PURGATORY: Cowboys & Commanders Need Rebuilds—Can New Moves TRANSFORM NFC East Battle?

Summary

Locked On Cowboys (Crossover with Locked On Commanders)

Episode: PURGATORY: Cowboys & Commanders Need Rebuilds—Can New Moves TRANSFORM NFC East Battle?
Date: December 25, 2025
Hosts: Marcus Mosher (Locked On Cowboys), David Harrison (Locked On Commanders)
Podcast Network: Locked On Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

In this special Crossover Thursday episode, Marcus Mosher and David Harrison dissect the Christmas Day matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders—a game heavy on historic rivalry but light on playoff implications, with both teams eliminated. The discussion pivots quickly to the "purgatory" state of both franchises, the structural issues each faces, and what rebuilding moves could transform future NFC East battles. The hosts deliver candid assessments of each team’s needs, offseason blueprints, and what would constitute a "win" (both literal and moral) in this contest and beyond.

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Main Themes & Discussion Breakdown

1. State of the NFC East: Both Teams Stuck in Purgatory

• Opening Context (03:22 – 04:29): Both Cowboys and Commanders have underperformed despite the Eagles’ own struggles, missing opportunities to take control of the division.
  • "Both Dallas and Washington failing to take advantage ... both these teams are looking up once again at those pesky Philadelphia Eagles." —David Harrison (01:46)
• Marcus and David agree: playoff positions are locked, pride and future momentum are the only stakes.

2. Cowboys: Rebuild Blueprint & Closing the Gap With Philadelphia

• Roster Status & Cap Management (05:43 – 06:59):
  • Offense mostly set: OL, CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, Jake Ferguson locked in.
  • Major work required on defense; salary cap is tight but flexible with restructures (i.e., Dak and CeeDee).
• Defensive Overhaul Strategy (06:00 – 06:59):
  • Six new significant contributors needed via draft (two first rounders), mid-level free agents, and proven veterans.
  • "You need to find six contributors on defense in one offseason ... if the Cowboys can have, David, the 18th-ranked defense in the league, they're probably going to be in the postseason." —Marcus Mosher (05:43)
• Key Roster Question Marks:
  • Who returns at RB and WR—franchise tag or long-term commitment?
  • Trayvon Diggs likely gone as a cap casualty.

3. Commanders: Aging Roster, Cap Freedom, and Rebuild Philosophy

• Roster Construction Issues (07:45 – 09:00):
  • High percentage of cap space tied to older veterans—a strategy Marcus questions.
  • "I didn't love the strategy of loading up on older players, because older players break down ... they've got to make a conscious effort to try to get younger, right?" —Marcus Mosher (07:45)
• Adam Peters’ Philosophy:
  • Use of veterans is more about mentorship and establishing culture, not long-term solutions.
  • "They're using [veterans] to solidify the future ... teach these young guys how to be leaders and then we'll figure out who's going to play that role long-term." —David Harrison (08:21)
• Draft/Free Agent Resources:
  • Fewer picks than Dallas but ample cap space; need for strategic aggressive moves.

4. Game Preview: Cowboys at Commanders – Matchups & Keys

• Cowboys’ Defensive Line vs. Commanders O-Line (14:41):
  • Dallas needs a bounce-back. Missing pressure against bad lines recently.
  • "If you want any chance of slowing down Washington's offense ... the Cowboys' defensive line is going to have to eat." —Marcus Mosher (14:41)
• Commanders Offense: "Booked Reps" and Low Expectations (15:55):
  • Likely to start aging Josh Johnson at QB, plan to "lean on the booked reps," not innovation—low ceiling.
  • "We're not really drawing up anything new ... the wheel you're not reinventing is the wheel that Jaden Daniels and Marcus Mariota used to score only 20 points against this Dallas Cowboys defense." —David Harrison (15:55)
• Run Game Adjustments: Can Commanders Exploit Dallas’ Run D? (18:16 – 19:52):
  • Dallas’ run D is inconsistent; Chris Rodriguez Jr. may get more work, but Cowboys can load the box against a vanilla Kingsbury scheme.
  • "This defense is different when Quinn and Williams is healthy and when they're not playing a quarterback like Justin Herbert ... they can focus on stopping the run." —Marcus Mosher (19:52)

