The Dallas Cowboys are already staring at a tricky stretch, and Week 2 against the Washington Commanders could shape the mood around the team fast. After opening the 2026 season with a loss to the New York Giants, Dallas is trying to avoid digging itself into an early 0-2 hole before a brutal run that includes the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro in Week 3 and the Houston Texans on the road in Week 4.
That’s why Sunday matters so much. A loss to Washington would leave the Cowboys needing to climb out of an ugly early deficit, and the pressure to make roster changes would only grow louder.
The idea of a trade isn’t being framed as a luxury anymore. It’s becoming part of the conversation about how Dallas steadies itself before the season gets away.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Cowboys beat reporter Nick Harris said on 105.3 The Fan that the clearest time to evaluate the roster might come later rather than sooner.
“I think one of things that Mike McCarthy did well was break up the season into trimesters, and I think after that first trimester is the best time to look at the roster and be like, OK, we have a big enough sample size here to understand what we have and make a move based on that or don’t make a move based on that. So, yeah, I would say after six games,” Harris said on 105.3 The Fan.
The concerns don’t stop with the standings. Dak Prescott is also under the microscope after a rough opener, and CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan made it clear what another loss could mean for the quarterback and the team as a whole.
“If the defense doesn’t show signs of life and/or Prescott turns the ball over at a critical juncture again as they head home to face the Commanders, the Cowboys will be a Defcon 1,” Sullivan warned. “That would not only mean they’ve fallen to 0-2 for the season, but also that they’ve dropped two divisional games in the process, which could prove monumental for tiebreakers later this season,” he added.
Dallas came into 2026 with real expectations, and even Prescott was talking in Super Bowl-or-bust terms. But the first week didn’t go the way anyone in the building wanted, and now the Cowboys need a sharp response. If they don’t get one against Washington, the trade chatter and the pressure on Prescott are only going to get louder.
In Other News...
Former Cowboys Pass Rusher Returns With Something To Prove In Dallas
Dorance Armstrong is set to make his 2026 debut Sunday against the Cowboys, a familiar opponent for a pass rusher who spent years in Dallas before moving on to Washington. After serving a one-game suspension and working back from the torn ACL that wiped out most of last season, Armstrong enters the matchup with a fresh chance to reestablish himself in a game that still carries some extra edge for everyone involved.
Washington's staff has said it is confident Armstrong is ready to go, and the plan is to rotate him with the rest of the pass-rush group to keep his workload manageable. For Dallas, that means facing a former defensive end who knows the building, the personnel and the stage, even if the bigger question now is how much of Armstrong's old burst has returned after such a long absence. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones Just Raised The Stakes For Dallas' Shaky Defense
Jerry Jones didnt sound interested in pretending the Cowboys defensive performance in Week 1 was anything close to where it needs to be. The team owner acknowledged Dallas underestimated the Giants in the opener, and with Washington up next, he pointed to the defense as the area most likely to show a better version of itself in a game that already feels important for setting the tone of the season.
The challenge for Dallas is that belief and execution are two different things, and the defense has given plenty of reasons for skepticism already. Jones is framing the Commanders matchup as a chance to reset, but until the Cowboys actually string together a cleaner outing, every promise of improvement comes with a layer of doubt that the schedule will quickly test. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones May Soon Face A Cowboys Decision He Hates
Brian Schottenheimers second season in Dallas already carries the sort of early pressure that tends to come with this franchise, even if the Cowboys have historically shown more patience with head coaches than most. After going 7-9-1 in his first year, Schottenheimer watched the team open a new defensive chapter by moving on from Matt Eberflus and turning the unit over to Christian Parker, a change meant to steady a side of the ball that has been a major point of concern.
Instead, the defense stumbled in Week 1 against the New York Giants, and that is where the unease begins to creep in for a team that cannot afford another losing year. There is already speculation about Schottenheimers seat if the record goes the wrong way again, and for Jerry Jones, the uncomfortable part may be less about making a change than having to consider one at all. [Read more 🡒]