Overlooked Commanders shine in Christmas Day loss to Cowboys

Don’t tell the Commanders that their Christmas Day game against the Dallas Cowboys didn’t mean anything. 

Both teams had already been eliminated from playoff contention, but that didn’t ease the sting of a 30-23 loss for the players in Washington’s locker room. 

“It just hurts,” said third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, who made his first NFL start since 2021 on Thursday after Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota were ruled out with injuries. 

Johnson and the offense did their job, outside of a few drives that stalled in the red zone. After the Cowboys jumped to a 21-3 first-half lead, the Commanders attack outscored the opposition 20-9. 

Despite the journeyman signal-caller and mounting injuries, the Commanders offense was efficient. Johnson completed 15 of 23 passes for 198 yards, keeping the offense moving despite missing three starters on the offensive line. 

It wasn’t a day the 39-year-old would forget, despite the loss. 

“For some of us, this might be the only opportunity we get,” said Johnson, who has signed with 14 NFL franchises, but started just 10 games across a 17-year career. “We can’t take these things for granted. You’ve got to go out there and try to make the best of it.”

On the ground, rookie Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt posted the best performance of his young career. With starter Chris Rodriguez sidelined with a last-minute illness, Croskey-Merritt scored two touchdowns and led all players with 105 yards rushing. 

The breakout performance arrived at a perfect time. The seventh-rounder brought a handful of family members from Alabama — including a handful of former Cowboys fans. He singled them out with a wave and handed over a touchdown ball following his second score. 

“It meant a lot. It was a lot of their first time coming to see me play at this level,” Croskey-Merritt said. “It was good for them to see what I can really do in person.”

Despite the impressive showing on a national broadcast, Croskey-Merritt wasn’t subjected to a league-mandated drug test. That honor was reserved for defensive tackle Johnny Newton, who found the notice taped to his locker after setting a career high with three sacks. 

Newton, a 2024 second-rounder, started in place of the injured Daron Payne. He had posted just four sacks in his first 31 games as a pro. 

“I don’t think I ever had three sacks in a game before,” the Illinois product said. “Getting a sack is an adrenaline rush for any player. To have three of them in one game and have my teammates by my side, celebrating when I celebrate … that was giving me energy the whole game.”

Newton was, in his own words, on fire. 

“When I catch fire, it’s hard to cool me off,” he said. 

But the rest of the Commanders’ defense struggled through an inconsistent day. They recorded a season-high six sacks but forced just one punt as the Cowboys marched down the field at will. 

Every big play — like a sack by Newton or an acrobatic pass breakup by safety Jeremy Reaves — appeared to be negated within seconds. Washington forced Dallas into a handful of third downs, but the Cowboys remained agressive. Quarterback Dak Prescott and company went for it on six fourth downs — they converted them all. 

That didn’t detract from Newton’s memorable Christmas, which arrived amid an otherwise underwhelming sophomore campaign. He has struggled to find playing time after the Commanders signed fellow defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw to a hefty deal in free agency this spring. 

“The thing I’m most happy for him is that he’s out there, having fun, dancing,” Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. “His attitude is very infectious.”

Each NFL team has just 17 regular season games. Each game has just 22 starters — 11 each on defense and offense. To take the gridiron as an NFL starter is an unparalleled opportunity. Being removed from the playoff hunt might be heartbreaking for Commanders fans, but it’s created heartening chances for several players in Washington’s locker room. 

Newton said he sat down with wide receiver Robbie Chosen after learning he’d have increased playing time in Thursday’s game. The journeyman pass-catcher told him not to take it for granted — Chosen himself is currently stuck on the Commanders’ practice squad. 

“I’ve got a brother who’d kill to be in that village. That stuck with me all day,” Newton said. “I was like, ‘Man, I just got to go in there and ball out, because I know my brother would do the same if he had the opportunity.’”

Coach Dan Quinn’s squad is now 4-12 on the season, closer to the No. 1 pick than any of the Super Bowl contenders. But next week’s season finale in Philadelphia against the Eagles will give his players one more shot to compete together on an NFL stage.