5. What Constitutes a "Win": Moral Victories and Fan Vibes

• Fan Perspectives on Winning or Losing - Draft Position vs. Rival Pride (23:13):
  • Most Commanders fans prefer better draft capital over a meaningless win; Cowboys fans are similarly torn.
  • "It's probably better for the long-term health of both of these teams to lose the final two games of the year." —Marcus Mosher (23:56)
• Keys for Each Team:
  • Cowboys: Let Dak be Dak, start fast, generate turnovers, most crucial—stay healthy.
    • "If you do that, you should be able to win this game going away. But honestly, the most important thing for me, David, is staying healthy." —Marcus Mosher (25:00)
  • Commanders: Emphasis on small victories—efficiency in the run game, developing young TE Ben Sinnott, show defensive improvement by forcing field goals.
    • "These are all silver lining for 2026 more than they are for 2025 ... fix that running back efficiency ... get Ben Sinnott involved ... If the defense can force field goals, that's big." —David Harrison (26:35)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Defensive Overhaul:
  "You need to find six contributors on defense in one offseason ... that's how you get this defense to be an average unit. You don't need them to be Denver or Houston. This is arguably the best offense in the league." —Marcus Mosher (05:43)

• On Commanders’ Roster Strategy:
  "They use them to solidify the future, as in teach these young guys how to be leaders ... Bobby Wagner's five, six, seven year reach is going to be that way." —David Harrison (08:21)

• On Morale and Fan Dilemmas:
  "It's awfully hard to tell them no ... but I don't know in this draft if there's a big difference between like pick 12 and pick 16." —Marcus Mosher (23:43)

• On Moral Victories:
  "People will say there's no moral victories in football. Yes, there are ... That's a moral victory. You can call it whatever you want to call it, but it's a moral victory." —David Harrison (22:39)

• Key Game Plan Simplified:
  "Dak plays his game, get these guys involved early ... get off to a quick start ... get a couple turnovers on defense ... stay away from injuries because you don't want anything that happens in week 17 impacting how you build your team in 2026." —Marcus Mosher (24:45-25:00)

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Key Segment Timestamps

• 03:22 — Setting the context: "NFC East purgatory" for Cowboys & Commanders
• 05:43 — Marcus details Dallas’ defensive rebuild philosophy
• 07:45 — Commanders’ roster age + philosophy discussion
• 14:41 — Key matchup: Cowboys defensive line vs. Commanders offensive line
• 15:55 — David on "booked reps" and Commanders’ offensive limitations
• 23:13 — Fan and organizational perspective on whether a win even matters
• 24:45 — Marcus’ 3-step formula for a Cowboys’ victory
• 26:35 — David’s moral victory blueprint for Commanders (run game, rookie TE, defensive dignity)
• 29:31 — The difference between playing bad football and losing in a meaningful way

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Summary Assessment

This episode offers a thoughtful, frank look at two storied NFL franchises navigating transition years. The tone is candid but hopeful, with both hosts insisting on the importance of smart front office and coaching decisions over splashy, short-term moves. For Cowboys and Commanders fans alike, the main theme is patience and process—this game is less about the immediate scoreboard and more about glimpses of foundational improvement.

Memorable for its honest inventory of each team’s flaws and for embracing the idea of "moral victories," this is a recommended listen for fans tracking the strategic future of their teams—especially those weighing the tough question: "Is a win always worth it now, or is a better tomorrow more important?"

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Locked On Cowboys/Commanders is part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.

Transcript

[David Harrison]

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[David Harrison]

Christmas Day Cowboys Commander's Rivalry renewed. Both teams eliminated from the playoffs. Both teams looking at very different paths to fixing that in 2026.

[Locked On Podcast Network Announcer]

You are Locked On NFL Crossover part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team every day.

[David Harrison]

