The season didn’t start off on the right foot for the Dallas Cowboys, but they don’t have time to sulk. Another rival is next on the schedule and Brian Schottenheimer’s team cannot afford to go 0-2 by losing to the Washington Commanders at home.
Losing your first two games would be bad, but it would be made worse if they lost two NFC East games, putting the Cowboys well behind in the division early in the year. However, there are some silver linings for the Cowboys as they will be home and they are taking on a Commanders team that doesn’t appear to be very good. Here are three things to love about hosting the Commanders in Week 2.
Dak Prescott's undefeated record
If you haven’t been keeping score at home, we’ll fill you in, Prescott is 13-2 in his career against the Commanders,
which includes a perfect 7-0 at home. More astoundingly, Prescott has thrown 20 touchdowns, against zero interceptions in games at AT&T Stadium against the Washington franchise.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are seeing the right team, at the right time, in the right place.
— Ben Grimaldi (@BenTalksCowboys) September 16, 2026
Prescott is 7-0 against the Washington franchise at home & has thrown 20 touchdowns against ZERO interceptions.
Those are impressive numbers and Prescott needs to assert more dominance over the Commanders to ensure the Cowboys don’t get off to a 0-2 start. The team and Prescott’s streak over the New York Giants came to an unceremonious end last week, that cannot happen in back-to-back weeks.
Commanders lack elite offensive weapons
The Commanders have a young quarterback who they hope will turn into a star, but they haven’t surrounded him with elite weapons. Jayden Daniels is throwing to Terry McLaurin, who just turned 30 years old and is coming off a rough season, and Stefan Diggs, who is 32 and didn’t sign with the Commanders until training camp in August. Additionally, WR Antonio Williams had a solid debut, but he’s still a rookie learning his way.
Those are solid WRs, but not a top trio, which could limit the Commanders’ passing game.
Daniels and the running game had a good start to their season last week, but it wasn’t an explosive rushing attack. They averaged just 4.1 yards a carry and didn’t have a run over 14 yards.
The Commanders’ offense didn’t look good through three quarters against the Philadelphia Eagles but did rally late once they got desperate. If Christian Parker’s defense can play better in Week 2, they should be able to slow down an offense that doesn’t have a lot of play making ability.
Frankie Luvu's health
The Commanders were one of the worst defensive teams in the league last year, and although they did show improvement in their Week 1 loss, they could be without their leader against the Cowboys. Linebacker Frankie Luvu is in danger of missing the Week 2 matchup with a groin strain.
Commanders LB Frankie Luvu suffered a minor groin strain Sunday against Philadelphia, per sources. His status for this week remains uncertain, but this shouldn’t be a long-term issue and he’s expected to avoid IR.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 15, 2026
If Luvu doesn’t play, the Commanders will lose one of their best defenders. The veteran LB does a little of everything for Dan Quinn’s defense, Luvu had 86 tackles, five for a loss, three sacks and six passes defended last season.
The Commanders don’t have much LB depth behind Luvu, so if he doesn’t play, expect the Cowboys to attack his backup, either third-year man Jordan Magee or offseason addition Leo Chenal will fill the void. If Luvu does play, it’s fair to wonder if he’s 100% in the matchup. Luvu’s health status does give the Cowboys an edge heading into Week 2.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys vs Commanders: 3 reasons to love the matchup in Week 2
