Reeling Cowboys visit Dan Quinn's overachieving Commanders in a franchise role reversal

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — When Dan Quinn left the Dallas Cowboys after three years as their defensive coordinator to coach the Washington Commanders, it looked as if he was leaving a perennial playoff contender for a rebuilding project.

Instead, Quinn's Commanders are in the thick of the playoff race even after consecutive losses provided something of a speed bump, while the Cowboys' season has fallen apart. Dallas (3-7) visits Washington (7-4) on Sunday in a franchise role reversal for the NFC East rivals.

"For me and for the guys, man, it’s Washington-Dallas Week, let’s get down," Quinn said. “I don’t make one (game) too often bigger than another. I just think they’re all really important, and we absolutely go after it as hard as we can.”

Quinn, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and a handful of former Dallas players have been part of Washington's turnaround, including pass rusher Dante Fowler, defensive end Dorance Armstrong, center Tyler Biadasz and receiver Noah Brown, who famously caught rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' Hail Mary toss for the game-winning touchdown last month to beat Chicago.

Armstrong has followed the Cowboys' downfall since leaving in free agency, saying simply, “It’s not good.” And that was before a piece of their stadium's roof fell Monday night before their fifth consecutive loss, a 34-10 blowout by Houston.

Injuries, including starting QB Dak Prescott's torn hamstring that led to season-ending surgery, have been the backdrop for Dallas' forgettable year. Coach Mike McCarthy, who is approaching the end of his contract and possibly his tenure, said he and his staff are “going to stay the course” and play who's available.

That means Cooper Rush again getting the nod in place of Prescott, though McCarthy said a package of plays could open up to get 2021 No. 3 pick Trey Lance into the game.

“Cooper’s been there for a little minute, so he knows the system really good," said Fowler, who leads the Commanders with 8 1/2 sacks. "Trey Lance is really good with his legs, and he’s a dynamic quarterback, as well. You don’t want to go out there half-stepping against those guys because they do play good football, as well.”

The Commanders have played far better football than the Cowboys so far this season, so much that the home team is a 10 1/2-point favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook. Washington has never been more than a nine-point favorite against Dallas in any game going back to at least 2003, according to BetMGM.

The Cowboys could get a bit of a spark with the anticipated return of receiver Brandin Cooks, who has seen way too much sorrow around him since he last played in Week 4.

“Get guys playing at a high level, playing fun, playing free and having a great time out there,” Cooks said. “That’s what I’m not seeing right now. I think we can go out there and be more joyful in our process.”

There's plenty of joy in Washington, with the playoffs still on the line, unlike in Dallas.

“It’s definitely cool to be in that type of position rather than being on the other side," Fowler said. “Just cool to see what Coach Quinn has just done since he came here with this team and getting a group of guys to come together and play as one.”

A rib injury knocked Daniels out of a rout of Carolina on Oct. 20, and while he did not miss a game, the 23-year-old has not been as dangerous or effective since. The No. 2 draft pick out of LSU and reigning Heisman Trophy winner has completed 59.5% of his passes the past four games after 75.6% before getting injured, and his average rushing yards were cut nearly in half from 53.1 to 27.5.

Quinn insists Daniels is not injured and pinned the regression on a lack of practice time in recent weeks. Daniels also said he's good to go after some extra rest following a 26-18 loss at Philadelphia on Thursday, Nov. 14.

“The mini bye, I think it just helps everything, just to reset your mind and get ready for the second half of the season,” Daniels said. “I was able to reset and refocus, restart.”

The offensive line has been a problem all season for the Cowboys. Now it’s a major injury concern.

Perennial All-Pro right guard Zack Martin and promising young left guard Tyler Smith sustained ankle injuries on the same drive in the fourth quarter for the Cowboys against the Texans.

Martin, who also is dealing with a shoulder issue, was ruled out against Washington. Smith is questionable while also working through a knee injury.

T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman were the replacements at guard against the Texans. The Cowboys could start four linemen 25 or younger, although veteran tackle Chuma Edoga is expected to be available for the first time this season. Edoga was the projected starter at left tackle before injuring a toe in training camp.

“With Zack, he’s a keystone for our offensive line," McCarthy said. "That will be a big one. But it’s more opportunity for these young players who haven’t played a lot and are getting a lot of work."

McCarthy said the Cowboys “took a step backward, clearly” running the ball against Houston after making progress the previous couple of games. Rico Dowdle, now the clear lead back after ineffectiveness and off-field drama from Ezekiel Elliott, had just 28 yards on 10 carries, and the Cowboys finished with 64 yards.

They allowed 141 yards, including 109 and three touchdowns by Joe Mixon, and have the NFL's second-worst rushing defense. Washington's Brian Robinson Jr. has already set a career high with seven TD runs and could be in for a lot of carries.