It is Crossover Thursday. Locked On Commanders Locked On Cowboys. Both parts of the Locked On Podcast Network now the number one sports podcast network in the world. He is Marcus Moser of Lockdown Cowboys. I'm David Harrison, Locked On Commanders. We want to thank you for coming through for today's episode. For the everydayers that come through for every episode of each show special thank you goes out to you and thank you for helping make Locked on the number one sports podcast network in the world. On today's episode we are going to dive into some of the features coming up and in this week 17 Christmas Day matchup between the Cowboys and the Commanders. But it's all going to start off with how we got to the position where both these teams are looking up once again at those pesky Philadelphia Eagles and how we can make sure how we how the teams can make sure that we are not doing that this time next year. All of that brought to you today Crossover Thursday by Prize Picks Download the Prize Picks app today. Use the code locked on NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first five dollar lineup. Marcus, always good to talk to you. Wish it was better circumstances of course. Both the Cowboys and the Commanders stuck in what I'm going to call NFC east purgatory because the Cowboys are locked into number two. The Commanders are locked into number three. So there's really no, like. There's not even, like, divisional positioning to really go through here. Basically, everybody is playing for pride, and I feel like both teams are going to be disappointed in this because the Eagles have been underperforming this season. I think that's. That's a good way to put it. So both Washington, both Dallas failing to take advantage of it. But where do you see the Cowboys in relation as far as how far that gap is between the Cowboys and the Eagles and closing that next year?

[Marcus Moser]

It's difficult to say because the Cowboys played the Eagles really well this year. They beat them in Dallas despite starting out that game 21 0. Then they played them really well on opening night in a game that they probably should have won if CD Lamb held onto the ball. However, that doesn't mean that they're all that close to Philadelphia. I think Philadelphia has had the benefit of just being competent on both sides of the ball, even though that's not really true because their offense has struggled this season. Whereas, like, for Dallas and Washington, they've both just been so bad on defense that it's. It's hard to win games when you're that poor on one side of the ball. It's one of these situations, David, like week 17, whatever, but the result doesn't matter. But I think for both the Cowboys and the Commanders, like, for the Cowboys, it's just waiting two more games to get a new defensive coordinator and rebuild that unit. And for Washington, it's okay. It's a game where Josh Johnson's probably going to be starting at quarterback. It's a bunch of guys on defense that shouldn't be probably out there. It's receivers who are banged up and a banged up offensive line. I just don't know how much you're going to get from this game on Thursday.

[David Harrison]

Yeah, and you know what? I think that's a fair assessment because I think that's kind of the assessment for the entire season. Right. I think defensively, both teams, like you said, are going to be looking for new defensive coordinators. Even if Dan Quinn keeps control of the defense himself next year, like, it's obviously going to be a new D coordinator from what we had for the majority of this season, at least. So there's going to be some changes there. And then offensively, the injuries, like you mentioned, even the injuries on defense, although I. I kind of tend to think the. The injuries on Defense didn't necessarily expose the unit as much as they just kind of helped accentuate the unit's weaknesses more than anything else. I think there's gonna be a lot of changes between these two teams and, and some of that inconsistency does make it difficult. But like you said, there's some similarities. There's also some differences here. So I do want to get your take on how the Dallas Cowboys go about obviously they got to get a new coach, they got to get a new defense coordinator, but as far as roster building is concerned, no Michael Parsons, but you have some other players. I think Quinn Williams has been pretty solid for you guys, looking forward to, to next year with that. But the salary cap, as much as, as much as it doesn't exist. It does exist, at least on paper. The Dallas Cowboys projected to have the least amount of available cap room. In fact, they're going to be negative. So they got to make some rooms. But two first round draft picks, some other draft picks, I know nothing in the second, third rounds. So how do you foresee the, the Cowboys approaching the off season when that time comes, trying to close that gap with Philly?

[Marcus Moser]

The good news for Dallas is you really only have to focus on one side of the ball, on offense. You have your entire offensive line locked up. You, you have CD Lamb, you have Dak Prescott, you've got Jake Ferguson. The only question is, is okay, is George Pickins back on a franchise tag or a long term deal and do you bring Javante Williams back? You've mentioned the salary cap. I think Dak Prescott's scheduled to make 78 million against the cap next year. That'll get restructured. So will CD Lambs. So they're, they're really, they only have to rebuild on one side of the ball. They're going to cut Trayvon Diggs. You can do it. And the way that Landon McCool and I, my co host, we've been talking about is you need to find six contributors on defense in one off season. Right. And that sounds like a lot, but the way that we've kind of laid it out is two first round picks ignore this shiny toy of like another tackle or a running back in round one. Two mercenaries like Jadevion Clowney and Dante Fowler who the Cowboys signed last year and then two mid level free agents. That's how you get this defense to be a average unit. You don't need them to be Denver or Houston. This is arguably the best offense in the league. If the Cowboys can have David, the 18th ranked defense in the league. They're probably going to be in the postseason.

