Cowboys downplay Commanders win as playoffs now on agenda

Cowboys downplay Commanders win as playoffs now on agenda originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Dallas Cowboys, despite all of the defensive failures this season, have managed to get themselves to .500 thanks to the 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium.

Behind another offensive explosion, and a much-improved defensive showing (DaRon Bland's pick-six, four sacks), the Cowboys now have their teeth into the season.

Yes, it is one game, but it was how the Cowboys won that will please Brian Schottenheimer and the coaching staff. Now at 3-3-1, the season outlook feels a little different for Dallas right now, but don't think for a second that Schotty and his team are feeling that they have things back on track.

“I'm excited about the win,” Schottenheimer said. “I'm excited about how we played. I thought the offense, it was great to get the running game going again. I just take each game one game at a time because no one cares that we're three-three and one right now. We're going to care about where we are in January, and that's what's going to motivate us.”

More:Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer scouts 'swarming' defense in Commanders mauling

Cowboys now in NFC East fight

Now just two games behind the Philadelphia Eagles, with the offense playing at an elite level and the defense seemingly improving, with Jayden Daniels leaving the game injured, Dallas is in a good spot.

Granted, there is still a lot of football left to be played, but the Cowboys, after an up-and-down start to 2025, will hopefully use this as a springboard to push themselves right into the calculations for the division.

The Eagles don't look like the dominating force from last season, the Commanders are banged up, and the New York Giants, while showing signs of improvement, are a game behind Dallas, but Schottenheimer's team owns the tie-breaker.

So, if the Cowboys can capitalize on the momentum from this win, then who knows, in a few months, the NFC East might once again not have a repeat division winner.

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