It's no secret that the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders are heading in different directions. Entering Week 10, the Commanders are 7-2 and leaders of the NFC East, while the Cowboys are looking at their first non-playoff season since 2020 at a 3-5 record following their latest loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Troy Aikman — a Cowboys legend and three-time Super Bowl champion — is unsurprisingly very impressed with how the Jayden Daniels-led Commanders have looked through the midpoint of the season. While the Commanders are playing with a lot of confidence, the Cowboys are currently lacking that, as Aikman points out in the different trajectories of both squads.
“There's usually a team or two that kind of emerges — it was Houston last year and for the same reason that CJ was able to play at such a high level. Nobody thought going into this year that Washington would be where they are and a good job obviously on the defensive side of the ball as well,” says Aikman in a one-on-one interview on behalf of his partnership with Salad and Go. “Pretty dramatic win last week, an improbable win (against the Chicago Bears).”
“But they continue to grow, continue to gain confidence, and such a big part of this game, you mentioned the Cowboys and their struggles — they're not playing with much confidence,” Aikman continues to say. “Washington, they're on the other end of the spectrum and they've done a really great job.”
Things are looking bleak for the Cowboys, who currently rank 20th in points per game and second-to-last in points allowed per game. Aikman has pointed towards Dallas' lack of ability to run the football combined with their inability to stop the run — they rank 31st in rushing yards and 30th in rushing yards allowed — for why they've had a tough year.
It also doesn't help matters that the Cowboys have three tough games coming up with home games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans along with a road matchup against the Commanders. If the season ended today, all three teams would make it to the playoffs. Dallas has the fourth-toughest remaining strength of schedule in the NFL.
While the Cowboys continue to try to find their footing as their season slips away, the Commanders are not only looking like the favorites in the NFC East, they're looking like one of the top playoff contenders. Although Aikman isn't making any predictions, he says “he wouldn't bet against them” to win the division over annual playoff contenders such as the Eagles and the Cowboys.
“I wouldn't bet against them,” says Aikman. “That's for sure. I think they're legitimate, so they're in a great position right now. The biggest games are coming up. But if someone thought they were going to win the division, I wouldn't discount it. I'm not going to get into predicting who is going to win anything. But I like Washington. I like what they're doing, I like the way that they're built.”
Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has taken the NFL world by storm, combining for 13 touchdowns against just two interceptions for a 106.7 passer rating and 71.5% completion rate. That's not even mentioning his 459 rushing yards, the second-most of any quarterback this season.
Aikman says no one expected Daniels to emerge the way that he has in his rookie season, but compares it to the impact that C.J. Stroud had for the Houston Texans last season when they unexpectedly made it to the playoffs.
“I don't think anybody could have expected it,” says Aikman of Daniels' impact. “It's a little bit like C.J. Stroud last year what he was able to do. I like Jayden. We had him Week 2 or 3, I was impressed with what I'd seen from him through the first couple of games. When we had a chance to visit, I was sold, because it was clear that he has the physical ability and can do all the things required.
“But then, what's his makeup individually, and how important is the game to him? All the intangibles that I think ultimately define whether or not a quarterback is going to be successful and he seemingly possessed all of it when we visited,” Aikman continues to say of Daniels. “They played really well in the game that we had and continue to play at a high level. They've done some really great things. I'm a big believer in him, I like him a lot, I love what he's done. It looks like Washington has got themselves a franchise quarterback, which I'm happy for them and I'm happy for their fan base.”
Daniels is considered a monster favorite for Rookie of the Year. However, if he continues to lead the Commanders as a playoff contender, he could also emerge as an MVP candidate in his rookie season.
