Biggest Takeaways From Dallas Cowboys' Week 2 Win Over Washington Commanders

The Dallas Cowboys secured their first win of the season over the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Here are our biggest takeaways from the victory.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) hands the ball to running back Javonte Williams (33) during warmups before a game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Cowboys secured their first win of the 2026 campaign after defeating the Washington Commanders, 37-20.

While the final score made the game look like a rout, but it could have been a lot closer if the ball had bounced the Commanders' way a few times, and if Jayden Daniels didn't get hurt.

However, a win is a win and the Cowboys will certainly take this one, especially with the offense bouncing back in a big way.

We'll go over all of the good and bad that we saw as we list our biggest takeaways from the Cowboys' Week 2 win over the Commanders.

Injury concerns in the secondary

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant (2) breaks up a pass intended for Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) in the end zone during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cowboys lost two defensive backs to injuries in the first half of the game. Cobie Durant exited with a hamstring injury after getting stepped on by his own teammate, and P.J. Locke came down with a foot issue.

We obviously don't know the severity yet, but it goes without saying the Cowboys can ill-afford to lose two defensive backs with the secondary already struggling. Not to mention, Durant has been Dallas' best cornerback and the Cowboys are already shorthanded at safety with Malik Hooker's injury.

Still not good enough from the defense

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We saw some flashes of impressive physicality, but the defense still left a lot to be desired.

The defensive front was getting good pressure but simply couldn't finish, and the secondary was getting picked apart more often than not. The gap integrity in run defense was pathetic and the Commanders ripped off nearly six yards per carry on the ground.

The 20 points looks good on paper, but the Commanders also got robbed of a touchdown even after a review on one play and should have had another score but Antonio Williams didn't throw a good enough pass to a wide open Terry McLaurin.

Antonio Williams throws to the wrong shoulder, which would be a bigger concern if he were actually a QB pic.twitter.com/DR5Do0r0EP

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 20, 2026

There's also the fact that Jayden Daniels, who was absolutely cooking the Cowboys in the first half, especially on the ground, got injured and left the game early. Marcus Mariota came in and looked good, too, which is another problem.

This game did nothing to make us feel better about the Cowboys' defense.

Passing attack bounces back

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) leaps to throw a pass against the Washington Commanders defense during the first half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

How about some good news?

The Cowboys broke out in the passing game on Sunday, with Prescott completing 26-of-31 throws for 279 yards and four touchdowns, with two going to CeeDee Lamb and the other two going to Jake Ferguson. Lamb in particular went nuclear with 153 yards.

Another positive was Prescott actually had time to make throws down the field because the pass protection was better than it was in Week 1.

Run game struggles

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams (33) carries the ball against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The rushing attack did not have the same success as the passing attack.

One week after tallying just 3.8 yards per carry, the Cowboys were even worse with a putrid 3.1 yards per run. Javonte Williams had just 30 yards on 12 carries, good enough for 2.5 yards per carry. And, when he did break a big run in the fourth quarter, it was called back due to a penalty.

The run-blocking has got to be much better or the Cowboys are going to be a one-dimensional offense and that will surely make things much more difficult for Prescott and Co.

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