The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders will mix it up on Sunday. Here are four keys to the game.
Getting defensive
In case you missed it – the Cowboys rebuilt defense was miserable in their first week of action against the Giants. They were so bad that the vaunted offense for Dallas saw the field just twice in the second half. In a sport where five to seven drives per half is the norm, that’s just flat out unacceptable.
This week, it’s imperative that we see some sort of improvement from the Cowboys defense. For
starters, can the edges be disciplined enough to stay home on the outside and not bite on play fake after play fake? If you thought Jaxson Dart cooked them, just wait until Jayden Daniels gets out on the edge. The most important key on defense this week will be limiting what Daniels can do on the ground.
The Cowboys will also need to figure out a way to get pressure on Daniels without sending extra blitzers. It’ll be a tall task considering the talent they currently have on the field. Donovan Ezeiruaku was the only player to somewhat adequately rush the passer, but still below average in the department with two pressures on 20 pass-rush snaps. The front as a unit ranked 28th in the NFL in pass rush win-rate for week one. That needs to change this week and the numbers back it up. Jayden Daniels struggles when you can clog the passing lanes and still apply pressure with just the front four. It remains to be seen if Dallas has the horses to accomplish this task.
Time to air it out?
The Cowboys will need to commence ‘Operation: Find Mike Sainristil’ as early as the first play from scrimmage. Sainristil finished as one of the lowest grades cornerbacks in the league week one. He gave up multiple key plays against the Eagles, including a 64-yard completion to Dontayvion Wicks and a touchdown where he was completely lost in space. Both the corner and coach Quinn said it was an effort problem more than a scheme issue. With the ability Dallas possesses on the outside with Lamb and Pickens, finding Sainristil will be paramount.
Win the middle of the field
This week, Washington will be without Frankie Luvu (groin) and Chig Okonkwo (hamstring). That means the Commanders lose their best off-ball linebacker and their most dangerous receiving tight end for this week’s matchup against the Cowboys.
After Luvu went out last week, Sonny Styles wore the green dot for the remainder of the game. We all saw the highlight play where the linebacker bulldozed Barkley on his way to a sack on Jalen Hurts. But Styles graded out at just an overall grade of 48.6 (PFF), a 29.2 tackling grade (two missed tackles), and a 135.4 passer rating allowed when targeted.
Leo Chenal, the other off-ball linebacker, didn’t fare much better with an overall grade of 55.0 and a notable 31.5 tackling grade. His worst play of the day was a missed tackle on a 42-yard Barkley run. Chenal has elite athleticism but has historically struggled in coverage. He is more of a downhill, physical box player and blitz specialist.
While Dallas should focus on testing the cornerbacks early on with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy, attacking the linebackers with Jake Ferguson and Brevyn Spann-Ford could be equally as important. Should Dallas choose to get their tight ends involved this week, they will likely find success in the middle of the field.
On the Cowboys defensive side, Washington has no proven pass catching threat at the tight end position after the loss of Okonkwo. That’s great news for a team that struggled last week to defend against an athletic pass catching tight end in Isaiah Likely. Forcing the Commanders to try and beat you on the outside with Stefon Diggs, Terry McLaurin and Antonio Williams without a safety blanket for Daniels at tight end will be a net positive for the Cowboys.
Turnovers
Against the Giants, the Cowboys had five turnover-worthy plays. They forced four fumbles and had a legitimate shot at one interception. Unfortunately, the interception that hit Durant in the stomach fell to the ground. Three of the forced fumbles were instantly magnetized to Giants players. In a sport where the oblong ball bounces in strange directions, it certainly did not bounce in the Cowboys favor.
If Dallas can once again focus on punch outs and force Daniels into making mistakes, they must capitalize on those gifts. Any extra possession that they can give this offense could be the difference in winning and losing. If the defense finds themselves struggling in a similar manner to week one, forcing turnovers would be a great equalizer.
