The Washington Commanders may have gotten the last laugh after Von Miller’s Cowboys debut went nowhere.
Miller, who Washington passed on bringing back this offseason, was supposed to give Dallas a jolt in his first game with the team. Instead, he came up empty in Sunday Night Football against the New York Giants. He played 11 snaps and finished without a single stat as the Cowboys opened the year with a rough loss at MetLife Stadium.
That kind of night is hard to spin as anything but a setback, even with the understanding that nobody expected the old version of Miller to walk through the door. The veteran edge rusher wanted an immediate impact, but there was no impact to be found.
It also helps explain why Commanders general manager Adam Peters never pushed to keep him around. Washington used Miller last season, and injuries pushed him to the top of the team’s sack chart.
Miller wanted another deal, but Peters went another direction. Miller waited before choosing Dallas, convinced the Cowboys could make a serious playoff run.
After Week 1, that bet looks shaky.
He wasn’t alone in struggling. The Cowboys’ defense as a whole looked flat under the bright lights, and Miller did not record a tackle or generate quarterback pressure. That’s a far cry from the dominant force who once terrorized offenses.
It’s a familiar theme for Washington, too. Miller originally joined the Commanders because he believed they were close to winning it all after reaching the NFC Championship Game. That push never materialized, and now he may be stuck with another team that opened the season looking far from contention.
Still, it’s only Week 1, and opening weekend tends to produce weird results. But the Cowboys’ showing had the same hollow feel as a defense that had already fallen to ugly levels in 2025.
Washington, meanwhile, has every reason to keep an eye on Miller this week. The Commanders’ revamped pass rush caused problems for the Philadelphia Eagles, and even in defeat, the energy and disruption under Daronte Jones stood in stark contrast to last season.
Now the attention shifts to AT&T Stadium, where Washington visits Dallas in a game that already carries heavy weight for both sides. Both teams lost in Week 1.
Both are trying to avoid an 0-2 start. And both have plenty of pride wrapped into this matchup.
Miller will have revenge on his mind. He left Washington on good terms, but he also came away frustrated that his push for a new contract was ignored. He’ll want to make Peters regret the decision to move on.
Washington, though, should feel reasonably comfortable about limiting the damage. Miller’s first game with Dallas showed a player who is a little older, a little slower, and a little less explosive after the snap. At the same time, he knows the strengths and weaknesses of every Washington lineman he’ll see.
If a 37-year-old Miller suddenly looks like the guy who used to wreck games, then the Commanders will have bigger concerns than this reunion.
In Other News...
Commanders Just Sent A Worrying Message About Their O-Line
After a shaky Week 1 showing up front, the Commanders are moving quickly to add more insulation to their offensive line. Washington is reportedly signing Lucas Patrick to the 53-man roster, giving the group another veteran with the kind of interior versatility teams value when injuries and inconsistency start to pile up.
Patrick has played multiple spots inside, which gives the Commanders options as they try to steady the unit and sort out the pecking order behind the starters. The move also comes with a clear caveat, though, since Patrick was recently cut by the Giants because of knee issues, leaving Washington to balance the need for help now against the risk attached to his health. [Read more 🡒]
Stefon Diggs Case Just Raised A Question Washington Fans Will Notice
Stefon Diggs is already dealing with a civil lawsuit that has kept his name in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, and the latest development only adds another layer to a case Washington fans are likely to keep an eye on. Christopher Blake Griffith alleges Diggs drugged and sexually assaulted him in 2023, while Diggs has denied the claims and responded with a defamation suit of his own.
A federal judge has now ordered Diggs to provide a detailed account of his relationship with Griffith, a sign the case is moving into a more probing phase. Griffith has also asked to move the trial venue because of concerns about local jury bias, and the judge has not yet ruled on that request, leaving another important question hanging as the legal fight continues. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A Jordan Magee Problem They Didn't Need
Jordan Magees rookie season has hit an early snag the Commanders could have done without. After suffering a hamstring injury in Week 1, the linebacker has been placed on injured reserve, meaning Washington will have to get by without him for at least four games while he turns his attention to rehab.
For a defense already leaning on depth at linebacker, the timing is less than ideal. Magee has dealt with setbacks before, and this latest one puts his development on pause just as the Commanders were trying to sort out availability issues elsewhere on the roster, leaving his return later in the season as one more thing to monitor. [Read more 🡒]