The Dallas Cowboys need to improve their defense next season, which is the focus of a new 2026 NFL mock draft.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott led his team to a victory against the Washington Commander, and said he hopes he isn't done for the year.

Prescott lofted a seam ball deep down the middle on third-and-11 for wide receiver/return man KaVontae Turpin, and the All-Pro returner left the Washington defense in the dust for an 86-yard touchdown. Three drives for three touchdowns for the Cowboys. They lead 21-3 with seven minutes left in the first half.

Kansas City, Mo. – Bo Nix ran for a score before throwing a go-ahead touchdown pass to R.J. Harvey with 1:45 left in the game, and the Denver Broncos held on in the closing seconds for a 20-13 victory over the banged-up Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.

Five entrants in Las Vegas’ biggest NFL picks contest are grateful for a gift from the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day in the form of their 30-23 road victory over the Washington Commanders. The five are among nine entries still alive in Circa Survivor, a $1,000-entry contest with a winner-take-all first prize of more than $18.7 million.

Dak Prescott seemed a bit less sure about playing in a meaningless season finale than he did about a Christmas Day game that also had no connection to the playoffs.

Despite missing the playoffs for a second straight year, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is maintaining his confidence in the team's chances to bounce back quickly.

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commander meet Thursday in a Week 17 matchup at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.

While many fans are content with rooting for their favorite team to lose for the sake of draft positioning, Dallas Cowboys fans don't have to do that for at least one of their 2026 first-round picks to improve.