The Washington Commanders have already caught a break for Week 2, and they didn’t have to do a thing to earn it.
Dallas guard Tyler Smith is headed for surgery on his left thumb, and ESPN beat reporter Todd Archer reported that the injury will send him to injured reserve. That keeps him out for the first four games of the season, including the Cowboys’ matchup with Washington at AT&T Stadium.
Smith has been dealing with the thumb issue for a while, and Dallas has decided to get it fixed before it gets worse. T.J. Bass is expected to step into the lineup in his place, but that still leaves the Cowboys taking a clear step back up front.
For Washington, that matters. Smith is one of the league’s most productive young guards, and losing a player like that gives defensive coordinator Daronte Jones a spot to attack in Dallas’ protection.
It doesn’t change the whole picture, and it doesn’t suddenly make the Commanders favorites. But in a game that figures to come down to small edges, this is the kind of opening teams can’t ignore.
The Commanders still have plenty to sort out if they want to steal one from a division rival on the road. Dallas can score in bunches, and Washington’s defense will still have its hands full trying to slow an offense that can light up the scoreboard quickly. Even so, Jones is now working with a defense that has added intriguing pieces at all three levels, and that gives Washington at least some reason to believe it can hang around.
The front seven will need to do the heavy lifting. Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, and Tim Settle Jr. are expected to anchor Jones’ 3-4 front by taking on blockers, eating up double teams, and still finding ways to make plays. If they can hold up, it opens the door for the inside and outside linebackers to create problems, and Jones’ first shot as an NFL play-caller could be helped by a scheme built to get the most out of what he has.
Smith’s absence won’t dominate the conversation once the game kicks off. Interior offensive linemen rarely do, especially in Dallas. But if Washington can make Bass look like the weak point, that pressure could start to spread to other areas of the Cowboys’ offense.
Dallas will still walk into the matchup confident. The offense has enough firepower to pile up points fast, and the defense may be better after some notable offseason additions. Still, the Commanders just got a real opening, and in a game like this, that can be enough to change the shape of the night.
In Other News...
Marylands Young Leaders Are Building Something Bigger Than Football
This summer, Malik Washington and Zion Elee gave Maryland fans a reminder that the programs young leaders are already having an impact well beyond the field. Washington held his fourth annual football camp at Under Armours headquarters in Baltimore, opening the door for local kids to learn the game and simply enjoy being around it in a positive setting.
Elees work carried a different kind of weight, as he organized a backpack drive to help children get ready for the school year. The two efforts spoke to the same larger idea around Maryland right now: building a culture where football matters, but so do education, access and showing up for the community. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Washington Is Giving Maryland Fans Another Reason To Be Proud
Malik Washington is already making an impression in College Park beyond whatever he does on Saturdays. The Maryland sophomore quarterback has been named to the 2026 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List, a group that recognizes FBS players for leadership, courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
Washingtons profile keeps growing because of the way he has shown up in the community, too. He has hosted a youth football camp and taken part in literacy and disability support programs, giving Terrapins fans another reason to take pride in what he represents as much as in how he plays. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Faces A Bigger Test Than Fans Realize This Week
A 62-0 opener can make just about any team feel like it has everything figured out, and Maryland certainly left Saturday with plenty to like. The Terps piled up 365 rushing yards against Hampton, their biggest ground output since 2018, and finished with six rushing touchdowns, the most in a game since 2019. DeJuan Williams and Iverson Howard each found the end zone twice, giving the offense a physical, downhill identity it hopes to carry into the rest of September.
UConn arrives next, and the challenge is different even if the momentum feels the same. Maryland will try to keep leaning on the ground game against a defense that should be a far stiffer test than the one it saw in Week 1, which makes this a useful early measuring stick for how real the run-game surge is. If the Terps can keep that balance and efficiency going, the opener may look less like a one-day outburst and more like a sign of what this offense can become. [Read more 🡒]