The Dallas Cowboys are back at .500 after beating the Washington Commanders 37-20 in Week 2, a result that helped wash away some of the bad taste left by their ugly opener against the New York Giants. Now the focus shifts to Baltimore, with both teams sitting at 1-1 heading into their matchup in Rio de Janeiro.
That showdown brings a much tougher test, and the Cowboys have more than a few issues to clean up if they want to turn a promising win into something bigger. Baltimore comes in after a one-score loss to the New Orleans Saints, and Dallas will need to be sharper across the board to come away with a statement victory.
The most obvious problem remains the run defense. Dallas was gashed by the Giants for 165 yards on the ground at 4.5 yards per carry, and the follow-up against Washington wasn’t much better.
The Commanders ran for 182 yards and averaged 5.7 yards per attempt, which is a worrying number to surrender at home. Even after Jayden Daniels was injured, the Cowboys still couldn’t slow down Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White.
That kind of production is a bad sign with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry next on the schedule.
The secondary is also dealing with a rough injury situation. Malik Hooker, P.J.
Locke, and Cobie Durant are all sidelined, and that has forced the Cowboys to adjust on the fly. Caleb Downs has had to play a more traditional safety role instead of working in the slot, where he has been a stud.
Even before the injuries piled up, the back end wasn’t making enough key stops. Now Dallas is leaning even more heavily on DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr., two players who have the talent but still need to put everything together.
Another concern is the quiet start from Javonte Williams. He came into the season off a huge 2025 campaign, when he piled up 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground and earned a three-year extension in the offseason.
Dallas expected him to be a centerpiece again, but that hasn’t happened through two games. Williams has 24 carries for 71 yards, a 3.0-yard average that’s a sharp drop from his 4.8 yards per attempt in 2025.
The Cowboys were able to survive that against Washington because Dak Prescott played at a high level, but that kind of formula won’t hold every week. Against better secondaries, Dallas needs Williams to force defenses to respect the run and open up the passing game.
And then there’s the pass rush issue. The Cowboys have had no trouble getting into the backfield, but finishing the job has been a different story.
They managed two sacks in Week 1, then none in Week 2, even though they hit the opposing quarterback 12 times across those two games. The pressure is there, but the sacks aren’t.
If Dallas wants to keep Jackson from carving them up, it has to turn those near-misses into takedowns.
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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 🡒]
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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 🡒]