How the Commanders Can Attack the Cowboys’ Defensive Problems in Week 2

As Washington prepares for another good old-fashioned NFC East rivalry game, it's time to look at what Dallas gave the Commanders to study in Week 1. In their Week 1 matchup, the New York Giants beat the Cowboys 28-20 and finished the day with 394 total yards, including 229 passing and 165 rushing. Jerry Jones was among those who pointed to communication as an issue: "Communication. The communication aspects of it. Just being out of position fundamentally between the two. Communication," Jones said.

Like Washington, the Cowboys also have a first-time NFL defensive coordinator, as Christian Parker was calling his first NFL game. It wasn't the opening he hoped for, with the Giants converting 9-of-11 on third downs (81.8%) and going 4-for-4 in the red zone. After Week 1, Dallas now ranks dead last in the league in third-down defense. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has spent the week looking to solve that issue. "You gotta figure out why, and you got to do it in a hurry," Schottenheimer said. To be clear, the Cowboys have talent; defensive back DaRon Bland is proof that not everyone played badly in their secondary, as he earned a 72.9 overall grade and 77.2 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.

Ground and Pound to Set the Rhythm

First, Washington should look to dictate the game's flow on the ground. The Giants gained 165 yards, which breaks down to 4.5 yards per carry. Along the way, Dallas' defense was credited with seven missed tackles, and New York's quarterback Jaxson Dart had 54 rushing yards on 11 carries, including a 22-yard designed run that Giants fans are still talking about. That sounds like the perfect recipe for Washington to establish David Blough's game plan that already produced 132 yards against a much better defense in Philadelphia, including 63 from Jacory Croskey-Merritt.

Every touch for Washington Commanders Year 2 RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt in Week 1 pic.twitter.com/AEr9EvHYZi
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) September 14, 2026

Make Dallas Communicate on Every Snap

After months of installing Parker's new defense, the Cowboys had several breakdowns tied to alignment and communication issues. This doesn't line up well for Parker heading into Week 2 if he can't correct those issues. As it stands, pre-snap motion and multiple looks are staples of what Blough is trying to do in Washington. Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin put it perfectly: "Multiple looks and formations that can make things look the same and marry together." If Dallas’ problem was getting everyone on the same page, Washington should force them to redraw that page before the snap as often as possible.

Force Dallas to Choose How It Pressures Daniels

The next place Washington should look to attack is Dallas' inability to consistently generate pressure without bringing extra defenders. The Cowboys pressured Jaxson Dart 11 times overall, but when they rushed only four, they generated just two pressures. Dart took advantage, completing 17-of-19 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns against four-man rushes. Schottenheimer didn't hide from that problem either. "We did not get enough pressure on him. He looked pretty comfortable back there," Schottenheimer said. That's a big deal for Washington after an offensive line that had plenty of questions entering Week 1 allowed only one sack against Philadelphia. If Dallas has to start sending extra bodies to make Daniels uncomfortable, Blough should have chances to get the ball out quickly and make the Cowboys pay for it. Daniels already showed he can do exactly that against Philadelphia, completing 5-of-7 passes for 47 yards and both of his touchdowns when the Eagles blitzed him.

Every Jaxson Dart play v. Cowboys

23/29 230 yards 3 TD
11 carries 54 yards pic.twitter.com/BOLPnOTYuy
— Giants Nation Show (@GiantsNationPod) September 14, 2026

Washington also doesn't need this to turn into another week where everything runs through Terry McLaurin. Philadelphia held McLaurin to two catches for 14 yards, but Stefon Diggs finished with four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown, while rookie Antonio Williams had four for 64 yards and a score. Williams did that on only 26 offensive snaps, including a 33-yard conversion on third-and-14. If Dallas wants to devote extra attention to McLaurin or bring more pressure, Washington has already shown it has other places to go with the football.

The communication issue gets even more interesting with the changes Dallas has to make this week. DeMarvion Overshown is expected to miss the game with a hamstring injury, and rookie third-round pick Jaishawn Barham will wear the green dot and relay Parker's calls against Washington. That's a lot to put on a player in his second NFL game, even if Dallas spent the summer preparing him for that possibility. "He's got great command of what we're doing," Schottenheimer said Friday. Malik Hooker is also out with a fractured forearm, which means P.J. Locke steps into the lineup in his place. None of that means Dallas is helpless, but it does give Blough another reason to make them communicate before and after the snap as much as possible. Barham had already gotten green-dot work during the preseason, so this isn't completely foreign territory for him. For Blough, that only adds another reason to use the motion and personnel shifts Washington has already shown, forcing a rookie responsible for relaying the calls to repeatedly adjust to different looks before the snap.

Washington also has to be better on third down than it was against Philadelphia. The Commanders finished at just 33.3 percent against the Eagles, and Dallas' Week 1 struggles in those situations give Washington a chance to improve. Antonio Williams already showed he can be part of the answer after turning a third-and-14 into a 33-yard gain. If Dallas has to bring extra pressure to get to Daniels, those are the downs where Washington has to recognize it and take advantage.

"One big issue is pass protection"
"Spacing is off"
"I have no idea what this route concept is"

Everyone who said JD is "isn't seeing the field" come watch film, like we tried to tell yall in REAL TIME! @DCdude202 @DCFantasySeth pic.twitter.com/r6PO4hy7Th
— Lord Commander 999 (@HailMaryland) September 16, 2026

Dallas has had an entire week to work on the communication and alignment issues that showed up against New York, so Washington shouldn't expect everything to look exactly the same Sunday. Still, those problems line up with a lot of what Blough wants to do anyway. Run the ball, move players around before the snap, force the defense to communicate, and give Daniels answers when the Cowboys decide they need to send more pressure.

The Cowboys have too much talent to assume Week 1 is simply who they are now, but they gave Washington a pretty clear list of things to test. If the same problems start showing up again, the Commanders need to make sure Dallas doesn't get another week to figure them out.

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