The Dallas Cowboys once again handled their business against an inferior opponent, as they pounded the Washington Commanders 45-10 on Thanksgiving. The game was closer than expected in the second half, but Dak Prescott and DaRon Bland helped Dallas score 25 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Bland took some shine off Prescott's surgical performance by making NFL history with his fifth pick-six of the season, but at this point both players deserve to be included in the Defensive Player of the Year and MVP conversations, respectively.
It's hard to find negatives from a 35-point win, but as we noted earlier the Cowboys struggled to put Washington away. Their start to the second half was uninspiring and kept the Commanders hanging around.
The Cowboys deserve credit for pulling away and extending their home winning streak, but multiple players were exposed in the victory.
4 & 3. Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker
If you're shocked to see Ferguson included, let's start by saying that we fully acknowledge he's an ascending tight end. It says a lot about Ferguson's talent and potential that he's cemented himself as the Cowboys' TE1 of the future midway through his second season.
Ferguson is clearly one of Dak Prescott's favorite targets and that's translated into him ranking among the TE leaderboards in catches, yards after the catch, and touchdowns.
All that said, far too many would-be completions bounce off Ferguson's hands. It happened again against the Commanders on a pass that would've moved the chains. Per ESPN's receiver metrics among tight ends, Ferguson ranks 20th in catch score this year.
There's plenty to be excited about with Ferguson. In order for him to take that next step, though, he needs to reel in tough catches more consistently.
The same can be said for rookie Luke Schoonmaker, who dropped a would-be first down on a tight window throw from Dak Prescott. The young tight end has dropped multiple easy catches this season, so it's no surprise why fans don't want him to see targets in high-leverage situations.
2. Donovan Wilson
Is it time we start talking about Malik Hooker as the top safety of the Cowboys' three-headed monster? Jayron Kearse has had an up-and-down season and Donovan Wilson, who inked a three-year, $21 million contract in March to remain with Dallas a free agent, hasn't been much better.
Wilson has always had frustrating tendencies in terms of lapses in coverage and missed tackles, but he's always made up for it with splash plays (hence, the contract he signed in the offseason). Those have been few and far between this season, however.
Coming into Week 12, Wilson's managed just two tackles for loss, one QB hit and three pressures. Last season, the hard-hitting safety produced seven tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, nine QB hits and 13 pressures. He's also allowing a 132.1 passer rating and has a 38.8 run defense grade, per Pro Football Focus.
Sunday was more of the same from Wilson. The Cowboys need a lot more from the veteran safety if the defense is to realize its maximum potential.
1. Brandon Aubrey
The honeymoon phase with Brandon Aubrey wasn't going to last forever. Heck, it might still be going if you grade on a curve. While Aubrey is still perfect on field goals this season, he's now missed two extra points in a five-day span after his second-quarter misfire against the Commanders.
That gives Aubrey three missed XPs on the season. Calling it a big deal would be a reach given Aubrey's field goal marksmanship, but it's undoubtedly a storyline; one Cowboys fans were hoping not to follow at all this year amid the kicker's exceptional start.
There was bound to be a bump in the road at some point, though. A former USFL standout for the Birmingham Stallions, Aubrey had never kicked in the NFL before 2023. The fact he hasn't experienced a hiccup until now is shocking.
That said, a missed point after on Thanksgiving with the entire country watching means he'll be graded under a microscope moving forward. The miss didn't come back to haunt the Cowboys on Thursday, but Aubrey might not be as lucky if he leaves points on the board now that the schedule gets more difficult.