Josh Butler, Chauncey Golston were pivotal in victory over Washington Commanders

Josh Butler and Chauncey Golston were incredible on Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys captured a surprising victory on Sunday over the Washington Commanders, winning 34-26. Heading into the game, Washington was a 10.5-point favorite against Dallas. With the Commanders entering the game with a 7-4 record and the Cowboys limping in with a 3-7 record, it felt improbable the Cowboys would win their first game since October 6. However improbable, the team walked out of Washington with a victory, and now head into Thanksgiving week with some momentum.

QB Cooper Rush had his best game of the season, throwing for 247 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. While the offense played it’s best game since losing QB Dak Prescott to injury, the team’s defense played incredible. They limited rookie QB Jayden Daniels from making big plays throughout the game, and they kept the Dallas offense in the game. Two defenders who played pivotal roles in the victory were defensive end Chauncey Golston and cornerback Josh Butler.

Despite being a third-round selection, Golston hasn’t had the opportunities to truly make a consistent impact in the NFL. On a defense that typically has edge rushers DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, there haven’t been as many opportunities for Golston as their possible could be other places around the league. However, with Lawrence on IR, Golston has received more reps this season. He made the most of his opportunities on Sunday, and came up with a crucial interception on Jayden Daniels.

Since Dan Quinn left the Cowboys to join the Commanders as their head coach, Mike Zimmer’s defense hasn’t been able to force takeaways like Cowboys fans been accustomed to over the last several seasons. Against Quinn, they won the turnover battle three to one.

Another player who made a surprising impact for the defense was cornerback Josh Butler. In 2023, Butler played football in the United States Football League for the Michigan Panthers. After a solid season, he was signed by the Cowboys in July 2023 where he played in the preseason before being cut. Butler was waived by the team on August 27, 2024 and was brought back to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on November 18, with CB Trevon Diggs nursing an injury. He turned out to play a pivotal role for the team on Sunday.

Butler finished the game with 12 total tackles, one sack, and three pass breakups.

If the Cowboys hope to win more games this season without several of their key players, they will need to continue to get unexpected production from their role players. While the playoffs seems highly unlikely for the team at this point, finding out what they have in their depth could be a good opportunity for the team.