The Dallas Cowboys will wait to see their third NFC East rival a full 12 weeks into the season. Washington comes to Dallas on Thanksgiving Day in the first meeting.
The teams will play in the season finale in January at FedEx Field. It will be the second straight year the teams have played each other in the final week.
Dallas has dominated the series, holding a 76-48-2 record over Washington. The Cowboys have outscored the Commanders 2940-2468.
Winning Home And Away
The Cowboys are 42-17-2 at home, with a 1580-1135 scoring edge. Dallas was 6-3-2 at the Cotton Bowl against the Redskins.
The two teams tied the first two games they played in Dallas. The Cowboys then won the next three meetings.
Washington answered with two wins before Dallas reeled off three in a row again. The Redskins won their last game at the Cotton Bowl, 20-16, in 1971.
Dallas won the first four meetings at Texas Stadium and went 26-10 overall. Washington did win its last visit to Irving, 26-24, in 2008.
The Cowboys won the first three games at AT&T Stadium and are 10-4 overall.
They have beaten Washington the last two games played in Arlington.
But the series is much closer at Washington. Dallas is just 34-31 with a slim 1360-1333 scoring lead.
Lots To Be Thankful For
The rivalry has carried over to Thanksgiving Day. The two teams will be meeting for the 11th time on the holiday.
Dallas holds an 8-2 record over Washington on Turkey Day. Dallas won the first six Turkey Day games.
Washington’s first win on Thanksgiving was a 38-31 victory in 2012.
The last time the teams met in the holiday classic, Washington rolled to a 41-16 victory. Washington scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Against The League
Dallas comes into the game with a 32-22-1 record on Thanksgiving Day.
Against their other NFC East rivals they are 6-2.
The Cowboys have beaten the Giants both times they have played on Thanksgiving. They were 4-0 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
They haven’t played the Cardinals on Thanksgiving since the team moved to Arizona.
Dallas is 0-2 against the Eagles.
Overall against NFC teams Dallas is 21-10-1. The one tie, 24-24, came in 1969 against the 49ers. Dallas is 11-12 versus AFC teams.
The Mad Bomber
In the most iconic Thanksgiving Day game in NFL history, a little-known player from Abilene Christian carved his name into Cowboys’ lore.
On Nov. 28, 1974, the Redskins game plan was to knock Roger Staubach out of the game.
They succeeded. Enter Clint Longley, the Cowboys’ backup quarterback.
Duane Thomas, the former Cowboys running back, scored his second touchdown to give Washington a 23-17 lead.
Dallas found themselves at midfield with 28 seconds left in the game.
Longley dropped back and hit Drew Pearson on a 50-yard Hail Mary pass to win the game 24-23.
The Abilene Christian alum had not prepared to play in the game at all. Somehow he found a way to lead Dallas to three second-half touchdown drives.
Dallas’ offensive lineman Blaine Nye called Longley’s performance “the triumph of the uncluttered mind.”
Longley earned the nickname, the Mad Bomber, for his performance.
Longley would be traded to San Diego before the 1976 season after sucker-punching Staubach during training camp.
Championship Blues
The two teams have met twice in the playoffs, both times in the NFC Championship game. Both ended in Redskins’ victory.
In the 1972 title game, Dallas’ offense never got on track. Billy Kilmer hooked up with Charley Taylor for two touchdowns and Washington rolled to a 26-3 win.
Ten years later, Dallas came back to RFK Stadium. But behind Danny White they fell behind 14-3 at the half.
Gary Hogeboom relieved White, knocked out with a concussion, and rallied Dallas to 21-17 with a pair of third-quarter scoring passes.
But with seven minutes left, Hogeboom’s screen pass to Tony Dorsett was tipped by Dexter Manley.
Darryl Grant grabbed the ball and returned it 10 yards for the game-sealing score and a 31-17 win.