The Washington Commanders don’t just have a chance to get a win on Sunday. They have a chance to hand the Dallas Cowboys an early division hole, and that’s the kind of opportunity a team has to grab when it’s sitting there.
Both teams are 0-1 after opening the season with losses to other NFC East opponents, which puts a sharp edge on this matchup. The loser doesn’t just fall to 0-2 overall - it drops to 0-2 in the division, too. For Washington, that turns Week 2 into something bigger than a simple bounce-back spot.
Week 1 left the Commanders with mixed answers. The offense looked stuck for three and a half quarters, even though the run game still piled up 132 total rushing yards against one of the toughest defensive front sevens in football.
Then, in the final half-quarter, Washington accounted for half of its offensive output. The defense brought some pop of its own with three sacks and a physical approach, but explosive plays still burned it enough to matter.
Dan Quinn summed up the feeling on Monday with a line that fit the performance: "Near misses, they sting."
That’s the tension heading into Sunday. Washington already showed it can run the ball against a rugged front.
It also showed late in the game that the offense can move once it finds its rhythm. But none of that means much if the Commanders spend most of the afternoon waiting for things to click.
Another slow start would turn a promising night into another near miss.
The same warning applies on defense. Three sacks and a tough attitude are useful, but they don’t erase the damage from big plays given up downfield. If Washington wants to make the most of a vulnerable division opponent, those flashes from Week 1 have to last longer and show up more consistently.
That’s the real test here. Last week, the question was whether Washington had improved. This week, the question is whether that improvement can actually translate into a win that matters in the division.
The four things that will decide it are straightforward:
- Can they finish?
- Can David Blough adjust when needed?
- Can the defense eliminate the disastrous explosives?
- Can Washington take advantage of a wounded division rival?
If the Commanders are as improved as Week 1 suggested, Sunday is the chance to prove it by sending Dallas to 0-2.
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Cowboys Rookie May Have Given Dallas A New Answer On Defense
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The most memorable moment came when Barham forced a fumble that led to a touchdown, the kind of play that can change how a staff views a young defender fast. There were also a few uneasy moments along the way, including a brief exit because of injury and a stretch of illness on the field, but the broader takeaway was hard to miss: Dallas may have found a rookie who can handle more than expected when the defense needs answers. [Read more 🡒]