“I look forward to running the ball any time,” Robinson said. “I’m prepared, I’m ready and if it happens like that, I’m ready for it."

AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon in Frisco, Texas, contributed to this report.

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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels pauses during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb walks along the sideline in the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy speaks to reporters following an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. The Texans won 34-10. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) is sacked by Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn reaches out to running back Austin Ekeler (30) after his touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Israeli airstrikes Saturday in central Beirut killed at least 20 people, officials said, as the once-rare attacks on the heart of Lebanon's capital continued without warning while diplomats scrambled to broker a cease-fire.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said 66 people were wounded in the strikes, which were the fourth in central Beirut in less than a week.

The escalation comes after U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein traveled to the region in pursuit of a deal to end months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that has erupted into full-on war.

Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon’s population. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardment in northern Israel and the fighting.

The 4 a.m. strikes destroyed an eight-story building in central Beirut. Hezbollah legislator Amin Shiri said no Hezbollah officials were inside. The attack stripped the facades from some nearby buildings and crumpled cars.

“The area is residential, with closely packed buildings and narrow streets, making the situation challenging,” said Walid Al-Hashash, a first responder with the Lebanese Civil Defense.

Israel’s military did not comment on the casualties.

Also Saturday, a drone strike killed two people and injured three in the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre, according to the Lebanese state-run National News Agency.

Mohammed Bikai, spokesperson for the Fatah Palestinian faction in the Tyre area, said those killed were Palestinian refugees from nearby al-Rashidieh camp who were out fishing.

Despite a warning last month by Israel's army to avoid Lebanon's southern coast, "you can’t tell someone who needs to eat that you can’t fish," Bikai said.

The Health Ministry said other airstrikes killed eight people, including four children, in the eastern town of Shmustar, five others in the southern village of Roumin, and another five people in the northeastern village of Budai.

Two Western diplomatic officials on Saturday described disputed points between Israel and Lebanon in cease-fire negotiations. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks.

The current proposal calls for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. Thousands more Lebanese army troops would patrol the border area with U.N. peacekeepers, and an international committee would monitor the deal's implementation.

The officials said Israel wanted more guarantees that Hezbollah’s weapons are removed from the border area. Israeli officials have said they would not agree to a deal that did not explicitly grant them freedom to strike in Lebanon if they believe Hezbollah is violating it.

Lebanese officials have said the inclusion of such a term would violate their country's sovereignty. And Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said this week that the militant group would not agree to a deal that doen'ts not entail a “complete and comprehensive end to the aggression."

Lebanon and Israel also dispute which countries would sit on the monitoring committee. The officials said Israel refused to allow France, which has been close with Lebanon since its colonial rule there ended. Lebanon refused to have Britain, a close ally of Israel.

In northern Gaza, the Health Ministry said at least 80 people, total, were killed on Thursday and Friday, including near the Kamal Adwan and Al-Ahli hospitals. It said dozens of people were trapped under the rubble.

Israel’s army said it wasn't aware of a strike near Kamal Adwan, and it didn’t respond to questions about the other attacks.

On Saturday, at least six people, including three children and two women, were killed in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Associated Press reporters and staff at Nasser Hospital.

“Suddenly we woke up to dust, smoke and a fire,” said one grieving father, Ahmad Ghassan. “We found him dead and his brother injured.” Another father wept as he carried his child's body in a bloodstained sheet.

And Al-Awda Hospital said it received six bodies after Israel shelled a house north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

The Palestinian death toll from the 13-month-long war surpassed 44,000 this week, according to the Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. It has said more than half the dead are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead.

The Israeli offensive in Gaza has devastated wide areas, and around 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced, often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands live in tent camps with little food, water or basic services.

At least two women were shot dead Saturday while waiting in line for bread in central Deir al-Balah, relatives and witnesses told the AP. It was unclear who shot them and why.

The United Nations says its attempts to support hard-hit northern Gaza, which has been the focus of a renewed Israeli offensive for weeks, have been denied or impeded, and that less than 20% of the population has remained there since the offensive began.

Associated Press writers Fadi Tawil in Tyre, Lebanon, Ibrahim Hazboun in Jerusalem, Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip and Mohammad Jahjouh in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip contributed to this report.

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Find more of AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

People shout slogans during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Boards on the left read in Hebrew: "The boss is satisfied, the hostages are dying" and "Instead of consciousness, make a deal". (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

People gather to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

A woman shouts slogans during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Rescue workers search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Rescue workers search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

People gather to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Two men stand at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers stand on an excavator as they search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A man carries a suitcase as he leaves the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Lebanese police stand in front of a portrait shows the late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A woman takes part in a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

People gather to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

A Syrian woman mourns as rescue workers carry the body of a victim at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Residents observe the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

An excavator removes a destroyed car as rescue workers gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Destroyed buildings are seen at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers and people gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, early Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Rescue workers and people gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)