Sunday's game will mark the 129th meeting between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders with the Cowboys comfortably leading the regular-season series, 78-46-2. That includes victories in five of their last six matchups as Dallas swept its rivals in 2023. Somewhat surprising, though, is that they have only squared off twice in the playoffs with Washington winning both the 1972 and 1982 NFC Championship Games.
But while these two franchises obviously know each other well from a big-picture, historical standpoint, this season brings familiarity of a different, more personal sort. A total of 10 Commanders, five players and five coaches each, could at one time call themselves a Cowboy – and most of them did just last year.
So as we get ready to watch another chapter in the storied annals of Dallas vs. Washington, let's take a look, alphabetically, at the 10 familiar faces who once were friends but now line up as gridiron enemies.
We're taking a look at the 10 familiar faces who once were friends but now line up as gridiron enemies.
Dorance Armstrong • Commanders Defensive End • Cowboys (2018-23)
The Cowboys' fourth-round selection in the 2018 draft, Armstrong played in 93 games over his six years in Dallas with 14 starts. A solid rotational piece on the defensive line, he earned at least five sacks in three straight seasons from 2021-23, including a career-high 8.5 during the 2022 campaign. Leaving for Washington through free agency this past offseason, Armstrong has started 10 games for the Commanders this year with three sacks.
Tyler Biadasz • Commanders Center • Cowboys (2020-23)
Biadasz left via free agency as well and has started all 11 games in his first year with the Commanders, centering Washington's offensive line. Originally drafted by Dallas in 2020 out of the University of Wisconsin, he took over the Cowboys' first-string snapping duties in 2021 and then went on to start all 49 games he played over the next three seasons. In 2022, Biadasz was named to his first Pro Bowl.
Noah Brown • Commanders Wide Receiver • Cowboys (2017-22)
Considering he was the Cowboys' seventh-round pick in 2017, Brown has put together a nice NFL career. He played seven years with Dallas, the high point perhaps being his 2022 campaign when he started 13 of 16 games with a career-high 43 catches for 555 receiving yards and three touchdowns. After a one-year stop in Houston, Brown then moved to Washington and has now started seven of his nine games played in 2024. He caught the memorable last-second Hail Mary pass in the Commanders' 18-15 victory over Chicago.
Sharif Floyd • Commanders Assistant Defensive Line Coach • Cowboys (2023)
After spending four seasons as a player with the Vikings from 2013-16, Floyd entered the coaching ranks, beginning at the high school level. With Dan Quinn having been his defensive coordinator during his days playing for the University of Florida, Floyd eventually interned with the Cowboys in the summer of 2022, was hired full-time in 2023 and has now followed Quinn to Washington to work with the Commanders' defensive line.
Dante Fowler • Commanders Defensive End • Cowboys (2022-23)
Fowler came to Dallas in 2022 looking to kind of jumpstart his career. He recorded 11.5 sacks in 2019, but had then battled injuries and seen his production drop. In his two seasons with the Cowboys, though, he posted a combined 10 sacks despite playing just 30 percent of the defensive snaps. He and Dan Quinn have a long history together as Fowler played for him at the University of Florida, with the Falcons and Cowboys, and is now with him again in Washington, where he's recorded 8.5 sacks in 11 games.
Noah Igbinoghene • Commanders Cornerback • Cowboys (2023)
After a standout college career at Auburn, Ibginoghene was Miami's first-round pick in 2020. But he largely struggled to make an impact with the Dolphins and in August of 2023 was traded to Dallas for Kelvin Joseph in a swap of young players needing new scenes. Ibginoghene appeared in just five games for the Cowboys, but he has seemingly finally found a home in Washington, playing in all 11 games this season with seven starts.
Anthony Lynn • Commanders Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs Coach • Cowboys (2005-06)
A native of nearby Celina, Texas, Lynn spent seven seasons in the NFL as a running back, split between San Francisco and Denver. He made the transition to coaching with the Broncos in 2000 and five years later joined Bill Parcells' staff with the Cowboys for a two-year stint. He eventually served as head coach of the Chargers from 2017-20, made stops with the 49ers and Lions and is now an assistant for Dan Quinn in Washington.
Ken Norton Jr. • Commanders Linebackers Coach • Cowboys (1988-93)
Drafted out of USC by the Cowboys in 1988, Norton suited up for six years with the team, spanning the transition from Tom Landry's final years to Jimmy Johnson's rebuilding of the roster to the Cowboys becoming Super Bowl champions. After seven more seasons playing in San Francisco, Norton went into coaching and has since held down defensive coordinator positions with the Raiders and Seahawks. He is now working with the linebackers in Washington.
Dan Quinn • Commanders Head Coach • Cowboys (2021-23)
Named the 31st head coach in Washington's history, Quinn takes the reins after also serving as head coach of the Falcons from 2015 to midway through the 2020 season. He sported a 43-42 record while there and guided Atlanta to an appearance in Super Bowl LI. In between those head coaching roles, Quinn was the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys over three seasons.
Joe Whitt Jr. • Commanders Defensive Coordinator • Cowboys (2021-23)
Whitt worked on Mike McCarthy's coaching staff in Green Bay from 2008-18, which included a Super Bowl win in 2010, and was an assistant for Dan Quinn in Atlanta during the 2020 season. They then all came together from 2021-23 with the Cowboys as Witt served as the defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach in Dallas. When Quinn left for Washington, he took Witt along with him to fill the Commanders' defensive coordinator role.
