The Cowboys lead 81-49-2 across 132 games. Washington has never lost to them in the playoffs. Here is the full record, the 2025 results, and what happens next.
Published: Saturday, 1 August 2026 | BrandClickX News Desk
Note: The NFL is in its offseason. There is no Cowboys–Commanders game being played now. The next meeting is scheduled for 20 September 2026 at AT&T Stadium.
Summary
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders have met 132 times since 1960, with Dallas leading 81-49-2. The Cowboys swept the 2025 season series, winning 44-22 at home in Week 7 and 30-23 in Washington on Christmas Day. Washington still leads the postseason series 2-0. The two meet next on 20 September 2026, Week 3 of the new season.
Key Takeaways
- Dallas leads the all-time series 81-49-2 across 132 meetings since 1960
- Washington leads the postseason series 2-0, both NFC Championship Games
- The Cowboys swept the 2025 season series, 44-22 and 30-23
- Dallas holds a two-game winning streak in the fixture
- Washington last swept the series in 2020
- The largest margin was Dallas’s 56-14 win in 2021
- The next meeting is 20 September 2026 at AT&T Stadium
- ESPN and Sports Illustrated have both called it the NFL’s top rivalry
The Head-to-Head Record
| Category | Record |
| All-time series | Cowboys 81-49-2 |
| Regular season | Cowboys 81-47-2 |
| Postseason | Commanders 2-0 |
| Total meetings | 132 |
| First meeting | 9 October 1960 — Washington 26, Dallas 14 |
| Most recent | 25 December 2025 — Dallas 30, Washington 23 |
| Current streak | Cowboys, 2 games |
| Next meeting | 20 September 2026, AT&T Stadium |
A note on conflicting figures. Several sites list different totals 78-48-2 across 128 games, or 87-51-2, or 80-49 across 131. Those are either outdated or unreliable. Wikipedia, Champs or Chumps and The Football Database independently agree on 132 games and 81-49-2, updated through the December 2025 meeting. That is the figure used here.
The Postseason Split Nobody Mentions
Dallas has won 62% of all meetings. Washington has won both playoff games.
The two postseason meetings:
- 1972 NFC Championship — Washington 26, Dallas 3
- 1982 NFC Championship — Washington 31, Dallas 17
Both sent Washington to the Super Bowl. Both ended a Dallas season.
That is the single most useful fact in this rivalry. An 81-49-2 regular-season advantage means very little to a Commanders fan holding a 2-0 record in the games that decided championships.
What Happened in 2025
Dallas swept the season series for the first time since… well, this was the sweep.
| Date | Venue | Result |
| 19 October 2025 | AT&T Stadium | Cowboys 44, Commanders 22 |
| 25 December 2025 | Washington | Cowboys 30, Commanders 23 |
The Week 7 meeting was a rout. The Christmas Day return in Washington was closer but still went Dallas’s way, giving them a two-game winning streak heading into 2026.
Washington last swept the series in 2020.
The Streaks That Define It
The rivalry has never been evenly balanced for long. It swings in long runs.
- Cowboys’ longest streak: 10 straight, from November 1997 to November 2002
- Commanders’ longest streak: 4 straight, from November 1986 to October 1988
- Largest Dallas win: 56-14 in 2021, a 42-point margin
- Largest Washington win: 35-7 in 2005, a 28-point margin
Dallas’s 56 points in 2021 is the highest either side has scored. Washington’s best is 41, achieved in both 1986 and 2020.
When Do They Play Next?
Sunday 20 September 2026 at AT&T Stadium Week 3 of the new season.
Dallas opens on the road at the New York Giants on 13 September, a Sunday Night Football game, then hosts Washington the following week.
The rest of the Cowboys’ early schedule:
| Date | Opponent |
| 13 Sept | at New York Giants (SNF) |
| 20 Sept | vs Washington Commanders |
| 27 Sept | vs Baltimore Ravens |
| 4 Oct | at Houston Texans |
| 8 Oct | vs Tampa Bay (TNF) |
Preseason begins first Dallas plays Seattle on 15 August, Arizona on 22 August, and hosts New Orleans on 28 August.