[David Harrison]

Yeah, no, I think that's fair. And I think when you look at, you know, the, the number five scoring offense, top five scoring offense, you know, I think number two in total yards per game, things like that, like I said, you just need, you need an average solid or better defense and you can definitely get to the dance. I think that's fair. I think that's where we were with the Washington players entering this season. You know, last season, the defense wasn't great either. Try to get there. They only got worse. So you're in a similar situation. But they're gonna have to approach it differently because the Washington commanders have their first round pick, but no second, no fourth. They certainly don't have the amount of draft capital that the Dallas Cowboys have, but they have way more money because again, even though the salary cap isn't as restrictive as we would like to think, like you look at the Cowboys, $36 million in the hole, there's no way you're going to get those, those free agents markets is talking about. But like he said, two simple restructures and you're probably 20 million in the green.

[Marcus Moser]

And let me ask you this, David Washington, this offseason, they were very aggressive and tried to build this roster. But when I, from the outsider's perspective, and I think you and I talked about this in the off season, I didn't love the strategy of loading up on older players, because older players, they break down, they get hurt, they have a hard time getting back on the field. Do you think that's something that Washington is going to keep in mind this off season? Because you look at like over the cap right now and like 15 of their top 20 guys in terms of like cap hits or 29 or older, they've got to make a conscious effort to try to get younger. Right.

[David Harrison]

I think when you look at Adam Peters, I feel like he's actually gonna be a little bit stubborn in the aspect of they don't use the veteran contracts, especially the old veteran con, the Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz of the future or of the team to solidify the future of the team that they use them to solidify the future, as in teach these young guys how to be leaders and then we'll figure out who's going to play that role long term at another time while we figure out who's going to play long term at these other positions. So while they're getting Josh Connolly Jr. For example, their first round pick this year, spun up at right tackle. Let's bring in Laramie Tunsil who can solidify that left tackle position for two, three years maybe.

[Marcus Moser]

By the way, that was a great move.

[David Harrison]

I mean Laramie's been great, right, and, and teach the rest of that line as much as they need to, how to be professionals, how to have that longevity, what it takes to be successful in the NFL. That's going to be his long reaching impact. While while other players are going to play five, six, seven years in the future, Laramie's five, six, seven year reach is going to be there. Bobby Wagner's five, six, seven year reach is going to be that way. Zach Ertz, same thing like that. And that's the approach they're trying to take is we can't fill every rod like you mentioned, like the defense, like you have those six key players that you want to bring in to add to, you know, maybe OSA Quinn and the guys that you're going to keep over. Well, those other like three, four or five guys because every defense uses really what, 15, 16 main guys, not just 11. So those other like four or five guys that you want to, you want to get. Some teams will go younger, some teams will go mid level like 28, 29, 27. Even the, the Washington Commanders, they would love to find that 32 year old who's won some championships and is just known for his work ethic and known for his professionalism to teach the rest of the team how to do that. And truthfully, when you actually look at it and break it down, the elder players on this team haven't been the ones suffering the biggest injuries. Now it doesn't mean none of them have. Dietrich Wise Jr. Early in the season, Austin Eckler early in the season. Right. But Bobby Wagner has been, has been healthy. He's had to do the veteran not practicing, you know, at the end of the season and things like that. But Zach Ertz, other than the, the torn acl, which is not an age related injury, it's a, it's an unfortunate play related injury. Like it's actually been some of the younger guys, Jaden Daniels specifically, that have, that have succumbed to these injuries that have really derailed the Washington commander. So I feel like that's an area where the Commanders might actually dig their heels in a little bit and say like no, we like the way that our process works in that aspect of roster building though I see the question where I think they need to not dig in is either be a, an all in team or be a building team. Because I feel like, yeah, last year they did a little bit of both and, and you end up right in the middle of nothing, which is, you know, you're, you're not really winning now, but you're also not really building for the future because your young guys are getting demolished out there on the field against some of these better teams. So that's where I want to see Adam Peters learn from this last offseason. We'll see what they do. Of course, we'll see what the Cowboys do as well. Both of us will be here all offseason to see how much we can, how much the teams we cover, that is, can close these gaps. But let's do get to the game. That's going to happen on Christmas. We've got some key matchups that are not only going to help impact what happens Christmas Day, but are going to build some, hopefully positive trends moving forward for the future. Coming up on this Crossover Thursday episode Locked on Cowboys Locked on Commanders, part of the Lockdown podcast Network your team every day and today's crossover Thursday episode Brought to you by Prize Picks this episode is brought to you by Prize Picks. The holiday season is one of the best time for sports. You've got college bowl games, big basketball matchups, playoff pushes, and it's all happening at one time. And while we're all making choices every day, one of the most fun places to make the right calls is Prize Picks. Prize Picks is the easiest way for you to get in on daily fantasy. Just pick more or less on two on at least two player projections, lock in your lineup and you're in the game. It's simple, fast and available in 45 states, including California, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Virginia. Price Picks has added an extra layer of excitement to your holiday sports schedule. Their deposits and withdrawals are both quick and easy, which keeps everything flowing smooth. And with their new stacks feature, you can pick up to three line or three. You can pick up to one player three times in the same lineup so you can go more on a quarterback's passing yards, touchdown and rushing yards if you want to. So download the Prize Picks app today. Use code locked on NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That's code locked on NFL to get $50in lineups after you play your first$5 lineup with prize Picks where it's good to be right.

