5 Winners & 3 Losers From Cowboys Bounceback Win in Week 2 vs. Commanders

Who stood out as winners and losers for the Dallas Cowboys during their Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders?

Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb reacts after catching a touchdown pass thrown by QB Dak Prescott against the Commanders. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What a difference a week makes. The Dallas Cowboys looked awful in their loss to the New York Giants in the season opener, falling to 0-1.

This weekend, they were home against the Washington Commanders and looked like a completely different team. This isn't to say things were perfect, as their defense still had far too many gaffes, but they were able to make some key stops.

Offensively, Dak Prescott and the offense looked like the team we saw in 2025 as they came out firing and never took their foot off the gas. It all added up to a 37-20 victory as Dallas improved to 1-1 on the year. With the win behind us, let's see who stood out as both winners and losers for the Cowboys.

Winner: Jaishawn Barham, LB

Dallas Cowboys LBs Jaishawn Barham and Donovan Ezeiruaku celebrate with DT Kenny Clark after a play against the Washington Commanders. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week, Jaishawn Barham was criticized for a few mistakes on the field as well as a sideline interaction with defensive coordinator Christian Parker that went viral. This week, Barham responded by performing much better, even turning in the defensive play of the game. In the third quarter, Barham forced Dyami Brown to fumble, and Dee Winters scooped up the first ball. That allowed Dallas to score quickly, taking a commanding 27-13 lead.

Loser: Terence Steele, OT

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Terence Steele is under a spotlight this season, being identified as the weak link on the offensive line. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer challenged him to be more consistent this offseason, but he didn't do much to encourage the coaching staff. That's why Broderick Jones was added in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Through two weeks, it's fair to say things haven't changed for Steele. He had his share of struggles in this one, including back-to-back mistakes in the third quarter. First, he didn't secure his block in space on a screen pass, then Steele was beaten off the snap by K'Lavon Chaisson, who sacked Dak Prescott on third and short, forcing Dallas to settle for a field goal.

Winner: CeeDee Lamb, WR

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb leaps to catch a pass against the Washington Commanders. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It didn't take long for CeeDee Lamb to make an impact. On the opening drive, he had three receptions on three targets for 41 yards. His third was a three-yard completion for a touchdown, which gave the Cowboys a 7-0 lead.

Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb for 6️⃣

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Lamb was the go-to guy all day, hauling in eight of nine targets for 153 yards with two touchdowns. He now has three touchdowns in two weeks after scoring three touchdowns in 2025. Entering this game, I wrote that Dallas had the advantage going against the Commanders' secondary, and Lamb capitalized on that.

Loser: Jalen Thompson, S

Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White dives forward with the ball against Dallas Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In need of a steadying force at safety, the Cowboys signed Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $33 million deal. He gave up four receptions in Week 1 and surrendered a QB rating of 137.9 when targeted.

Thompson struggled again in coverage against Washington, including giving up a 10-yard gain to Stefon Diggs on third down during the final drive before halftime. Earlier in the game, Thompson was flagged for a personal foul on Washington's first touchdown drive. With Malik Hooker out and P.J. Locke suffering an injury during the game, Dallas needed Thompson to step up, and he hasn't been able to do that.

Winner: Jake Ferguson, TE

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson catches a 10-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Dak Prescott. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2025, Jake Ferguson was a red zone beast with eight touchdown receptions. He didn't get into the end zone in Week 1, but made up for it by catching two touchdown passes against Washington this weekend. Ferguson had four receptions, catching every target, and finished with 43 yards.

Winner: Brandon Aubrey, K

Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey watches the ball after kicking a 25-yard field goal held by punter Bryan Anger. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's a reason Brandon Aubrey is the highest-paid kicker in the league. His presence means the offense only needs to get near midfield to put points on the board, something we were reminded of when he hit a 60-yarder in the third quarter to extend the lead to 30-13. While that distance once seemed like an impossible task, Aubrey has made it look routine. He has now connected on seven kicks from beyond 60, which is an NFL record.

Loser: Shavon Revel Jr., CB

Dallas Cowboys CB Shavon Revel Jr. runs with the ball after intercepting a pass in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Late in the first half, Cobie Durant was lost to injury, meaning Shavon Revel Jr. would be asked to step up. On the first drive of the third quarter, he failed to do that. Revel missed a tackle on a short pass to Terry McLaurin, which allowed the veteran wideout to take off for a 26-yard gain. Two plays later, he was beaten by Dyami Brown for what seemed to be a touchdown, but Revel was saved by a questionable call from officials.

Winner: Dak Prescott, QB

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott drops back to pass against the Washington Commanders. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite facing non-stop criticism from outside voices, Dak Prescott just continues to deliver. He was on fire in this one and even made history during the third quarter. Following a turnover forced by Jaishawn Barham, Prescott fired his third touchdown pass of the game, hitting Jake Ferguson from 12 yards out.

Not only did that give his team a 27-13 lead, but it also tied Prescott with Tony Romo for the most touchdown passes in franchise history. Prescott then surpassed Romo when he hit Lamb for a 24-yard score. In all, he was 26-of-31 for 279 yards through the air with four touchdown passes. He added 26 yards on the ground in a dominant performance.

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