This year’s NFL Christmas Day lineup is missing some serious holiday magic
Christmas Day 2025 is already looking like a disaster for the NFL, with injuries and teams already out of playoff contention.
The Dallas Cowboys already own Thanksgiving. This year they celebrated Christmas.
On Christmas Day 2025, Dallas defeated the Washington Commanders 30-23 in the first of three games. The Cowboys relied heavily on their run game against a Washington front without Daron Payne, gaining 211 yards on the ground and earning their seventh win of the season.
The coaches put up a great fight despite injuries to Payne, quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, left tackle Laremy Tunsil and running back Chris Rodriguez, who was battling illness. Defense struggles against Dallas’ run game doomed Washington to its 12th loss of the season.
Each team has one game remaining against another rival in the district. The Cowboys will play the Giants on the road. The leaders head to Philadelphia in Week 18. After missing the playoffs this year, both will be in for a long offseason.
Here’s how the Cowboys’ Week 17 Christmas win went down as USA TODAY Sports provided live updates of the first game of the holiday tripleheader.
- Brian Schottenheimer doesn’t care about your fantasy football game.. In a week where most league championship games were played, the Cowboys’ top two receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, combined for eight catches, 103 yards and zero touchdowns. Dallas placed more emphasis on the run game, with four different rushers totaling 190 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries (an average of 5 yards per carry). Malik Davis led the way with 90 yards on 17 carries.
- The Cowboys will need to spend this offseason overhauling their defense.. In Dallas’ secondary, 39-year-old Josh Johnson looked like he deserved to start all season at several points in the game, but this was his first start since 2021 and just the 10th of his career. The Commanders’ third-string quarterback threw for 198 yards and a 92.3 passer rating with just one sack, but Washington’s offense nearly kept up with Dallas’ scoring effort. The Cowboys’ offense ranks second in yards per game (393.1 average) and fifth in points allowed (28.3 per game). However, Dallas was eliminated from the playoffs by Week 16. If the defense strengthens, the Cowboys could be back on track to make the playoffs again in 2026.
- Deebo Samuel was playing like a pending free agent hungry for his next payday. That’s him. Samuel didn’t receive many touches, but each one was outstanding. He finished the game with two catches for 68 yards and two carries for an additional 25 scrimmage yards. Every time Samuel had the ball, he moved quickly, taking on would-be tacklers, taking a few touches, then trucking in some and gaining more yards. Other than rookie running back Ja’Corey Crosskey-Merritt, who rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the game, Samuel was the most visible part of Washington’s offense throughout the Christmas game against the Cowboys.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn strategically chose possession and time remaining, instructing his kicker to attempt a field goal on third down with just over two minutes remaining. This would force an additional clock stop on the Cowboys’ next possession, but would allow Washington to honor three timeouts on defense.
Moody’s longest field goal attempt of the day, like his first two, went through the uprights to tie the Managers within seven points. 30-23 Cowboys With a two minute warning. The Cowboys have the ball at their own 33-yard line.
Aubrey missed a 58-yard field goal on the Cowboys’ previous drive, but bounced back with a 51-yard shot on Dallas’ second possession of the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys’ lead was back to 10 points. Dallas leads 30-20. 4 minutes left in the game.
After another Washington drive stalled in the red zone, the command kicker fired a 23-yard field goal through the uprights.
Moody’s second field goal of the day brought the Managers back to seven points. The Cowboys still lead 27-20. 16 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
According to John Machota of The Athletic, Ferguson left the Christmas game against the Commanders with a calf injury and was sidelined for the rest of the game. The Cowboys tight end’s only catch before the injury was a 6-yard touchdown reception, his eighth of the season.
Dallas extends its lead to 10 points with a 52-yard field goal from the kicker. Aubrey went 2-of-2 on his field goal attempts on Christmas Day and also went a perfect 3-of-3 on extra point attempts.
The Cowboys were up 27-17 with 4:42 left in the third quarter.
The Cowboys running back is doubtful to return for the team’s Christmas game due to a shoulder injury, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Williams already has 54 yards on 13 carries and one touchdown.
Shortly after former Washington running back Clinton Portis joined the Netflix broadcast, Croskey-Merritt broke through with a 72-yard touchdown run on the helm’s first play on the second possession of the second half.
This score brought Washington within seven points of Dallas. Cowboys still lead 24-17.9:34 left in the third quarter.
Aubrey’s first field goal attempt of the afternoon was a good one from just over 40 yards.
it is, Cowboys lead 24-10 19 seconds left in the first half.
Washington took advantage of three costly penalties by the Cowboys to score its first touchdown: a kickoff short of the landing zone, a horse-collar tackle, and a defensive pass interference.
Crosskey-Merritt scored his seventh touchdown of his rookie season on a 10-yard run, and the Commanders cut Dallas’ lead to 11 points. He would kick the ball back to the Cowboys, who were leading 21-10 with 4:35 left in the first half.
