the league. Could that be a way where they can finally turn pressure into sacks?
Believe it or not, the Cowboys have recorded the 15th highest pressure rate in the NFL this season at 34.7%. Pressure is well and good, but getting the quarterback to the ground and forcing them into bad decisions is what makes that number look better. The Cowboys have struggled to do the latter half of that equation, but could try some new things against Washington considering the quarterback situation they are in.
Latest news gives DC Matt Eberflus nothing to gain, everything to lose scenario on Cowboys’ Christmas Day matchup – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZ Sports
Matt Eberflus has plenty of pressure on him in Week 17.
The Dallas Cowboys are intent on playing their starters on Christmas Day despite being eliminated from playoff contention, including quarterback Dak Prescott.
The Washington Commanders don’t really have a choice. Not only is starting QB Jayden Daniels done for the year, but now it won’t even be QB2 Marcus Mariota taking the field on Thursday.
Josh Johnson to face Cowboys defense
Long-time NFL journeyman Josh Johnson will start at quarterback for the Commanders, Washington head coach and former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn announced on Wednesday.
Mariota is dealing with a hand injury and he entered the concussion protocol in the third quarter of the Commanders’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend. Johnson recorded a 28.7 passer rating in his relief, completing five of nine pass attempts for 43 yards and an interception.
Johnson is better known for having played for 14 NFL teams, the most in league history. The last time he recorded a start was in 2021 for the Baltimore Ravens, when he completed 70% of his passes for 304 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick in a 41-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Matt Eberflus can’t afford a bad game
Talk about a nothing to gain, everything to lose scenario for defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
The front office’s comments have already made it clear that Eberflus is on the hot seat. Prior to Week 16, Jones said the team’s final three-game stretch would be big criterion when deciding on the defensive coordinator’s fate. So far, it’s not going great after J.J. McCarthy put on a career performance against Dallas last weekend.
And here’s the thing: I don’t see how a good game against Johnson would raise his stock. The guy is about to start his tenth career game since first arriving in the league in 2009. But a bad outing? It could drive Eberflus’ stock into the ground.
Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones recently pointed out how struggling quarterbacks have consistently outperformed expectations when facing the defense. It can’t happen on Thursday, right?
Right?
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