The Commanders don’t have the luxury of easing into the NFC East race. Sunday’s trip to Dallas arrives in Week 2, and Washington is already staring at the kind of game that can shape an entire division stretch.
An 0-2 start is bad enough. Falling to 0-2 inside the division would make the climb even steeper.
So the spotlight lands on the players who have to carry the load around Jayden Daniels. Washington needs a stronger all-around showing, and these five names stand out as the ones most likely to swing the result.
Terry McLaurin has to be a centerpiece from the start. Washington didn’t get him involved early against Philadelphia, with his first target not coming until the fourth quarter as the Eagles worked to take him away.
Even so, he stayed ready when the game demanded it. That same connection he and Daniels built over spring and summer needs to show up early and often against a Dallas secondary that looks vulnerable enough to attack.
It’s difficult to imagine McLaurin being bottled up two weeks in a row.
Bill Croskey-Merritt has a different kind of mandate. He led Washington’s backs with 63 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in Week 1, but the efficiency wasn’t there at 3.9 yards per carry.
The bigger issue came late, when he lost the ball with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter. That kind of mistake can’t survive, especially with the team already adjusting by getting Kaytron Allen involved on the comeback try.
Dan Quinn made the point plain: “Yeah, I think the ball security,” Quinn said, “that’s definitely the premium for us.” Croskey-Merritt has to run like the featured back and protect the football like his job depends on it.
On defense, Washington will be without Frankie Luvu, which puts more on Leo Chenal. He’s set to handle most of the snaps next to Sonny Styles, and the Commanders are counting on him to fill a major void.
Chenal was used more as a versatile reserve in Kansas City, but this spot calls for a steady, every-down presence. With Jordan Magee on injured reserve, there isn’t much margin for error.
Washington needs Chenal to hold up in coverage, set the edge against the run and keep plays from breaking open.
Dorance Armstrong’s return could also matter in a big way. Washington gets him back from his one-game suspension, and he comes in after an ACL tear interrupted what had been an excellent start to the 2025 campaign.
His comeback lands in Dallas, where the Texas native was injured, which gives this one a little extra symmetry. Armstrong joins Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson on the edge, and Quinn hinted that all three could be part of a package that sends multiple rushers after the quarterback at once.
Armstrong can also work from the interior, which gives Washington another way to make its four-man rush dangerous.
Then there’s Mike Sainristil, who enters Sunday with plenty of eyes on him after his Week 1 issues. His mistakes have already been dissected enough, and the bottom line is simple: he has to be better.
The Cowboys receivers present a real test, and Washington has to decide how much to trust him after the opening-week gaffes. He should still have a role, but the bigger question is whether the staff sticks with him as heavily or trims his snaps.
Either way, he can’t keep giving up the explosive plays that hurt the Commanders so badly in Week 1.
In Other News...
Commanders Suddenly Have A Mike Sainristil Question They Cant Ignore
Mike Sainristil is already facing an early test of how the Commanders handle accountability under Dan Quinn. After Washingtons season-opening loss, Quinn publicly called out the young cornerbacks performance, and Sainristil responded by owning the mistakes and saying his focus is on getting better. For a defense that wants to establish a sharper edge, the issue is not just one rough outing, but how quickly the rookie can steady himself as the spotlight gets brighter.
Isaac Yiadoms arrival from the practice squad adds another layer to the conversation, because Washington now has more veteran depth in the secondary heading into its game against the Dallas Cowboys. The move does not settle the cornerback picture, but it does put a little more pressure on Sainristil to respond the right way. How Quinn and his staff sort out those snaps will be worth watching, especially this early in the season when every adjustment carries a little extra weight. [Read more 🡒]
Dorance Armstrong Gives Commanders A Personal Edge Against Dallas
Dorance Armstrong Jr. is back in the Commanders lineup after serving a one-week suspension, and his return comes with a built-in layer of familiarity. After six seasons with the Cowboys, Armstrong now finds himself on the other side of one of the NFC Easts most familiar rivalries, joining Washington as it prepares for an upcoming meeting with Dallas. He is working his way back from an ACL injury and sliding into a reserve hybrid linebacker role in the Commanders' 3-4 defense.
Even with a limited workload possible as he adjusts to the scheme and the roster around him, Armstrong still carries obvious value in a game like this. Washington did not bring him in just for depth, and his presence against his former team adds a little more edge to a matchup that already has plenty of it. The Commanders will be watching how much he can handle, but they also know the timing of his return is hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Need These Lineup Tweaks To Handle Dallas Better
The Commanders came out of their regular-season opener with enough encouraging moments to believe the roster can settle in quickly, but the 24-22 loss also exposed a few lineup spots that could use a closer look before the next meeting with Dallas. Washington has already spent time sorting through what worked, what didnt, and where injuries may force the coaching staff to look for more snaps from players who were on the fringe in Week 1.
Rasul Douglas, Antonio Williams, Ben Sinnott and Quan Martin all surfaced as possible beneficiaries if Washington decides to tweak roles heading into the Cowboys game. Those are the kinds of adjustments that can make a difference in a divisional matchup, especially when the margin for error is thin, but for now they remain ideas rather than confirmed changes as the Commanders weigh performance and availability against a Dallas opponent that will demand cleaner execution. [Read more 🡒]