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[David Harrison]

Thank you once again for making a Locked On Cowboys Locked On Commanders your first listen of the day. And thank you for making Locked on the number one sports podcast network in the world. If you are a true die hard fan of either the Cowboys or the Commanders, the Everyday or All Access tier is built perfectly for you. You get one on one text access with a host of of your favorite Locked on show All Access episodes, Discord Access ad free exclusive newsletters and a 15% discount to the Locked On Merch store. So head over to the link in the Show Notes to join the Everyday Club on and unlock that all access tier. The show notes on YouTube or on audio. No matter where you're listening or watching, you can get that link. It's a good time. Marcus. I'm sure that we're what, two weeks into it? I'm sure you guys are having fun just like I am. So let's get to the game on Christmas Day. We got a Christmas present to unwrap and hopefully it's going to be a good, solid competitive rivalry game. Dallas Cowboys Washington Commanders it's historic. The Commanders are wearing those super bowl era throwback uniforms. They look sexy. They look great. The Washington Commanders obviously want to get a win. The Dallas Cowboys certainly want to get a win. Everybody's playing for pride. What's the biggest key matchup coming up for the for the Cowboys this week?

[Marcus Moser]

Well, it's been the same for the Cowboys over the last three or four weeks. It's their defensive line and against whatever opposing offensive line that they've gone against. Last week they didn't have Quinn and Williams against the Chargers. The Chargers have easily the worst offensive line in the league, and the Cowboys did not sack Justin Herbert. They really didn't even get that much pressure on him unless they blitzed. And in this matchup the expectation is that Quinn and Williams will be ready to go. You're going up against a commander's offensive line that will not have Samuel Cosby, who was put on the injured reserve list if you want any chance of slowing down Washington's offense. And listen, I know that it's Going to be Josh Johnson probably at quarterback. I know that this is a banged up offense. It hasn't mattered. Russell Wilson scored 37 points in this offense. Jacoby Brissette got his only win of the season tearing up this Cowboys defense. The Cowboys defensive line is going to have to eat if they want to be, if they want to be competitive in this one.

[David Harrison]

Yeah, you know, I hate to admit this, but there are commanders and not even Cowboys fans, Marcus, but there are commanders fans saying, yeah, dude, but Jaden Daniels and Marcus Mariota combined put up 20 points against this Dallas Cowboys defense.

[Marcus Moser]

Which funny enough, that was the best defensive performance the Cowboys had of the season, like by far.

[David Harrison]

And I think then that's my biggest matchup, to be quite honest with you. It's this booked reps and, and I hate when media does this. So I really hate that I'm actually kind of becoming this guy right now. Like Cliff Kingsbury dropped the term booked reps on us this week and said they're going to lean on the booked reps. That Josh Johnson, even, even Jeff Driscoll. Jeff Driscoll, a lot of experience last year with the Washington offense already have, which translates to we're not really drawing up anything new. We're not really trying to reinvent the wheel. And okay, I get that approach. You've got a third string quarterback who's going to make his first start in seven years because I assume it's Josh Johnson like you do. But the problem with that is the wheel that you're not reinventing is the wheel that Jaden Daniels and Marcus Mariota use to score only 20 points against the Dallas Cowboys and again help facilitate their best defensive performance of the season. I mean, just the differences in that game, for those who don't know, because Marcus, I know you're well aware Dallas forced two turnovers in that game. They have 0.7 takeaways per game. Outside of that Washington Commanders game, they held Washington 205 total net passing yards. They're allowing nearly 260 net passing yards per game outside of that game. And then that's really just kind of where it starts. I mean, the Washington Commanders, they were not able to take advantage of a defense that is just easily easy to take advantage of. And the reason is the Cowboys came out that one game and correct me if I'm wrong, Marks, I don't know, I don't think they've done it again and basically just kind of revamped their defense. Said this is how we're attacking this Washington commander's offense and then the rest of the season we're trying to do this other stuff and it worked like a charm because they knew their opponent and it sounds like they're getting the same exact opponent with a lesser quality quarterback.

