We heard talk last week that some of the former Cowboys now playing for the Commanders had this game circled on the schedule. Some media and fans even thought Dan Quinn would want to embarrass his old team. But am I the only one who thinks the Dallas defense might have had a similar feeling? That they were out to show it wasn't just the coach who made last year's defense so good? – Adrian Gomez/Dallas, TX
Nick: You bet they had something to prove. All we've been talking about lately is Dan Quinn playing against his former team and the players like Dante Fowler and Dorance Armstrong on the other side of the field now. There's no player in their right mind who wouldn't have a chip on his shoulder in a game like this. The guys that were here last year, they want to prove to Quinn and everyone else that they should be talked about, too. The new guys who weren't here last year, they don't want to hear about old news either. Now, let's not forget this defense has something to prove no matter if the opposing coach used to be here or not. The way the defense has played this year, it always has something to prove. They haven't stopped the run at all. They've given up big plays. But on Sunday, it came together nicely. Now, it would've been a shame had they gone into overtime because of that last pass. That was definitely a huge mistake. But fortunately, they were able to overcome it and play well. If they can get Trevon Diggs back, and maybe DeMarcus Lawrence, too, this defense has a shot to be what he expected all along.
Kurt: I think you're on to something there. Make no mistake, these players are well-aware of the talk surrounding each game. They knew they were double-digit underdogs going into Washington. They read where guys like Dorance Armstrong were excited about facing their old friends ("It just might be one of the biggest games circled on the schedule"), and that Dan Quinn was looking forward to the showdown ("We can't wait"). And they saw the Commanders' three captains for the game come out for the coin toss – Dante Fowler, Tyler Biadasz and Noah Igbinoghene, all of whom coincidentally played for in Dallas last season. For a team looking to break a five-game losing streak, the Cowboys needed all the motivation they could get, thank you. I'm sure the Dallas defense had some extra incentive to prove that it wasn't just the coordinator who made them good in 2024. That maybe the players themselves had something to do with it. Or that after two years of going up against Biadasz in practice on an almost daily basis that defensive tackles Osa Odighizuwa and Mazi Smith wanted to get the best of him. While there's probably respect and love between former teammates in matchups like this, you can bet that once the game started flowing, the Cowboys definitely wanted to win – not just as a team but also in those individual battles as well. It's always a competition, big or small, and it paid off for Dallas in this one.
