Regardless of the result, no team wants its quarterback to be sacked a season-high six times. On Christmas, the Dallas Cowboys walked away with a win over the Commanders, but running back Javonte Williams wasn’t celebrating. The offensive line’s poor performance, which led to six sacks on quarterback Dak Prescott, told a deeper story. Williams, nursing an injury himself, called out the unit’s second-half collapse and hyped up Prescott.

“Just a true leader. He was getting beat up, we got to stand up better in protection,” Williams declared after the game. “For him to keep going, battle through it, the type of player he is… it just showed the grit of this whole team and how hard we’ll fight.”

Dallas did start hot. The offensive line blew open lanes early, sustaining a 17-play touchdown drive that converted three fourth downs and set the tone. Prescott followed it by finding KaVontae Turpin for an 86-yard strike, stretching the lead to 21-3. Even when Jer’Zhan Newton’s interior pressure arrived, Prescott kept responding, absorbing hits, resetting, and continuing to move the offense without turnovers.

While the six sacks looked ugly on the stat sheet, they didn’t dominate the game’s outcome. Though it was not one defender wrecking the game, Jer’Zhan Newton stood out as he was involved in four sacks. Washington collapsed Dak Prescott’s pocket from the inside, shifting the story away from him holding the ball too long and toward structural pressure up the middle.

Even that pressure came with limits. Most sacks arrived in obvious passing situations or backed-up field position, stalling drives rather than flipping the game. Dallas still put up 30 points, controlled the clock, and found explosives, proving the sacks disrupted rhythm, not control. Despite six sacks, Prescott was never intercepted, threw for 307 yards, and continued to deliver explosive plays, including the 86-yard touchdown to Turpin

Javonte Williams himself exited with a stinging shoulder that’s bothered him for weeks. Malik Davis stepped in and delivered 103 yards despite a swollen eye, embodying the toughness Williams praised in Prescott. But sheer grit can only get you so far when your blockers can’t hold up.

The Cowboys still reached just 30 points despite scoring on three straight opening possessions, but the second half slowed into punts and field goals by design and game script. While Washington’s six sacks disrupted rhythm in long-yardage spots, they did not flip control. The late score tightening, from 24-10 to a one-touchdown game, came through field position swings, conservative Dallas play-calling, and special-teams chaos, not sustained defensive dominance.

Though the Cowboys are out of the playoff race, all that matters in the end is that they’ve got a win in the bag. Now, the final game of the season for the Cowboys is against the New York Giants. Another divisional showdown. And the question now is, will a beat-up Dak Prescott be suiting up?

Has Dak Prescott played his final 2025 season game?

Despite the bruising 6 sacks, Dak Prescott made one thing clear after the game. He’s playing Week 18 on the road against the Giants.

“For sure,” Prescott said when asked about his Week 18 availability. “I love this game. I love any opportunity that I get to play it. And so with that being said, if I get to go out there, I’m going to give my best. … I understand the reasons why maybe not, and if I’m approached with that, I’ll handle that then.”

For Prescott, that potential 8-8-1 record matters more than ending 7-9-1. While Prescott is ready to play, Head coach Brian Schottenheimer could also choose to be cautious, considering resting his franchise QB in a game without much consequence. Prescott’s already made it clear he’s prepared to fight with the coach if that scenario plays out.

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Dak also noted that “any conversations I’ve had to Schotty or anybody about it would be I’m playing.”

For the most part, Schottenheimer seems aligned with Prescott, too.

“I want to win,” the head coach had stated earlier. “So the plan would be to play Dak.” 

The Cowboys’ playoff hopes died weeks ago. But finishing .500 is still a possibility that carries weight. That offensive line needs to get things right for the 2026 season. But first, they perhaps owe their battered quarterback one more round of clean pockets in Week 18.