A win in Week 2 kept the Dallas Cowboys from careening into an early-season mess, but it didn’t exactly erase the questions hanging over this team. At 1-1, Dallas still has some life. The problem is that the defense hasn’t done much to make anyone comfortable about where this is headed.
The Cowboys gave up nearly 200 rushing yards at home, and the final minutes would have looked a lot different if Jayden Daniels hadn’t been injured at the end of the first half. That’s the kind of detail that kept Dallas from looking sturdier after its Week 2 victory.
Now the schedule tightens fast. The Cowboys are headed to Rio de Janeiro for the NFL International Series matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, and that means Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are next up. For a defense already under the microscope, that’s a heavy lift.
That’s a big reason Dallas is still parked in the middle of the pack in the latest wave of NFL power rankings. The offense is drawing plenty of confidence, but the defense keeps showing up as the issue that could define the season.
SI’s Peter Dewey is buying the offense, but not without a warning label attached to the defense.
"I'm a believer in this Cowboys offense, which was a top-five unit in EPA/Play in 2026. The defense has to come along for them to make the playoffs, but the Cowboys are very much alive in the NFC East through two weeks," Dewey wrote.
ESPN took a simpler route, putting the spotlight squarely on Dak Prescott.
"The Cowboys will go as far as Dak Prescott can take them," Todd Archer wrote.
That’s the tension with this team right now. Dallas can score, but it can’t keep living in games where Prescott has to drag the offense through every possession. A team with this much firepower still needs the defense to steal a few stops along the way.
Brent Sobleski slotted the Cowboys 17th and pointed to the one encouraging sign from Washington’s offensive outburst: Dallas held up in the red zone twice.
"Conversely, Dallas' defense remains soft. Washington managed nearly 400 yards of offense.
However, the Commanders only converted once during three red-zone trips. The formula basically remains the same for the Cowboys, particularly with the Baltimore Ravens next on the docket," Sobleski wrote.
Jason La Canfora sounded even more skeptical about the defense’s offseason buzz, though he still sees an offense capable of keeping Dallas in the conversation.
"They really may have been in trouble if Jayden Daniels didn’t suffer another brutal injury late in the first half. The hype about this defense being much improved - and we were guilty of it, too - might be just that: hype. But the offense is going to rack up points," La Canfora wrote.
The Athletic went in a different direction in its rankings, highlighting rookie linebacker Jaisahawn Barham instead of sticking with the usual headline names. Caleb Downs got a quick mention, but Barham was the focus after his strong start and a forceful Week 2 showing.
"Sure, first-round safety Caleb Downs is starting and filling up the stat sheet - he has 17 tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles - but have you seen what the less heralded Barham is up to? The third-round defensive end from Michigan has 13 tackles, including two for loss. He had seven tackles and a forced fumble against Washington."
That rookie spotlight only adds to the broader picture: Dallas is still waiting for its defense to settle in, and Christian Parker’s first year as defensive coordinator comes with plenty of moving parts. The expectation was never perfection in Week 1. What matters now is whether the unit keeps making small steps forward, and the jump from Week 1 to Week 2 at least showed that much.
In Other News...
Cowboys Could Benefit From The Chargers Tight End Desperation
The Chargers tight end depth has suddenly become a problem, and that sort of roster squeeze tends to send teams searching for help wherever they can find it. With David Njoku and Charlie Kolar on injured reserve, Los Angeles is down to just one healthy tight end on the active roster in Oronde Gadsden, while the other options are practice-squad players who have yet to see game action.
For the Cowboys, that kind of urgency can create an opening. Luke Schoonmaker has surfaced as a possible trade fit for a Chargers team that needs reinforcements, and his place on Dallas depth chart and contract status make him at least worth monitoring. Nothing has been agreed to, but the connection is the kind of situation that can turn a player from roster depth into a name to watch before long. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Win Sparked An AT&T Stadium Buzz Fans Couldnt Ignore
The Cowboys Week 2 win over Washington at AT&T Stadium gave fans plenty to talk about, but so did the sideline presence of Josina Anderson. Her cheetah-print outfit drew a wave of attention on social media during the game, adding an unexpected flashpoint to a night already packed with interest around Dallas and the matchup itself.
Anderson later posted a thank-you message to the Cowboys PR staff after the game, and the response was immediate, with the post drawing more than 100,000 views along with praise from fans and fellow reporters. Dallas left the field with a 37-20 victory, while Washington also had to absorb the blow of Jayden Daniels suffering a serious arm injury, making it a night that carried plenty of conversation well beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Showed Class In A Brutal Rivalry Moment
The late-afternoon trip to Washington turned into another physical chapter in a rivalry that rarely needs much help getting tense. Jayden Daniels went down late in the first half against the Cowboys and was forced out after dislocating the same elbow for the second consecutive season, a reminder of how quickly a divisional game can swing from sharp to severe. Dallas went on to win 37-20, but the bigger picture was the sight of a young quarterback leaving the field in obvious pain.
Dan Quinn confirmed afterward that the injury was a dislocation without fracture, and Marcus Mariota is expected to start until Daniels recovers. For the Cowboys, the moment carried a familiar mix of rivalry and respect, because even in a game with real stakes, there are still lines everyone recognizes. What happens next for Daniels will matter far beyond one November result, and Washington now has to wait on the next update while trying to steady itself at quarterback. [Read more 🡒]