The Commanders’ new defense gets a real test in Week 2, and it comes with no shortage of pressure - literally and figuratively - against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
Washington opened the season with a defense that mostly held up well against the Philadelphia Eagles, aside from a few chunk gains. But the offense spent three quarters stuck in place, with third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels unable to get much going while the Eagles’ pressure and coverage smothered Washington’s receivers. David Blough’s group finally found a little rhythm late, but it wasn’t enough.
Now the challenge gets sharper. Dallas has CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens on the outside, and Prescott is the kind of veteran passer who can punish mistakes if he’s given time. Coming off a loss to the New York Giants in their home opener, the Cowboys should be coming out with plenty of urgency at AT&T Stadium.
That’s why new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones has to lean into what he does best: blitzing. Jones has a reputation for sending extra rushers, much like his mentor, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Against Dallas, getting into the backfield has to be part of the plan from the jump.
The Commanders also have to clean up the back end, especially when it comes to limiting explosive plays. That responsibility falls in part on Mike Sainristil, and Washington is still doing it without Trey Amos. But the whole operation starts with making Prescott uncomfortable and forcing him off his spot.
For once, Washington may actually have the pieces to do it.
Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson both flashed in Week 1 in Washington’s new 3-4 look. Sonny Styles added a highlight-reel sack in his debut, and Frankie Luvu got one too. Dorance Armstrong Jr. is set to play his first game of the year after serving a one-game suspension, and he’ll be trying to pick up where he left off in 2025 before tearing his ACL against this same Cowboys team.
If Luvu can’t go because of a groin injury, Leo Chenal brings similar traits. Either way, this is a deeper, more dangerous group than Prescott has seen from Washington in recent years.
That’s the point of the overhaul. After allowing more yards than any team in the league a season ago, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn made major changes to the defense, bringing in Jones and reshaping the roster around him.
Week 1 was a solid start. Week 2 is where Washington gets a chance to make noise. And for Jones, a longtime assistant who has already had to ride out plenty of turbulence on the way to Washington, this one is a chance to show exactly what this new defense can be.
In Other News...
Commanders Lose Key Piece Of Jayden Daniels Attack Before Cowboys
A hamstring injury will keep Chig Okonkwo out of the Commanders Week 2 trip to face the Cowboys, taking away one of Jayden Daniels more useful early-season targets just as Washington tries to build on its opener. Dan Quinn confirmed the tight end will not play, and the timing stings with a divisional game on deck.
John Bates and Ben Sinnott are expected to absorb the added snaps at tight end, giving the Commanders a different look in an offense that was already sorting out roles in the passing game. For Daniels, it means another adjustment before facing Dallas, and for Washington, it adds one more layer of uncertainty to a matchup that rarely needs any extra help becoming complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Terry McLaurin's Quiet Opener Has Commanders Fans Watching One Problem
Terry McLaurins Week 1 line was a quiet one by his standards, with just two catches for 14 yards in Washingtons loss to the Eagles, and it immediately put a familiar question back on the table for the Commanders. When defenses spend extra attention on McLaurin, the rest of the passing game has to do more than simply hope he gets loose a few times.
Jayden Daniels said Washington has answers for the coverage McLaurin is seeing, and he stressed the need to make the most of those moments when the receiver does get free. That is the tension hanging over the offense now: McLaurin remains the player opponents are built to stop, but the Commanders need the rest of the operation to turn those openings into something more before another tight game slips away. [Read more 🡒]
Stefon Diggs Faced A Defining Commanders Moment After Eagles Mistake
After a touchdown catch in a tight game, Stefon Diggs found himself at the center of the Commanders frustrations when an unsportsmanlike penalty changed the complexion of a drive that had been building toward a tying opportunity. For a team still trying to establish its identity and standards, the moment mattered as much for the reaction afterward as it did for the flag itself.
Diggs addressed his teammates directly and took responsibility for the mistake, speaking candidly about what it meant to him and his role in the room. The follow-up was the important part for Washington, because the way a veteran handles a miscue can say plenty about the culture a team is trying to build, and this one was framed as a step toward accountability rather than avoidance. [Read more 🡒]