The second Cowboys Commanders meeting of 2026 will fall later in the season, in Washington.
Why This Is Considered the NFL’s Best Rivalry
Both ESPN and Sports Illustrated have called it the top rivalry in league history.
The case rests on three things.
Longevity. They have played twice a season since 1961. That is over six decades of guaranteed, scheduled hostility — something even the most heated modern rivalries cannot claim.
Stakes. As NFC East opponents, divisional record carries direct playoff implications. Both postseason meetings were conference championships.
Genuine animosity. It has extended well beyond the field. Team owners have traded public shots. The 1961 incident in which Cowboys fans reportedly smuggled bags of chicken feed into D.C. Stadium remains part of the folklore.
The first meeting in October 1960 was, by contrast, entirely unremarkable Washington won 26-14, then failed to win any of their remaining games that season. Dallas finished 0-11-1.
Expert Analysis
The record understates how competitive this has been recently.
Dallas’s 62% all-time win rate was built substantially in specific eras — the 10-game run from 1997 to 2002, and stretches of Cowboys dominance in the 1970s and 1990s. It does not describe the current state of the fixture.
Washington swept in 2020. Dallas swept in 2025. The rivalry has been trading rather than tilting.
The Commanders’ recent trajectory matters here. They reached the NFC Championship Game in the 2024 season and beat Philadelphia in January 2026. A team at that level is not the same opponent that lost 44-22 in Week 7.
For Dallas, the concern is consistency. The 2025 season produced a 44-22 win over Washington, a 31-28 win over Kansas City and a 24-21 win over Philadelphia alongside a 44-24 loss to Denver, a 44-30 loss to Detroit and a 34-17 loss to the Giants in Week 18.
That is a team capable of beating anyone and losing to anyone, which makes a September divisional fixture genuinely difficult to call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leads the Cowboys vs Commanders all-time series?
Dallas, with a record of 81-49-2 across 132 meetings since 1960. That includes an 81-47-2 regular-season record. Washington leads the postseason series 2-0.
When do the Cowboys play the Commanders next?
On Sunday 20 September 2026 at AT&T Stadium, in Week 3 of the new NFL season. As NFC East rivals they meet twice each regular season, once at each venue.
Who won the last Cowboys vs Commanders game?
Dallas, 30-23, on Christmas Day 2025 in Washington. That completed a season sweep after the Cowboys had won 44-22 at home in Week 7 on 19 October.
Have the Commanders ever beaten the Cowboys in the playoffs?
Yes, twice, and they have never lost to them. Washington won the 1972 NFC Championship 26-3 and the 1982 NFC Championship 31-17, reaching the Super Bowl on both occasions.
What is the biggest win in the rivalry?
Dallas’s 56-14 victory in December 2021, a 42-point margin and the highest score by either side. Washington’s largest was a 35-7 home win in December 2005, by 28 points.
When was the first Cowboys vs Commanders game?
9 October 1960 at Griffith Stadium, won by Washington 26-14. Neither team was competitive that year Washington finished 1-9-2 and Dallas finished 0-11-1 in their inaugural season.
Why is this considered the NFL’s biggest rivalry?
Both ESPN and Sports Illustrated have named it the top rivalry in league history, citing more than six decades of twice-yearly meetings since 1961, direct playoff implications through the NFC East, and hostility extending to team ownership.
Who has the longest winning streak in the series?
Dallas, with 10 consecutive wins between November 1997 and November 2002. Washington’s longest run is four straight, from November 1986 to October 1988.
Conclusion
Dallas owns the ledger 81 wins to 49, better than three in five. Washington owns the two games that mattered most, and has never lost a playoff meeting.
That split is the whole rivalry. Six decades of Cowboys advantage, and two January afternoons that Washington fans will bring up forever.
The Cowboys arrive at 20 September on a two-game streak having swept last season. The Commanders arrive off a conference championship appearance. It is the third week of the season and it already means something.
