The Commanders find themselves looking for a win after failing to get one in the regular-season opener versus Philadelphia. That chance comes on Sunday in Dallas, with a second straight NFC East contest to start the 2026 campaign.
That doesn’t provide a Washington team with new coordinators and scheme much time to figure things out.
The key takeaways from that 24-22 Week 1 loss to Philadelphia, as expressed by head coach Dan Quinn and many others:
- Get the defensive explosive plays allowed OFF the game tape.
- Find an earlier (and consistent) offensive rhythm
Those lessons must be applied in general, but there
are game specific issues to attend to in Dallas. How should the Commanders solve them? We’ll let you assess that in this week’s Reverse Q+A (working title), where we’ll drop five questions to be answered in the comments. The best responses will be moved into the article itself late by Friday morning.
Question 1: Quarterback Jayden Daniels took some time to get revved up but finished strong down the stretch vs. Philly, as he’s known to do. Could this be a launching point against Dallas’ defense? Does Daniels need to dominate to leave Dallas with a win?
Question 2: There are some obvious matchups Washington should be wary of on Sunday (Lamb/Pickens vs. WAS secondary). What’s a matchup in the Commanders’ favor they can exploit?
Question 3: What should be done with Mike Sainristil? He has received appropriate criticism for his role in a costly explosive and a touchdown vs. Philly. He went so far as tosay he had a “lack of effort” on those plays. The Commanders seem outwardly committed to him as a significant contributor.
Do you work with him believing he’ll be better vs. Dallas for the humbling Philly experience, or do you go with another player(s)? In his roles outside and in the slot?
Question 4: Rookie WR Antonio Williams had an excellent debut, with four receptions for 64 yards and a key touchdown on 10 routes run. What are your expectations for him in Week 2 against Dallas’ defense?
Question 5: This one is a probably bit unfair considering only one game has been played – with both guys playing well – but we’ll ask it anyway…is there any part of you wishing Washington would’ve drafted Caleb Downs over Sonny Styles?
