The Commanders don’t have much room for error when they meet the Cowboys in Week 2, and a few players are carrying a heavier load than others. If Washington is going to avoid stumbling into an 0-2 start, it needs sharper execution, better urgency and a handful of key contributors to clean up what went wrong against the Eagles.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt sits near the top of that list. The Commanders need the rookie running back to take care of the ball after he fumbled again against Philadelphia.
Washington recovered it, but Dan Quinn still pulled him out of the action, a clear warning sign for the 2025 seventh-round pick. Croskey-Merritt can bring explosiveness, but none of that matters if the ball security doesn’t follow.
Dallas will be waiting for any mistake, and Washington needs him to help control the clock. If he can’t, sixth-round rookie Kaytron Allen could be forced into action sooner than planned.
Nick Allegretti is under just as much pressure, if not more. Washington made him the starting center with no real competition, and that gamble looked shaky after he missed almost all of training camp and then struggled against the Eagles.
The Commanders need him to settle down fast. He won’t see Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis every week, but the job still has to be cleaner.
Snapping the ball, handling his assignments and communicating pre-snap all have to improve. Washington even brought in Lucas Patrick this week as insurance if the same problems keep showing up.
With Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams looking to make his presence felt, Allegretti has another tough test ahead.
In Other News...
Tom Brady Added To The Misery Of Washingtons Ugly Afternoon
An ugly afternoon in Washington already had plenty of ways to linger, and Tom Brady added one more layer during the FOX broadcast. While calling the game, the seven-time Super Bowl winner turned heads with his blunt description of a Dak Prescott throw, then later reacted to the moment when Jayden Daniels went down with an injury, a scene that immediately changed the mood around the telecast.
Bradys unfiltered commentary quickly became part of the conversation, but the bigger issue for Washington was the sight of Daniels left elbow bending unnaturally. In a day that had already gone sideways, the injury concern for the rookie quarterback was the part that mattered most, and it left the Commanders facing an uneasy wait after an afternoon nobody in the building will want to replay. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Injury Scare Just Changed Everything For Washington
A tense halftime scene at FedEx Field changed the tone of Washingtons Week 2 meeting with Dallas in a hurry, as Jayden Daniels left on the final play of the first half with a left arm injury. The setback was especially alarming because the injury appeared to be a dislocated elbow, a similar issue to one Daniels had dealt with before, turning what had been a familiar divisional matchup into a much bigger concern for the Commanders.
Marcus Mariota took over for the second half after Daniels was carted off, leaving Washington to regroup around a different quarterback and an uncertain outlook. For a team already trying to establish its identity early in the season, the injury adds another layer of anxiety, and the immediate focus now shifts from the scoreboard to the quarterbacks status moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Sonny Styles Sent A Message Commanders Fans Should Love
Sonny Styles gave the Commanders something to build on in a tight season opener against the Eagles, flashing the kind of early impact Washington has been hoping to see from its rookie linebacker. In his debut, Styles finished with four tackles, including two for loss, along with a sack and a quarterback hit, a useful blend of disruption and activity even in a 24-22 loss.
Styles also sounded like a player who understands the standard is only going to get tougher from here, noting there are areas of his game he still needs to clean up. For Washington, the encouraging part is that a rookie already looked comfortable making plays in a high-pressure setting, and now the next test comes quickly with Dallas up next. [Read more 🡒]