Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images Which Commanders players do you think can have the most success against the Cowboys? The Dallas Cowboys were predicted to be one of the best teams in the NFC East division this year and the Washington Commanders one of the worst. Nothing could be further from the truth heading into this Week 12 matchup between bitter division rivals. Both teams seem to be heading in opposite directions of one another right now. Under the guidance of their new head coach Dan Quinn and their first-year rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders have been one of the more entertaining and surprising teams to emerge as a legitimate playoff contender this year. With the multitude of injuries Dallas is dealing with and the overall poor play so far this season, this is a game that sways heavily in the favor of the Commanders. There are a few matchups worth keeping an eye on for entertainment purposes which we listed below, but all in all this will more than likely be yet another embarrassing loss for the Cowboys. Mike McCarthy vs. Dan Quinn If you’re looking for a matchup that heavily favors the Washington Commanders, look no further than Mike McCarthy versus Dan Quinn. Not only is Quinn highly familiar with the Cowboys offensive scheme and McCarthy’s play-calling as Dallas’ former DC, but he’s also very familiar with the personnel as well. Quinn should be able to take advantage of all of this knowledge he’s stored up over the years in Dallas and incorporate it into the game plan for this Week 12 matchup, the first of two between these bitter division rivals. Cowboys’ OL vs. Commanders’ DL Sadly, this is another matchup that is looking as if it will heavily favor the Washington Commanders. Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, and Zack Martin all exited last weeks game early due to injuries and didn’t return, putting their availability in question for this Week 12 matchup. That could mean the Dallas Cowboys OL will be patchworked with backups against a pretty talented Washington DL headlined by Daron Payne and Jer’Zhan Newton. That probably means it will be really tough for the Dallas to get anything going offensively. DE Micah Parsons vs. LT Brandon Coleman If there’s a matchup that might favor the Cowboys, it’s Micah Parsons versus Washington’s LT Brandon Coleman. Coleman was the Commanders third-round pick (67th overall) this year and has played surprisingly well so far in his rookie season. He’s only been penalized once this year and has only given up a total of four sacks this season. He could have his hands full with Parsons though. No. 11 didn’t have a QB sack last week, but he had two against the Eagles in Week 10. Another multi-sack game is definitely attainable for Parsons.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports All Cowboys fans care about these days is the NFL Draft. Wash, rinse, repeat. That feels like the Cowboys season right now as each week we go through the motions of a football game only to lose, and then repeat the process all over again. There are only so many ways to describe a season as bad as this one. There will be no playoff tracking, no tie-breaker scenarios, no dreams of a Super Bowl run. Instead, there is only one thing left worth playing for. The 2025 NFL draft. That is the reward for this miserable season. As long as the Cowboys don’t mess things up by winning, they should be looking at a Top-10 pick, and who knows how high up that pick may actually end up being. In this week’s survey we are asking our standard question about confidence in the direction of the team, but we’re pretty sure about that response. But we are also asking about a new subject – the 2025 draft. We want to know what position group the Cowboys should go after with that projected Top-10 pick. Vote in the poll then hit the comments. Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Dallas Cowboys fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Please take our survey

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys safety room just took a big hit. The Dallas Cowboys have been riddled with injuries in 2024. Safety Markquese Bell joined the crowd when he suffered a shoulder injury on Monday night against the Houston Texans. As of Wednesday, it was reported that his shoulder is dislocated, and he will miss the remainder of the 2024 season. S Markquese Bell will miss the rest of the season with a dislocated left shoulder that may require surgery, per multiple sources. Special teams coordinator John Fassel became emotional when talking about Bell Tuesday, knowing the severity of the injury and the loss for the unit. — Todd Archer (@toddarcher) November 20, 2024 Bell was out of position in 2023 under former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn when he played linebacker. He produced well with 94 tackles in 649 snaps, but it took a toll on him and by the end of the year as his lack of size became an issue as teams constantly ran at him with success. The former undrafted free agent has been back at safety in 2024, but he’s only logged 34 defensive snaps as Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker have been the starters, although they haven’t played very well. However, he has been a big special teams contributor with 168 snaps logged. Bell is a restricted free agent in 2025, and with the struggles in the safety room, the Cowboys would be wise to bring him back, considering he’ll fit their model of not costing a lot.