[Marcus Moser]

Yes. And having Quinn and Williams makes a big difference. He obviously didn't play in this first game. But they've been trying to figure out ways to get more defensive linemen on the field. They've been using a lot of five man looks, some looks where they get Kenny Clark matched up against the left tackle and try to use his power. It's not going to be exotic. You're not going to see a bunch of blitzes, you're not going to see disguise coverages. It's hey, our guys are going to try to beat your guys. And I mean, unfortunately for the Cowboys, this is one of the few weeks of the season where their talent might actually be better than what's across from them on the other line of scrimmage. So I'm curious to see how it.

[David Harrison]

Plays out now if there is a saving grace. One of the other key matchups in this thing is going to be Cliff Kingsbury's offense. Like I said against the Dallas Cowboys defense, however, we have seen an uptick in the last two weeks and I hesitate to talk about this because typically we see this uptake tick for two weeks and then Cliff goes completely away from the running game that third week and but I just feel like with the third string quarterback, like you gotta keep leaning on your run game. In that first game against the Dallas Cowboys, Cliff tried to do some things with the running attack, but it was with Jacori, Crosby, merit with Bill, he got the lion's share of the carries, average less than three yards per carry. However, Chris Rodriguez was averaging over four yards per carry on just three touches. Lately it's been Chris Rodriguez Jr getting at least a lion's share of the work to start the game. Now Cliff still has been trying to get built like there was there was this, the sequence, I don't know if you watched it, Marcus against Philadelphia Eagles where they were just like, we're going to force Bill through the A gap come hell or high water. Meanwhile, your hammer running back is standing, standing on the sideline going, I'm big, I'm powerful. Like, don't be wrong. Chris isn't saying that. We're saying it for him. But the bottom line is that was a little bit weird. But other than that, Chris Rodriguez has been getting a little bit of burn here. Now I don't think running up the middle without Sam Cosby with Quinn Williams in the lineup is going to be very successful. But the Dallas Cowboy or the Bosch commander, sorry. Have had a lot of success running to their right side. So I want to ask you, Marcus, running to the left side of the Dallas Cowboys defense, has that been successful? Has that not been successful when I tell you that Chris Rodriguez getting more burn now than he was last time you saw him? Because I know you keep an eye on just about everything in the league. What is, what does that make you think about how this might be different this week?

[Marcus Moser]

The Cowboys have, it's been weird. They've been actually better at stopping the run when that's their only goal is to stop the run. And that's why I actually think in this game they're going to be okay. And listen, you guys know me. I am not a big Cowboy homer or they just think the Cowboys are awesome. Like I, I think I pricked against the Cowboys on every, every show this year. It's just this defense is different when Quinn and Williams is healthy and when they're not playing a quarterback like Justin Herbert or Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts, they are able to focus on stopping the run. And I just wonder in a Cliff Kingsbury offense that's not super innovative and with a 39 year old quarterback in Josh Johnson, if you won't see the Cowboys, dare him to pass the ball and load up the box and dare him to hold on to it and see if these receivers can get open. I actually expect the Cowboys to do pretty good at stopping the run. Donovan, Ezra Rocku a lot of times plays on that right side, left side for the defense. He's been one of the best rookies at stopping the run this year. I think that on top of your defensive tackle rotation will give them a good chance to stop the run.

