3 Biggest Overreactions From Cowboys Week 2 Victory Over Commanders

Winning cures everything in the NFL. Following a Week 1 loss to the New York Giants, there was nothing but doom and gloom surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. This weekend, they defeated the Washington Commanders and now, the mood is significantly improved.

That's understandable since the league can change from week-to-week, but the Cowboys can't fall into the trap of believing all of their issues from Week 1 are solved. Instead, they have to continue to work on improving in every facet of the game as they look to reach their full potential.

The coaching staff has been around long enough to know they must continue to work hard. For fans, however, we must avoid falling for the following three overreactions from the Week 2 win.

The Dallas defense is good enough to win consistently

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota scrambles against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Week 1 was tough to watch and fans were ready to pack it in after Christian Parker's defense was torched by Jaxson Dart and the New York offense. This weekend, the Cowboys won by more than two touchdowns and the defense forced a second-half turnover thanks to rookie Jaishawn Barham.

There was a lot to be excited about, but overall, the defense was still a mess. They surrendered 182 yards on the ground and even when Jayden Daniels was injured, they struggled to stop Marcus Mariota. In fact, the entire mood could have been different had the refs not botched a call in the third quarter by saying Dyami Brown didn't score a touchdown when he had the ball in his hands and a knee down in the end zone.

Dallas benefited from that break and had the turnover. Other than that, there were still far too many holes on defense and they have a tough opponent up next in the Baltimore Ravens which will be a huge test.

The offense is going to outscore everyone

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott hands the ball to running back Javonte Williams. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dallas scored 37 points, which is what they were expected to do in Week 1. The Cowboys are loaded on offense and had a huge advantage in this one with the Commanders' secondary struggling. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb were able to capitalize on that, with Prescott even making history on his fourth touchdown pass, surpassing Tony Romo for the most touchdown passes in team history.

As impressive as they were, the offense still has some flaws, especially on the ground. After two games, the Cowboys have just 135 yards rushing and are averaging 3.5 yards per attempt. The absence of Tyler Smith has left their interior missing some of their fire and Javonte Williams is paying the price. Prescott made up for the issues on the ground in Week 2, but going forward, they have to be better to keep the offense from stalling out.

Jaishawn Barham is a full-time starter

Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White is tackled by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaishawn Barham. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham deserves a ton of praise for how he played in Week 2. He had a rough rookie outing and went viral for a sideline interaction with defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

He had no choice but to put that behind him since he was starting in place of the injured DeMarvion Overshown and Barham rose to the occasion. He had seven tackles, one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble that led to a turnover. He drew plenty of praise from veteran leaders following the victory, but we can't just assume everything is fixed.

Barham should be proud of the way he responded and he was their highest-graded defender in Week 2. All of that is great, but this doesn't mean Barham is ready to be an All-Pro. He still had a few instances where he overpursued the running back, something he has to reel in going forward. A player as passionate as Barham can't turn off the aggressiveness, since this is what makes him great, but he has to figure out when to reel it in to make the consistent plays.

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