Former Dallas Cowboys making a mark in Divisional Round for rivals

These were the players Jerry Jones wasn't interested in re-signing.

Washington Commanders defensive end Dorance Armstrong | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

This offseason, the Dallas Cowboys were the least active team in free agency.

They not only refused to sign nearly every available free agent but they also neglected to keep their own. Players such as Tony Pollard, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr., Tyler Biadasz, and Stephon Gilmore all left without Jerry Jones blinking an eye.

Three of those players — Biadasz, Fowler, and Armstrong — all followed Dan Quinn to the nation's capital. After Quinn was hired as the Washington Commanders head coach, he signed all three players to his roster.

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Washington had a lot of success under Quinn, winning 12 games in the regular season. They then knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round and are facing the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.

Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Commanders are the underdogs but two former Cowboys are giving them a chance. In the first half alone, both Fowler and Armstrong have made impact plays.

Fowler kicked the game off on the first drive by recording a tackle for five-yard loss on David Montgomery.

Big time TFL by Dante Fowler, and a quick 3 and out for the Lions 👀 pic.twitter.com/PDKN0mBvfd

— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) January 19, 2025

In the second quarter, it was Armstrong who stood out, recording a strip-sack on Jared Goff as the Lions were poised to score.

Commanders strip sack ‼️

📺: #WASvsDET on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/xl3a5B1Jsh

— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2025

For good measure, Armstrong recovered the fumble as well, with Washington responding by scoring a touchdown to take a 10-7 lead.

Dallas players have often been criticized for failing to rise to the occassion in the postseason. It's odd how that's changed for those who left the organization.

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