Command safety Frankie Lube ran offside, and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took advantage of the free play to take a deep shot downfield. Turpin took the right throw across the 50-yard line and connected the rest of the way with a touchdown for the Cowboys.
Dallas’ 97-yard touchdown drive had the fewest plays and the shortest time to score of any drive of the day. Cowboys lead extends to 21-3 7 minutes left in the first half.
The Cowboys have run their managers into the ground. Through two possessions, he gained up to 92 yards on 17 carries (5.4 yards per carry).
Williams was the latest beneficiary of Washington’s poor run defense, smashing a rock through several defenders and scoring his second touchdown in as many possessions for Dallas. Cowboys currently lead 14-3 12 minutes left in the first half.
Dallas scored on two back-to-back drives lasting more than five minutes each and had more than a dozen plays on each possession.
The Commanders got inside the Cowboys’ 5-yard line and quarterback Josh Johnson took a third-down sack.
On the ensuing fourth down, Washington’s kicker made a 29-yard field goal, giving his teams their first points of the holiday season. 7-3 Cowboys 4 minutes and 44 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Cowboys’ fourth-year tight end scored his eighth touchdown of the season, setting a new career high, and he did it with flair. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s throw was a bit high, but the 6-foot-5 tight end reached out and tipped the ball toward himself.
Ferguson’s score and kicker Brandon Aubrey’s extra point. The Cowboys led 7-0. The coaches will begin their first possession with 9:42 left in the first quarter.
Netflix will broadcast the Cowboys vs. Commanders game to viewers nationwide on Christmas Day. There will be no national broadcast of the game on cable television.
Fans living in the local market (Dallas or Washington) can watch the game on their local CBS affiliate.
Tickets to watch the Cowboys and Commanders battle can be purchased from multiple sources.
The Commanders will start veteran journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson in the Christmas game against the Cowboys, head coach Dan Quinn announced.
It will be the 39-year-old’s first start since 2021 and the 10th start of his career. Johnson has started nine career games and has a 1-8 record.
Notably, Johnson holds the NFL record for most teams he played for in his career with 14. Here are the players he has played with in alphabetical order.
There are three NFL games on Christmas Day, but none are available to watch on national television with a cable subscription or antenna.
Here are the games kicking off on December 25th, their start times, and how to watch each game this holiday season.
Commanders vs. Cowboys:
- kick off: 1:00 PM ET
- Streaming: Netflix (nationwide)
- TV channel: N/A (Domestic) | KTVT – CBS 11 (Dallas) | WUSA – CBS 9 (Washington)
Vikings vs. Lions
- kick off: 4:30pm (EST)
- Streaming: Netflix (nationwide)
- TV channel: N/A (Domestic) | WWJ-TV – CBS 62 (Detroit) | WCCO – CBS 4 (Twin Cities)
Chiefs vs. Broncos
- kick off: 8:20pm ET
- Streaming: Amazon Prime Video (nationwide)
- TV channel: N/A (Domestic) | KMGH – ABC 7 (Denver) | KSHB – NBC 41 (Kansas City)
- TV channels (nationwide) Not applicable
- TV channels (Dallas market): KTVT (CBS Channel 11)
- TV channels (Washington market): WUSA (CBS Channel 9)
The Commanders-Cowboys Christmas Day game will be streamed on Netflix and will not be broadcast on the national television network.
Viewers in the Dallas and Washington markets will be able to watch the game on their local CBS affiliates.
What time is the Cowboys game?
The Cowboys and Commanders are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET. Dallas heads to Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, for the game.
Commanders vs Cowboys stream
The Cowboys-Commanders matchup is the first of two Christmas games to be aired on Netflix. Registration is required to watch the match.
Cowboys vs. Commanders picks, predictions
Here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ NFL experts think the Cowboys vs. Commanders matchup will tip.
- Jarrett Bell: Cowboys, 30-24
- Nick Brinkerhoff: Cowboys, 30-24
- Chris Cotton: Cowboys, 33-22
- Nate Davis: Cowboys. 27-17
- Tyler Dragon: Cowboys, 30-21
- Mike Middlehurst Schwartz: Cowboys, 34-23
Cowboys vs. Commanders Odds, Moneyline, O/U
National Football League odds provided by BetMGM. Odds updated Tuesday at 7:28 a.m. ET. For a complete list of sports betting odds, visit the USA TODAY Sports Betting Score Odds Hub.
- Spread favorites: Cowboys (-6.5)
- Money line: Cowboys (-285), Commanders (+230)
- total: 50.5 points
The Cowboys enter today’s game in second place in the NFC East. The commanders are in third place. Both teams will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- WR Ryan Flournoy
- CB Kaylen Carson
- RB Jadon Blue
- DT Jay Toia
- LB Demarvion Overshow
- DT Perion Winfrey
