Cowboys vs Commanders Week 4: history, key players, projection

The Dallas Cowboys welcome the Washington Commanders to town in Week 4 of the NFL season. This makes for back-to-back NFC East games for both teams adding an extra layer of importance to this matchup.

The Cowboys come in confident after getting their second straight win behind backup quarterback Cooper Rush. The Cowboys went into New York on Monday Night Football and beat the Giants in a game that saw all three phases play well. Sitting at 2-1, the Cowboys are doing more than treading water with Dak Prescott hurt, they are staying competitive.

The Commanders enter this game after a 24-8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the 3-0 leaders of the NFC East at the current moment. The Commanders are 1-2 after losing two straight and can’t afford a second straight divisional loss dropping them to 0-2 in the NFC East.

You know the drill. Let’s get into our weekly history lesson of the matchup that includes a fun reminder for Cowboys fans. We’ll follow that with a weather outlook, key players, and a projection for the game.

Cowboys vs Commanders: History, key matchups, and prediction

Cowboys vs Commanders: Matchup History

All-time Record: 75-47-2 in favor of the Dallas Cowboys (2-0 in the playoffs in favor of the Washington Commanders)

Most recent result: Dallas Cowboys 56, Washington Commanders 14 on December 26, 2021

These two teams have taken turns sweeping the season series for the last three seasons. The Cowboys have swept in 2019 and most recently in 2021 while Washington owned the series in 2020, largely due to Dak Prescott missing both matchups while recovering from his ankle injury.

In the last 10 seasons, the Cowboys are nearly doubling up victories in what is looking less and less like a rivalry. Since 2012, the Cowboys have a commanding 13-7 lead in this matchup.

A fun matchup happens to be the most recent one. The Cowboys took a halftime lead of 42-7 on the way to an all-time trouncing of Washington. Dallas had five receivers with over 50 yards as Prescott threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Toss in a blocked punt turning into a Chauncey Golston touchdown, and this game was a Christmas present for the Cowboys.