The Cowboys finally have something to point to in 2026, and they made sure the scoreboard showed it.
Dallas rolled past Washington 37-20 on Sunday, a much cleaner result than the opener against the New York Giants and one that had the offense driving the day from the start. Dak Prescott’s second-half touchdown to Jake Ferguson gave him his 248th career passing score, tying Tony Romo for the most in franchise history before he later moved out front on his own with No. 249.
The defense had a shakier afternoon, even with the win. Jayden Daniels gave Dallas problems before leaving on the final play of the first half, and Marcus Mariota still found ways to create some stress once he took over. Still, the Cowboys did enough, and for a team that had been looking for its first victory of the season, that mattered.
Dallas came out firing immediately. On the opening possession, the Cowboys marched 66 yards in 10 plays and finished it with Prescott hitting CeeDee Lamb for a touchdown. The defense followed with a three-and-out, and although Dallas had to settle for a Brandon Aubrey field goal on its next trip, the early 10-0 lead felt like a strong statement.
Washington didn’t fold, though. The Commanders responded by converting a third-and-18, then later trimmed the margin after a fumble on a pitch from Jayden Daniels to Jacory Croskey-Merritt forced them to settle for a field goal. Dallas answered with another touchdown drive, this one featuring more work from George Pickens before Ferguson finished it off.
Washington got back into the end zone before halftime when Daniels connected with Stefon Diggs, and the Commanders looked poised to keep pressing. They used up the clock and got the ball to the final seconds of the half, then made the risky choice to go for it on fourth down with 3 seconds left. Daniels was stepped on by his left guard and went down awkwardly without getting a play off, and he was carted off as the teams headed to the break.
The second half began with Daniels ruled out, and Washington’s offense had to keep going with Mariota. The Commanders nearly tied it right away on a Mariota throw to Dyami Brown, but the play was ruled incomplete after a challenge. They still got a field goal and pulled within 17-13.
That’s when Dallas seized control. On Washington’s first play of the next drive, Jaishawn Barham forced a fumble and the Cowboys recovered. Prescott quickly turned that into another touchdown, finding Ferguson again and tying Romo’s franchise record in the process.
Dallas kept the pressure on from there. Washington tried a pair of trick plays and came away empty, then missed a field goal wide right. The Cowboys tacked on another Aubrey field goal to go up 30-13, and the game was drifting away.
Washington made one last push when Mariota finally hit Diggs for a touchdown on a deep shot that left him wide open, cutting the Dallas lead to 30-20. But the Cowboys answered again, and Prescott’s third touchdown pass of the day - his 249th career passing touchdown - put the game away for good.
By the time it was over, Dallas had a win, Prescott had the franchise passing touchdown record to himself, and the Cowboys had something positive to carry into a week of work for Baltimore in Brazil.
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 🡒]