Rapid reactions from Cowboys' aggressive Week 17 win over Commanders

The Dallas Cowboys improved to 7-8-1 on the season by knocking off the Washington Commanders in Week 17, 30-23. There were plenty of reactions from the game, which proved to be far tougher than expected.

Dallas jumped out to an early lead, going up 21-3 after KaVontae Turpin scored on an 86-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott. From there, the Commanders made it a game, getting it to within a touchdown just ahead of the two-minute warning.

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The Cowboys were able to hold them off, breathing a sigh of relief when they were able to run the clock out at the end. With this one behind them, let's fire off a few rapid reactions from the win.

Jaydon Blue might not be on the roster in 2026

Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue carries the ball against the Washington Commanders. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

For the past several weeks, the Cowboys have gone into the game without their starting running back feeling fully healthy. A shoulder injury has plagued Javonte Williams and has been in and out of the lineup.

That was the case again on Thursday, with Malik Davis taking over as the lead back when Williams had to leave after reaggravating his shoulder injury. That left the Cowboys with Davis and fullback Hunter Luepke, while rookie fifth-round pick Jaydon Blue remained inactive.

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The Texas product came into the league with a lot of hype, but has just 65 yards on 22 attempts. He's also been a healthy scratch in 12 games. Blue has clearly done nothing to endear himself to the coaching staff, which could put him in danger of not making the team in 2026.

Matt Eberflus shouldn't have a seat on the return flight

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus on the field during pregame. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Jerry Jones has been adamant that Matt Eberflus will finish out the season as the defensive coordinator, but he shouldn't. It's never ideal to call for a person's job, but Eberflus isn't the right fit for this defense.

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Even his recent move to the booth has done nothing to change their fortune, as the defense struggled with a four-win franchise that was starting Josh Johnson in this one. Dallas got the win, but Johnson, who was 1-8 in his career as a starter and has played for 14 teams, was able to have much more success than he should have.

As if that wasn't painful enough, the team's poor angles and missed tackles allowed Washington to hang in this one too long, even pulling to within a touchdown in the third quarter when Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran a 72-yard touchdown to make it 24-17.

Aggressive Schotty is a recipe for success

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks on during warmups before the game against the Washington Commanders. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Dallas had a fight on their hands, and might not have emerged victorious if Brian Schottenheimer hadn't been aggressive.

Throughout the game, the Cowboys fell short on third downs, but they responded with an aggressive approach. Schottenheimer went for the conversion rather than the kick five times and was rewarded with five successful attempts.

That approach not only allowed Dallas to add to the scoreboard but also extended drives and kept their defense off the field. The Cowboys won the time of possession game 38:44-21:16, which had as much to do with the result as anything.

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