3 winners (and 4 losers) from Commanders defeat vs. Cowboys in Week 12
By Dean Jones
Winner No. 1
Bobby Wagner - Commanders LB
There wasn't much to cheer for the Washington Commanders in this one. They almost stole it late before more individual errors caused their demise. But in all honesty, Dan Quinn's men got what they deserved.
If there was one shining light from the contest, it came at the defensive second level. Bobby Wagner was once again firing on all cylinders, securing eight tackles after another accomplished performance from the future first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Wagner also managed to generate some encouraging pressure when called upon. Cooper Rush getting the football out quickly restricted this as the contest progressed. This made things more difficult for the former second-round pick given the pass rush was almost non-existent from their defensive line.
There's no doubt Wagner has more than enough solid production to warrant another one-year extension if he wants to continue playing. That's to be determined, but his veteran leadership and ability to motivate will be integral to steering this squad through their most turbulent spell of the campaign.
Loser No. 2
Commanders third-down offense
The Commanders' offense did not have a good day. A late rally padded the statistics to a certain degree, but Kliff Kingsbury unit didn't pass the eye test for arguably the fourth consecutive week.
This is a big problem. They set a high bar for themselves with one of the league's most efficient offenses earlier in the campaign. The drop-off is significant and concerning in equal measure. Some soul searching is needed or the Commanders' hard work to give them a fighting chance of making the postseason will be for nothing.
Washington's complications on third down were there for all to see. They converted 4-of-12 third downs and were completely lackluster during the opening exchanges. Kingsbury couldn't get his unit into a rhythm and paid a heavy price despite a fightback in the closing stages.
Not having an effective offense is having a ripple effect everywhere else. If anyone had said the Dallas Cowboys converted just 2-of-11 of their third downs before the game, an easy Washington victory would be the next prediction. That wasn't the case, so Kingsbury needs to come up with better solutions to this increasing frustration.