Commanders Halftime Update: Nothing Complimentary About Trailing vs. Cowboys
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ARLINGTON, Tx. -- In their second NFC East matchup in as many weeks the Washington Commanders trail the Dallas Cowboys 12-7.
The Commanders came into the weekend's contest against the Cowboys preaching the same message we heard all year, really.
Looking to get off to a fast start on offense, limit explosive plays, and be good on third down.
Of course, every NFL team wants to do those things. It's a matter of executing the plan, not wanting it to happen.
Here's what we saw in the first half ...
SLOW COOKING
Washington's coaching staff told us this week they knew why the team wasn't getting off to hot starts on offense, and how to fix them.
The players basically just needed to go out and make the plays.
For the most part, the scheme to minimize Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons' impact worked in the first half.
But through the team's first three possessions quarterback, Carson Wentz had thrown for fewer than 30 yards and the offense hadn't converted a third down in three tries.
Eventually, the Commanders put together a strong drive, but one alone will not win the game and didn't secure a lead for them in the first half.
TRAVELING BOMB SHELTER
If your favorite offense is facing the Washington defense, you can bet there'll be some explosive plays.
There's a reason coach Ron Rivera is starting to sound like a broken record when he emphasizes the team's need to get rid of those. Because it needs to happen and hasn't up to this point.
In the first two quarters, Washington got explosive plays of 31 and 23 yards but also got a string of plays off where quarterback Cooper Rush found receiver CeeDee Lamb on three passes totaling 56-yards.
Both drives resulted in points for the Cowboys.
Let's look ahead now to the second half, and look at what Washington needs to do to leave Dallas with their second win, in hand.
WORK DEM BOYS
The first two times the Commanders got into Cowboys territory, penalties took them right back out.
On their scoring drive, they didn't.
It sounds simple, but forcing Dallas' defense to stop your offense is something we haven't seen enough, and need more of, in the second half.
TAKE THE GAME
It looked like cornerback Benjamin St-Juste was going to bring in his first interception of the season. Instead, he got flagged for illegal contact, and the Cowboys not only keep the ball but got a first down off the flag.
It's going to continue to be a point of emphasis until it happens, but if Washington's defense can't get some takeaways, Dallas' chances of winning go up significantly.
What we didn't see in the first half was complimentary football by Washington.
When the defense stood up and forced punts and field goals, the offense did little to nothing.
After Wentz and the offense finally got a drive together, the defense allowed the Cowboys to drive 75 yards on 15 plays to score a touchdown themselves.
It's not winning football, but fortunately for Washington, they have two more quarters to figure it out.
The bright side was rookie receiver Jahan Dotson's third game with a touchdown in his first four. But a late interception by Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs killed any chances of Washington taking a lead into the locker room.
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