The Cowboys head into Sunday with no room to waste time, and that starts up front. If Dallas is going to get back on track against Washington, the game is going to be decided in the trenches. That means the spotlight lands squarely on the Cowboys offensive line against a Commanders front that didn’t dominate Philadelphia with brute force so much as with pressure from everywhere.
Dallas has been steady enough in pass protection through one week. The Cowboys sit at 10th in Pass Block Win Rate at 58%, and they’ve allowed only a 27% pressure rate, which ranks 13th.
Even better for Dallas, the line has not given up a sack yet. The run game, though, has been a different story.
The Cowboys are down at 26th in Run Block Win Rate at 71%, and they averaged just 3.8 yards per carry in Week 1.
Washington’s numbers don’t jump off the page in the same way, but the tape tells a sharper story. The Commanders are only 25th in Pass Rush Win Rate at 36%, yet they still gave Philadelphia real problems because defensive coordinator Daronte Jones kept changing the picture.
Washington blitzed well above the league average, created confusion, and came away with three sacks and five quarterback hits. That’s the part Dallas has to be ready for.
The job for Cooper Beebe starts with sorting out where the pressure is coming from. Communication up front will matter, especially with Tyler Smith still unavailable and T.J.
Bass handling the left guard spot. Washington will surely try to stress that side of the line.
Tyler Guyton gave Dallas a big early answer on the blindside last week. Brian Burns lined up against him 20 times as a pass rusher and never got home for a pressure. Guyton allowed only two total pressures all game, which is exactly the kind of clean performance Dallas needed after spending the offseason wondering whether left tackle could be a problem.
That likely pushes Washington toward the other edge. Terence Steele is the more obvious target, and he’ll be dealing with Odafe Oweh, who recorded a sack against Philadelphia after posting 10.5 sacks during the 2025 season. Oweh brings speed, but he also has enough power to attack a tackle straight on instead of just trying to run around him.
Washington’s pressure package is the real issue, though, not just one rusher. Dallas can’t let the Commanders live in blitz mode.
Quick throws to CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Jake Ferguson can make Washington pay for overcommitting, and screens can do the same. Play-action is another way to slow linebackers down long enough for Prescott to work.
The run game may also need to become part of the counterpunch. Washington held up well against Philadelphia on paper, but the Eagles still ran for 136 yards at 5.4 yards per carry.
Saquon Barkley had 83 of those, and Jalen Hurts added 46 more. Dallas doesn’t need to keep hammering straight into Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw.
Instead, the better path is to make Washington’s front move laterally and chase.
Counters, outside runs, screens and pulls can all work against a defense that wants to fly downhill. That could give Tyler Booker a chance to do what he does best, using his power on the move rather than just trying to anchor in place. If Dallas can get him into space, he can create contact against linebackers and defensive backs.
Washington’s defensive line has already shown it can create chaos, with three sacks, a 28% Run Stop Win Rate and a 64% stunt rate on third down that leads the league. But the Commanders also have their own soft spots.
If Dallas can force them to rely on a straight four-man rush, the edge should tilt toward the Cowboys. That’s where the numbers line up in Dallas’ favor, with Washington sitting at 25th in Pass Rush Win Rate.
The matchup worth circling is Steele against Oweh. Oweh played 46 of Washington’s 55 defensive snaps against Philadelphia, so this isn’t just a situational pass-rush problem. He’s going to be on the field a lot, and whenever he lines up over Steele, Dallas has to be alert.
The cleanest path for the Cowboys is simple: handle Washington’s blitz looks, make the Commanders win with their front four, and answer their aggression with quick throws, screens and movement in the run game.
In terms of availability, Dallas comes into the week in good shape on the offensive line, with Tyler Smith’s thumb surgery the only notable issue. Washington, meanwhile, has Jer’Zhan Newton and Deatrich Wise on injured reserve, and both Frankie Luvu and Jordan Magee are worth monitoring after leaving last week’s game early.
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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 🡒]