[David Harrison]

Breaks my heart, man. I'm doing wrong. Josh Connolly Jr. I think it's gonna be a really solid piece for the Washington marriage for years to come. But Don Manezeraku was my guy in the NFL draft and just, just breaks my heart seeing him playing for a different team than the one that I cover. But that is how it works. This Christmas, the Wash Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, they're gonna unwrap something, man. It's going to be extravagant or it's going to be minor for me. The Washingtons win if they do three things that may not necessarily lead to a win in the stat box but lead to a win for the future. I'll Tell you what, those things are coming up on this crossover Thursday episode. So Locked on Commanders Locked On Cowboys Part of the Locked on podcast network your team every day.

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[David Harrison]

Wrapping up this crossover Thursday episode Locked on Cowboys Locked on Commanders He's Marcus Moser. I'm David Harrison. The Commanders and the Cowboys can win this game, Marcus, 100%. But they can win it in multiple ways. Because you know something, man, people will say there's no moral victories in football. Yes, there are. Every time you hear a coach talk about, yeah, there's this positive we're going to build off of. Guess what? That's a moral victory. You can call it whatever you want to call it, but it's a moral victory. Marcus, I've got three moral victories for the Commanders that the Commanders win if they do these three things. How are you approaching what happens for the what needs to happen for the Cowboys to come out of this game victorious?

[Marcus Moser]

First of all, let me ask you this. What is the vibe for Commander's fans right now? Do they want them to win this game?

[David Harrison]

Oh no.

[Marcus Moser]

Do they? No. No. Because I, I think Cowboy fans have this really mixed emotion right now where they don't want to end the season on a five game losing streak. But getting to 8, 8 and 1 isn't the greatest thing for this team either. But it's this fine line of like, you know, Dak wants to play, CD Lamb wants to play, George Pickens wants to play. And if they want to play, it's awfully hard to tell them no. And I just, I'M somebody that does care about draft picks, but I don't know in this draft if there's a big difference between like pick 12 and pick 16.

[David Harrison]

Yeah.

[Marcus Moser]

And on the other top, I mean, just selfishly, David, it's a lot more fun to cover a team that wins at least even a meaningless game. Like, the vibes are different, but I totally get like the feeling of it's probably better for the long term health of both of these teams to lose the final two games of the year.

[David Harrison]

Yeah, I mean, I do think there's a little bit of a mixed bag. Right. There's certainly those commanders fans are like, I don't care. I want to see a win no matter what. The NFC schedule at the end of the season certainly helps because, you know, like, like, okay, do you want draft picks enough or, you know, higher draft pick enough to, to watch, to, to act actively wish for a loss against the Dallas Cowboys. Like, you know, there's that kind of thing. But there are definitely and probably the more focal part of the fan base that just wants the draft, the draft capital, because they're also going to be team trade back and you know, they want to see Adam Peters go get that second round pick, that fourth round pick.

[Marcus Moser]

They don't have a second and third round pick either. But for the Cowboys to win this game, they just need Dak Prescott to be Dak Prescott. And I know that's really bad analysis, but it's true. Like, Dak has been really good against the NFC East. He's got his two top receivers healthy, he's got Jake Ferguson, he's going up against a defense that he knows like the back of his hand. And as long as he plays his game and doesn't try to force things and doesn't try to, you know, throw for a hundred yards on every single play, I think they're going to be just fine. So Dak plays his game, get these guys involved early. And that's the second key is getting off to a hot start. The games that the Cowboys have struggled this year, they failed to score the opening drive of the game. They scored three points in the first quarter, and now their defense is fighting uphill all game long. Get off to a quick start, kind of put Washington away in the first half and I think you're going to be kind of rolling the ball downhill at the second half and, and then the third, the third point is get a couple turnovers on defense. I, I know you, you gave me the stats. They're hideous when it comes to the Cowboys getting takeaways. But this is a makeshift offense with a banged up offensive line with a quarterback that has not had a lot of live reps. You've got to find a way to get a couple of takeovers and if you do that, you should be able to win this game going away. But honestly, the most important thing for me, David, is staying healthy. That Washington Field could be a landmine, like figuratively and literally for Dallas. Stay away from injuries because you don't want anything that happens in week 17 impacting how you build your team in 2026.

[David Harrison]

Yeah, 1,000%. I mean, it's not as bad as MetLife, but it's not much. It's not much better than Dallas place.

[Marcus Moser]

Next week in MetLife too. So it's back. Bad feels.

