The Washington Commanders fell to 0-2 on Sunday, losing 37-20 to the Dallas Cowboys. The loss hurts with coming in the division, but Washington lost much more. Quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his left non-throwing elbow for the second time. It’s unknown when he’ll return, but it will not be in Week 3. Head coach Dan Quinn ruled Daniels out
for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, while he undergoes further testing.The Commanders also dealt with other injuries. Left tackle Brandon Coleman, right guard Sam Cosmi and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw also left Sunday’s game and did not return. Quinn revealed on Monday that safety Nick Cross stayed overnight in a Dallas hospital with an internal injury.
On the field, Daniels was on the verge
of tying the game before the final play of the first half when he suffered the injury. Marcus Mariota relieved him and immediately threw a touchdown pass to start the third quarter. Somehow, the officiating crew said it was not a catch, and the Cowboys seized the momentum from that point forward.
Here’s how we graded Sunday’s performance.
Quarterbacks
Daniels was phenomenal until he departed at the end of the first half. He completed 11 of 14 passes for 99 yards, and rushed for 69 yards on seven attempts. He finished 11 of 17, with his final three balls either dropped or thrown away. He had one touchdown called back on what was a beautiful throw to Terry McLaurin. Daniels looked like his old self. He was decisive running the ball; he protected himself each time, and he looked explosive again. There was no tentativeness. The same was true as a passer. Daniels made several impressive throws. The injury was a freak situation. It was extremely unfortunate for Daniels and the Commanders, as Daniels looked as comfortable as he did in 2024.
Mariota entered the game and played well. Momentum shifted when the officials took away the touchdown. Mariota did a solid job scrambling to evade pressure. You couldn’t ask for a better backup than Mariota.
Grade: B+
Offense
The quarterback play was very good. The running game struggled to get going again, although Rachaad White did a solid job. Bill Croskey-Merritt had 43 yards on 12 carries. Aside from Daniels’ scrambling, the running game wasn’t a strength. You could blame some of that on the offensive line — not all.
The passing game was better. There were missed opportunities, though. Daniels just barely missed Treylon Burks on a deep ball that would’ve been a touchdown. Two touchdowns were taken off the board. Terry McLaurin had only two receptions on nine targets. On a trick play, rookie Antonio Williams had McLaurin wide open in the end zone and threw it just behind him. Stefon Diggs was outstanding again. It would’ve been nice to see Williams get more snaps after his breakout Week 1 performance. The tight ends were a non-factor with Chig Okonkwo out.
Aside from injuries, the offense was defined by missed opportunities. Washington left far too many points on the field. This was a good, competitive game into the third quarter. The Commanders did what they wanted against the Cowboys’ defense but struggled to finish.
Grade: C+
Defense
It started badly for the Commanders, as Dak Prescott and the Cowboys marched down the field on the opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. Washington’s defense offered no resistance. There were coverage lapses all game. Prescott did what he wanted, as he usually does against the Commanders, completing 26 of 31 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Washington had no answer for CeeDee Lamb. Tight end Jake Ferguson, like Lamb, caught two touchdown passes, as the Commanders still haven’t figured out how to cover a tight end.
The Commanders finished with two sacks. Both felt impactful in the moment, but meant little in the end. Overall, there wasn’t nearly enough pressure on Prescott. When I went back and watched the game, there were far too many coverage breakdowns. Why does this keep happening, regardless of the coach?
One positive aspect: the run defense was solid again. That doesn’t matter. Why? Because Prescott could throw to get anything he wanted.
Grade: D-
Special teams
Washington’s special teams units usually grade out well. Not this week. For some reason, the Commanders still haven’t learned not to kick to KaVontae Turpin. He averaged over 30 yards per return. Rookie kicker Drew Stevens made two field goals, but missed one from 51 yards out. That’s not great, considering the game was indoors and Brandon Aubrey easily made one from 60 yards out. Washington needs to stick with Stevens. What do they have to lose now? He has two misses, both from over 50 yards, in two weeks. That’s not bad, but the Commanders were hoping to find their own version of Aubrey.
The worst part occurred on kick returns. Jaylin Lane muffed multiple returns and averaged only 20 yards per return.
This was not a typical Sunday for Washington’s special teams units, which are usually a strength.
Grade: C
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders report card: How we graded the Burgundy and Gold in Week 2 vs Cowboys