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders, 2024 NFL Week 12 Keep track of everything related to Cowboys at Commanders in NFL Week 12 as Dallas visits Washington on Sunday afternoon. Contributors: TCDeckard and David Halprin The Dallas Cowboys will be looking for their first win in over two months when they visit the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon, and if opening odds are any indication, it is going to be a tall task to say the least. Opening odds saw Dallas as 10-point underdogs to their division rivals, a group that is now led by former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. With Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler and Noah Igbinoghene, Washington’s group is crawling with players who wore the star on their helmet in recent history. Perhaps that is what has been working so well for Washington this year as they are threatening to win their first division title since 2020. Those matters will be more difficult after their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week, but this should provide a great bounce-back opportunity for them especially with that Philly game taking place on Thursday night. As far as the Cowboys are concerned. things are about as bad as they can be. Mike McCarthy, Cooper Rush, Rico Dowdle, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, no matter who or what, nothing seems to be going right for Dallas. They have been losing so much lately and doing so in embarrassing fashion and assuming they do drop this game it will send them into their annual Thanksgiving Day game with a six-game losing streak. Needless to say the Cowboys need something good to happen and for it to happen as soon as possible. Whether or not that comes on Sunday in Landover ultimately remains to be seen. Here’s our stream for everything you need to know about it all. We will update it throughout the week to include all relevant news regarding the game, injuries and everything else.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The latest news around the Dallas Cowboys. Micah Parsons on the state of the Cowboys: ‘I’m gonna put this out there … we’re a damn good football team’ – Declan Walsh, 24/7 Sports Despite the recent struggles, Micah Parsons feels the Dallas Cowboys are better than their record says. The Dallas Cowboys were subjected to another beatdown before a primetime national audience Monday evening, falling to 3-7 on the 2024 season with a 34-10 loss at home against Houston. Despite these high visibility struggles and five-straight losses, star linebacker Micah Parsons insists that his Cowboys are a “damn good team,” adding that the scores in recent weeks don’t reflect the quality of Dallas’ team. #Cowboys Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs share their confidence in the team despite what the scores and their record say. Parsons: “We a damn good football team.” ( : The Edge with Micah Parsons) pic.twitter.com/MXpc4pIzvD — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) November 19, 2024 “I’m going to put this out there, we’re a damn good football team,” Parsons said on his “The Edge” podcast. “I know the scores ain’t showing it, and people feel like we’re missing so many key pieces, but I almost believe you need to really go through the things that we’re really messing up on.” “I think our defense has really things around. Up until that last quarter when they got that touchdown on defense, we only really gave up those two touchdowns in that first quarter. Other than that, we gave up those six points in those other two quarters.” These losses are growing stranger and stranger – Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com This season for Dallas keeps redefining the word “strange.” In lieu of Texans 34, Cowboys 10. In lieu of the Cowboys losing their fifth consecutive game. In lieu of now 0-5 here at AT&T Stadium after winning 16 consecutive regular-season home games heading into the 2024 season. In lieu of the Cowboys now 3-7, their worst start since COVID 2020 and coming on the heels of three consecutive 12-5 seasons since. And consider the now 7-4 Texans gained just three more yards than the Cowboys and the Cowboys threw for 74 more yards than the Texans. But dang it, with 4 minutes, 16 seconds left in the third quarter of this Monday Night Football game, with Cowboys Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin on hand, the Cowboys were only trailing in this Texas Showdown, as this game was being billed, 20-13. And that despite the Texans already having rushed for 92 yards, 80 of those belonging to Joe Mixon. And then the roof caved in, and must admit there is a cheap line here for what took place on a high-wind afternoon with the roof actually open some 3½ hours before kickoff, causing the roof to recoil on a perfectly blue, uh, sunny day. This despite still playing without Dak Prescott, DaRon Bland, Brandin Cooks, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland and heading into this one without Jourdan Lewis and Hunter Luepke. And then losing tight end Jake Ferguson to a concussion by halftime. Why, the Cowboys were starting Josh Butler at left corner, signed to the 53-man roster prior to the game, his first NFL game appearance; had Israel Mukuamu playing in the slot; and first-year free-agent Princeton Fant, elevated from the practice squad, making his NFL debut at fullback. Michael Irvin: Deion Sanders would ‘100%’ accept Dallas Cowboys job if they draft Shedeur Sanders – Matt Connolly, On3.com Deion Sanders won’t be the next head coach of the Cowboys… right? Over the past week, Paul Finebaum, Adam Schefter, Stephen A. Smith, Dez Bryant and Louis Riddick have discussed the possibility of Deion Sanders landing the Cowboys head coaching job, where perhaps Dallas could draft Shedeur Sanders to once again play for his dad. Cowboys legend Michael Irvin added fuel to the fire on Tuesday, sharing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that he knows for a fact Deion Sanders would leave Colorado to team up with Shedeur Sanders in Dallas. “I believe 100 percent. And I can tell you, good sources told me that. Great sources have told me that,” Michael Irvin said. “That’s all I can say like that without violating anything else.” Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders played together with the Cowboys from 1995-1999. It’s fair to say that they know each other well. The fact that the Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to a huge deal this past offseason obviously complicates matters, as does the fact that the Cowboys may not draft high enough to land Shedeur Sanders. Still, it’s fun to speculate about the possibility as the 2024 college football season starts to wind down. CeeDee Lamb takes Cowboys’ offensive struggles ‘real personal’ – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com With Dak Prescott out for the season, CeeDee Lamb has to step up as the leader on offense. “We were moving the ball up and down the field, but I feel like it’s been our thing all season of getting in the red zone and not scoring,” Lamb said. “Obviously, good teams do it, and we have been failing to do that, and it differentiates the score a lot.” The Cowboys have trailed by 20 or more points in their last six homes games dating back to their loss to Green Bay in the playoffs at the end of last season, an NFL record. With that, Lamb knows his team needs to play better together in order to avoid more big losses, much less on their home turf. “Obviously, everybody is looking to embarrass us, they have their opportunity, when they do, they try to put us out, Lamb said. “We had so much success over the last three years as far as in the regular season… for us, we’ve got to find ways to gel together, play together and finish this thing out.” In the first half, the Cowboys defense gave up 17 points but strung together a turnover and gave the offense

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Taking a look at the Commanders side of things. Dan Quinn Provides Positive Update Regarding Commanders’ CB Marshon Lattimore – Kade Kimble, Sports Illustrated Washington is hoping for the debut of their newly-acquired Pro Bowl cornerback. The Washington Commanders acquired four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints at the trade deadline. He’s yet to suit up in a Commanders jersey, though, having missed the past two games with a hamstring injury that’s lingering from his time in the Big Easy. The Commanders, surprisingly, have lost those two games — coming against stout teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. While the two losses are tough, Washington now has a chance to prove themselves and come away with a big victory. They’ll need Lattimore in the secondary to help them do such. On Monday, Washington head coach Dan Quinn provided an update on Lattimore, claiming they are “trending in a really strong way” with the star defensive back. It’s no shock Lattimore was held out of the team’s second match since his arrival. They were on a short week, so it made sense for him to take extra time to get healthy. A fully healthy Commanders squad is going to be quite dangerous, though a loss to the Eagles makes it seem as if they will have to earn an at-large playoff bid in the Wild Card rounds. They’ve got to prove they can take a punch like two straight losses and course-correct under the leadership of a rookie quarterback. With No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels at the helm, Washington should be able to get back on track, though, and Kliff Kingsbury’s offense will get back to putting big points on the board while Lattimore bolsters the defense. What’s happened to the Commanders’ offense? – ESPN Has it become time to worry about Washington’s offensive output? ASHBURN, Va. — The start of the Washington Commanders’ 2024 season could be summed up with one question: Where did this come from? Their last four games, however, have led to quite another: What’s happened to the offense? In those four games, the Commanders have not exhibited the same explosive attack that helped them build up a 7-2 NFC-East leading record. And after suffering consecutive losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, Washington faces questions about where the unit is headed. Over the first seven games of the season, Washington ranked third in scoring at 30.1 points per game and fourth in yards at 384.1. Over the past four, the Commanders are 14th in points (22.5) and 19th in yards (336.3). In between, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels injured his rib in the first quarter of the Commanders’ Week 7 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He didn’t return until the following game, an 18-15 victory over the Chicago Bears. “I don’t think anyone is hitting the panic button, but at the same time there’s a lot to improve on,” said tight end Zach Ertz. “There’s a lot of urgency that goes with that.” The good news for the Commanders: Of their final six games this season, five are against teams that rank 20th or worse in scoring defense. The only game that doesn’t fall into this category is their rematch against Philadelphia. Thus far, Washington has played five games against teams ranked 23rd or worse. The Commanders have averaged 31 points in those games; they also scored 42 against Arizona, which currently ranks 11th in scoring. “In the NFL, that’s what happens around this time. Once you reach the midpoint, teams figure out a little bit and you’re not a surprise to anybody,” right tackle Andrew Wylie said. “We’ve got all the confidence in the world in the staff and players. We’ll continue to dial it up and get it done.” Dan Quinn Spotlights Growth Through Commanders Struggles – Joanne Coley, Yardbarker.com Adversity is a good thing if you want to succeed. The Washington Commanders might be stuck in a two-game losing streak, but head coach Dan Quinn isn’t letting the team lose focus on the bigger picture. As the team navigates these challenging times, Quinn believes the hard times are a part of the journey and that the Commanders should keep focused on growth, connection, and what’s ahead, even as the team weathers the storm. “Well, it is going to come, the adversity part,” Quinn acknowledged. Every team hits rough patches, but for him, it’s about seeing the silver lining. “And there’s some things that have sped up our development as a team. That’s this connection that the guys have spoken about.” That bond between players keeps this Washington team together, even when the wins aren’t coming as every Sunday. Quinn isn’t sugarcoating things, though. The Commanders have struggled to close out tight games, and he knows that’s where the growth has to happen. “There’s also one thing you can’t speed up, and that’s the hard lessons,” he explained. “Learning how to win close games and late ones and ugly wins and playing left-handed and all these lessons that come from that.” For Quinn, those experiences shape the team into something bigger than their current record. “What I do love about our team is that we’re never out of it,” Quinn said. “And maybe after the first game of the season, that would’ve been something, but since that space, we haven’t won them all. But to know that these guys are down for the fight and they’re a resilient group into those spaces.” Quinn’s faith in his players has remained strong. He knows the journey is just as important as the destination. The Commanders might not be there yet, but they’re building something real.