[David Harrison]

Yeah. I don't know if Dak has a hangnail, I might put him on IR from the Dallas Cowboys. Listen, I'm not, I'm not a Dak hater, but I will tell you, the here we go thing just drives me up a wall. I don't even know why I hate it so bad. So I'm really glad that the Watch Commanders press boxes in is behind glass, so I won't be able to hear it as clearly as I usually would if it was an outdoor press box. But yeah, man, look for the, for the Washington Commanders, the three things I've got here, they're all silver lining for 2026 more than they are for 2025, but they could also all lead to a Watch Commander's victory in the stat box as well, which I'm like you like, I would rather get on my Post Game Live episode from Northwest Stadium and talk about the commanders winning than the commanders losing yet another game, especially in the NFC East. But look, fix that running back efficiency. And like you said, the Dallas Cowboys run defense on the side of the ball where the Washington commanders have the most success, running is going to be a little bit better than they're used to seeing. So it may not be as fruitful, but I want to see Cliff Kingsbury dedicate himself to this run a little bit. If the Dallas Cowboys can get that fast start that you're talking about. Cliff is pretty much known for completely abandoning the run once they're down one score. Like that's all it takes. Get down one score and in the first quarter. And Cliff will abandon the run game with Josh Johnson. You can't do that. Like, you just, you literally just cannot do that. So let's see. Because if Cliff Ginsburg is going to be back next year and I'm going to have faith for whatever it's worth that it could actually work with him. I need to see that in that situation you don't just hit the panic button and go pass happy with Josh Johnson throwing the ball 42 times in a one score game. Second thing is break the Ben Senate ceiling. Ben Senate second round tight end Marcus Moser out of Kansas State loved him.

[Marcus Moser]

Pre draft, did a little bit of everything in Kansas. I, I don't know why they haven't unleashed him yet because he was a very good receiver for Kansas State the last couple years and he could run.

[David Harrison]

The ball a little bit. He can play your h back, he can block. He has been involved as a blocker a little bit but career high single game, career high. Two touches so far. Let's get him three touches, Cliff. I don't even care if it's three runs brother, let's get him three touches. Let's start to get Ben Senate involved in this offense a little bit. That's, that's a very low ceiling that I'm asking to breach here, but that's one of them. And the Washington commanders win if the defense can force field goals. 44 points and I know not all 44 points were on the defense but 44 points given up to the Dallas Cowboys last time you saw this team. I know they're the number two overall offense in the NFL. I know there were the top five scoring offenses in the NFL. If this defense has any type of skeleton of being one of those mid level defenses markets that we talked about the beginning of this thing, go out there and show that you have that skeleton in place. Against Dallas Cowboy. Look, you could give up 27 points but you know it's like three field goals and maybe a fluke touchdown here. Like a dude slips on the wet grass or something and whatever, like just don't give up. And again, I know the 44 wasn't completely on defense but don't give up 44. Don't let him go 3 for 3 in the red zone. You're supposed to have a really good red zone defense on, on top of it. Like find a way to have a good showing. So even if you lose but you do these three things, I will come out of it. Marcus, as annoying as it's going to be to some of my listeners happy with what the, what the commanders put on tape.

[Marcus Moser]

Well and David, I'm sure you feel the same way I do that it's really, it's not fun to watch bad football and there's a difference between losing and playing bad football. Like I think the Cowboys. The Cowboys lost last week and the offense played well. They just didn't play well enough to win. But there's been games this year like against Denver where they just played awful football. And I'm sure like we could name some games for Washington where the same thing happened. You just don't want to be this is a prime time spot on Netflix with everybody watching as they're opening up Christmas presents. You don't want to be embarrassing, and that's unfortunately what the Cowboys and the Commanders have been at times this year. You don't want that to happen.

[David Harrison]

Yep. No. 100% that's going to do it for this week's crossover Thursday episode. Of course, this game, this episode leading us right into kickoff. If you need a last minute holiday gift, the shopping window is closing, or if someone keeps asking you what you want, you just haven't given my idea yet. Ask for the Everyday or Club. You add free episodes of these shows, exclusive Discord server access, and even more. And guess what? There is no shipping time. It literally can be delivered in the moment. In the meantime, make Locked on NFL your next listen of the day twice per day on YouTube or wherever you're listening to today's episode. And make sure you're checking out Locked on Cowboys, Locked On Commanders. I'm David Harrison. He's Marcus Moser. Thank you for coming through for this crossover Thursday episode, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team Every day.

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