Shannon Sharpe was outraged with the Dallas Cowboys, as Brian Schottenheimer’s team played on Christmas Day and won 30-23 against the Washington Commanders. Despite the win, the Cowboys had no reason to celebrate, as they were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16.
The Cowboys faced a Commanders team without many key players, including quarterback Jayden Daniels, who won’t play for the rest of the year. The Commanders still amassed 328 total yards, and Sharpe was unconvinced.
Shannon Sharpe Criticizes Cowboys’ Defense After Christmas Win Over Commanders
Offensively, there were no problems for the Cowboys. They had another outstanding performance on that side of the ball, with 480 total yards, three touchdowns, no turnovers, and 30 points. But the game could’ve been easier with a better defense.
Sharpe took to Twitter to express his displeasure with Matt Eberflus’ unit. He mentioned how many playmakers the Cowboys have on offense, including Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams, but the team still holds a negative record:
Sharpe wrote on X, “That’s how you miss the playoffs with a 4k yd passer 2 1k WRs and a 1k yd rushers. Your defense is ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL. #ChristmasDayNflFootball #CowboysCommanders.”
That’s how you miss the playoffs with a 4k yd passer 2 1k WRs and a 1k yd rushers. Your defense is ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL. #ChristmasDayNflFootball #CowboysCommanders
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) December 25, 2025
The Cowboys’ defense was a key point of discussion throughout the entire season. Trading away Micah Parsons in August did the unit no favors, while adding Quinnen Williams at the deadline improved things, but not enough. Entering Week 17, the Cowboys allowed 29.8 points per game; only the Cincinnati Bengals (30.5 points per game) had worse numbers.
They still had an outside shot of winning the NFC East, but it ended in Week 16. They needed to win all three remaining games, while the Philadelphia Eagles needed to lose all three contests. The Eagles also beat the Commanders to secure their spot in the playoffs.
It isn’t easy to defend anything regarding the Cowboys’ defense. Their offense is undoubtedly productive, ranking at No. 4 in our PFSN Offense Impact Metric; but our metric also puts them at No. 32 in our PFSN Defense Impact Metric, the worst in the league.
Changing defensive coordinators for the 2025 season did not yield the desired results. Matt Eberflus, who became the defensive coordinator after leaving the Chicago Bears, isn’t doing a great job.
Sharpe’s feelings are nothing new for any Dallas fan, and everyone agrees that a change is needed on the other side of the ball. The Cowboys have not reached the NFC Championship Game since the 1995 season, and this year was once again disappointing. At least, there’s something to build upon in the offense.
