The Cowboys needed a response, and they got one in a hurry.
After opening the season with a flat loss to the New York Giants, Dallas came home and played like a different team in a 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders. The defense still had its rough spots, but it came up with enough stops to matter. On the other side, Dak Prescott and the offense looked sharp from the start and kept pouring it on until the final margin felt comfortable.
CeeDee Lamb set the tone immediately. On the opening drive, he caught three passes on three targets for 41 yards, and the third one went for a three-yard touchdown that put Dallas ahead 7-0.
He never slowed down from there. Lamb finished with eight catches on nine targets for 153 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Cowboys exactly the kind of big-play production they needed against Washington’s secondary.
Prescott was just as relentless. He completed 26 of 31 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns, while also adding 26 rushing yards.
His third touchdown pass of the day came after Jaishawn Barham forced a fumble from Dyami Brown and Dee Winters recovered it, setting Dallas up for a quick score and a 27-13 lead. That throw to Jake Ferguson also tied Prescott with Tony Romo for the most touchdown passes in franchise history.
He passed Romo soon after by connecting with Lamb on a 24-yard score.
Ferguson was another clear winner. After being shut out of the end zone in Week 1, he bounced back with two touchdown catches against Washington. He finished with four receptions on four targets for 43 yards, continuing to be a trusted target in scoring territory.
Brandon Aubrey kept doing what Brandon Aubrey does. He drilled a 60-yard field goal in the third quarter to push the lead to 30-13, and that kick was part of a larger reminder of why Dallas values him so highly. He has now made seven kicks from beyond 60 yards, an NFL record.
Jaishawn Barham also answered last week’s criticism in a big way. After drawing heat for his mistakes and a sideline moment with defensive coordinator Christian Parker, he delivered the defensive play of the game by forcing the Brown fumble that helped swing the third quarter.
Not everyone helped their cause. Terence Steele remains a problem spot on the offensive line, and his third-quarter miscues stood out again. He failed to secure his block on a screen pass, then got beaten off the snap by K'Lavon Chaisson, who sacked Prescott on third and short and forced Dallas to settle for a field goal.
Jalen Thompson also had a rough afternoon in coverage. The safety, signed to a three-year, $33 million deal, gave up four receptions in Week 1 and posted a 137.9 QB rating when targeted.
Against Washington, he was flagged for a personal foul on the Commanders’ first touchdown drive and later allowed a 10-yard gain to Stefon Diggs on third down before halftime. With Malik Hooker out and P.J.
Locke injured during the game, Dallas needed more from Thompson and didn’t get it.
Shavon Revel Jr. was thrust into action after Cobie Durant left with an injury late in the first half, and the early returns weren’t clean. On Washington’s first drive of the third quarter, Revel missed a tackle on Terry McLaurin, turning a short catch into a 26-yard gain. A couple plays later, Dyami Brown beat him for what looked like a touchdown, only for Revel to be spared by a questionable call from officials.
Even with those issues, the Cowboys walked away with a convincing win and a 1-1 record, and Prescott’s performance made the loudest statement of all.
In Other News...
CeeDee Lamb Sees Something In This Young Cowboys Defender
Jaishawn Barhams first career start for the Cowboys came with plenty of responsibility, and he handled it like a player who was ready for the moment. Working at MIKE linebacker with the green dot, Barham finished with six tackles, a pressure and a team-high four defensive stops, and he did it without missing a tackle. For a defense looking for a spark, his presence helped fuel a needed momentum shift.
CeeDee Lamb took notice afterward, and not just because of the box score. The veteran receiver was quick to point to Barhams passion and the way he carried himself on the field, which matters on a unit that is still sorting out its identity. For a young defender making his first start, earning that kind of respect from teammates is often the first sign he may have found a real role. [Read more 🡒]
CeeDee Lambs Huge Night Left Cowboys Fans Talking About One Strange Twist
CeeDee Lamb put together one of the biggest nights of the Cowboys season in the win over Washington, hauling in eight catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns while Dak Prescott added another milestone by setting the franchise record for career touchdown passes. It was the kind of offensive performance that had Dallas feeling good about where its passing game is headed, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer pointing to the growing chemistry between Prescott and Lamb as a major reason for the surge.
Then came the odd postgame wrinkle. Lamb was subjected to an NFL drug test after the game, a development that immediately got Cowboys fans talking almost as much as the box score did. For a player who had just delivered a standout night, the timing made the whole thing feel a little unusual, and it only added another layer to a game Dallas already had plenty of reasons to remember. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Secondary Just Took Another Hit At The Worst Time
The Cowboys left Week 2 with a win over Washington, but the secondary took another hit in the process. Cornerback Cobie Durant came out with a hamstring strain, and safety P.J. Locke suffered a torn plantar fascia, adding more strain to a defensive backfield that has already had to manage its share of moving parts early in the season.
Brian Schottenheimer said both players are expected to miss multiple weeks, though Stephen Jones indicated neither is expected to land on injured reserve. For Dallas, that creates a familiar next-man-up challenge at a time when the defense would rather be building continuity than searching for more depth. [Read more 🡒]