Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders: Keys to Victory in Week 2

Week 1 was one to forget for the Dallas Cowboys as they were beaten by the New York Giants 28-20. It was a physical game where Dallas was outmatched and the final score doesn’t tell how one-sided things were.

This week, Dallas has a chance to redeem itself with the Washington Commanders coming to town. It’s the second consecutive NFC East showdown and the Cowboys are focused on ensuring the result is different this time.

In recent years, the Cowboys have dominated this series, winning five of the last six meetings. To extend that streak, however, they must focus on these three keys to victory in Week 2.

Control the line of scrimmage

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo runs against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Dallas has worked hard to build the interior of their line of scrimmage, but leading into Week 1, Brian Baldinger predicted they would get dominated in this department. That happened to be the case as the Giants had their way on both sides of the ball.

Not only did they run the ball all over the Dallas defense, but they beat up on the interior line which was without Tyler Smith. This week, they should have the edge with their D-line going against the Commanders interior O-line, but there are concerns for the offense.

With T.J. Bass again starting, the Cowboys will have Bass, Cooper Beebe, and Tyler Booker squaring off with Daron Payne, Tim Settle, and Javon Kinlaw. That’s a lot of strength on the defensive line and the Cowboys must win that battle to keep the chains moving.

Javonte Williams didn’t have a bad game in Week 1, but they need more from him and the rushing attack this week. Williams was a steadying force for the offense in 2025 and to get back on track, they need to base their game plan around him against Washington.

Exploit the mismatch at WR

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb carries the ball for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One huge benefit of getting Williams rolling is the fact that this leads to safeties cheating up in the box to help against the run. Once that happens, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens can feast.

In Week 1, Lamb had success as he scored a touchdown and drew multiple flags. Pickens had a couple of drops, but had he hauled in a deep pass that slipped through his fingers, his night would have looked far better.

The good news for this duo is the fact that Washington proved to be susceptible to the deep pass in their Week 1 loss, with cornerback Mike Sainristil surrendering 24.33 yards per target. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer must be aware of this advantage and has to make the most of it as they look for their first win of the season.

Discipline on defensive assignments

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart scrambles with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There was a lot that went wrong in the Week 1 loss, but the biggest concern was the lack of discipline on defense. Defenders were out of position, took poor angles, and struggled to collapse quickly on the ball carrier.

Christian Parker’s defense is designed to keep everything in front of the defenders, which is perfect when facing a quarterback like Daniels who can win with his legs. It only works, however, when players maintain their assignments. Their failures in that department allowed Jaxson Dart to pick them apart with passes in the flat, and left him with enough space to run for 54 yards on 11 attempts.

Dallas has to be better this week, or Daniels will put up numbers that dwarf Dart’s stats.

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