The Cowboys already know what happens when a defense can’t get a grip on a quarterback who can create chaos outside the script. Now they get Jayden Daniels.
That’s the next problem waiting for Dallas in Week 2, and it comes with a Washington Commanders offense that should be a little cleaner after an uneven opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Commanders dragged a bit early in that one, but the late fourth-quarter push showed what this group can do under offensive coordinator David Blough. The longer they settle into the system, the better it should look.
And at the center of it all is Daniels, who is back and ready to stress a Cowboys defense that was exposed in a demoralizing loss to the New York Giants. Dallas struggled with linebacker play, couldn’t seal the edge, and let Jaxson Dart extend plays off structure with too much ease. For a unit that received heavy offseason investment, that kind of breakdown was hard to stomach.
Daniels brings a different kind of danger. He’s one of the league’s most effective dual-threat quarterbacks, the type who can change a game in a hurry if the defense loses discipline for even a snap. If Dallas doesn’t clean things up fast, Washington’s offense has the tools to turn this into a long afternoon.
The respect for Daniels is already obvious inside the Cowboys’ locker room. Quinnen Williams, who arrived in a blockbuster trade last year, didn’t downplay the challenge when asked about Washington’s attack.
"He's extremely dangerous. They've got two receivers over there that're really good, and they've got a run game that's good also. I just think especially learning from what we did last week and growing and executing and communicating is a big thing for this week also."
Williams also singled out Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs as pieces Dallas has to account for if it wants to get its season moving in the right direction.
That kind of acknowledgment says plenty about how Daniels is viewed around the league and in the NFC East. Injuries held him back last year after he entered the league as the No. 2 pick in 2024, but he’s healthy now, and the finish against the Eagles suggested he may finally be finding his rhythm.
That’s bad news for a Cowboys defense coming off a Week 1 performance that allowed 284 total yards and three touchdowns to Dart without forcing a takeaway. Daniels will look at that tape and see an opening.
He won’t have to do everything himself, of course. But if Dallas’ offense starts rolling and Washington has to answer, Daniels has the kind of game-breaking ability to keep things level.
The broader picture matters too. Since the league introduced the new format, only eight of the 51 teams that started 0-2 have reached the playoffs. That’s the kind of number that gives a Week 2 meeting between these rivals even more weight.
Daniels has shown he can rise to the moment. Williams knows it, and he’s made sure the message is clear.
Now it’s on Dallas to prove it heard him.
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 🡒]