The Dallas Cowboys put a thumping on the Washington Commanders on Sunday. While the Commanders were without star receivers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel, the Cowboys were only favored by less than a field goal. This was expected to be a dogfight.
The Commanders hung in for three quarters, but the game begged for the Cowboys to take it over. Jake Ferguson's second touchdown of the game gave Dallas a 12-point cushion before DaRon Bland slam the door shut with a 68-yard pick six on Washington's next possession in the third quarter.
The Cowboys were lucky to escape the rivalry game without any major injuries, but Washington unfortunately can't say the same. On top of losing star quarterback Jayden Daniels to a hamstring injury that leaves his Week 8 status in question, standout pass rusher - and former Cowboy - Dorance Armstrong suffered a season-ending knee injury, head coach Dan Quinn announced.
Former Cowboys DE Dorance Armstrong out for the season with knee injury suffered in Week 7 clash
This is a devastating blow to a Commanders team that's already ravaged by injuries.
It came as a shock that Armstrong was even active for Sunday's game. He hadn't practiced all week due to a hamstring injury. There's a question to be asked if the Commanders should've let him play. While Armstrong likely wanted to be out there for his teammates, this might've been a case where the team could've intervened to save the player from himself.
Regardless, Cowboys fans have to feel awful for Armstrong. A fifth-round pick by Dallas in 2018, Armstrong emerged as an outstanding rotational defensive lineman for the Cowboys with the versatility to kick inside on passing downs. He amassed 20 sacks in his final three seasons, to go with 40 quarterback hits and 48 tackles for loss.
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There was a strong case for Dallas to re-sign Armstrong after the 2023 season, but they seemingly were never going to match or surpass Quinn's three-year, $33 million offer to bring him to Washington. In hindsight, that was a poor decision as second-round picks Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland have not lived up to their draft billing.
What makes the injury even more devastating is that the 28-year-old had rounded into the best player on the Commanders' defensive line. He was finally getting recognized as a starting edge rusher in the league, and a darn good one at that.
Hopefully, Armstrong has a smooth recovery and can rediscover his 2025 form upon returning to the gridiron.