The Dallas Cowboys had a record-breaking performance in their Week 2 victory over the Washington Commanders. Dak Prescott became the Cowboys' all-time touchdown-pass leader by throwing four to beat Washington 37-20. He threw 26/31 for 279 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He got two touchdown receptions to Jake Ferguson and two, including the record-breaker, to CeeDee Lamb.
Dallas needed everything Prescott brought to the table, with the defense having another questionable outing and the run game not playing near their standards. We know early on the Cowboys will need to rely on their quarterback and offense to have a chance to win until the defense gels and the rushing game plays better. Here are some details that were learned
in Week 2 for Dallas.
The offense started fast
Coming out of Week 1 and a loss to the New York Giants, the offensive issues that had cost the team the most were their slow starts. Their first four drives included a three-and-out, an interception, and another punt. They did score a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough, considering they got into the end zone on both of their second-half drives. In Week 2, the offense was ready to carry the team from the first snap. They started the contest with a five-minute drive going for 10 plays and 66 yards. They followed that up with two more scoring drives. One was for eight plays and almost 60 yards, resulting in a field goal. The next was a seven-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. Scoring 17 points and taking over 11 minutes off the clock are what Dallas needs consistently to win games, given how the defense is playing.
Commanders mistakes stopped Washington more than the Dallas defense
On the second drive of the game, the Commanders converted on a third-and-18 and drove into the red zone before a toss play turned into a fumble for a significant loss, and Washington was held to a field goal. The next drive was a touchdown, and then they went on a 15-play drive to end the half, but failed to score. Not only did they miss a wide open Treylon Burks on a play-action deep ball, but Quinn didn’t take the field goal, and JaydenDaniels was injured on the final play after being stepped on by a teammate, hurting his elbow in the fall to the ground. The Commanders missed another wide open receiver on a trick play which would've been a touchdown.
After a review somehow ruled a Commanders touchdown catch incomplete, costing the team four points, they fumbled and then missed a field goal as the final mistake. By the time they got the ball again, a game that could’ve been 30-24 was 30-13, and Marcus Mariota wasn’t bringing Washington back from that deficit. The Cowboys' defense was better on communication, but they couldn’t stop the run or tackle, and if that continues, Dallas will be in trouble going forward.
Bad third-down defense continues
With Daniels in the game in the first half, the Commanders went 6-for-9 on third down, including a conversion on third-and-18. They went 2-5 in the second half with Mariota, leaving them 8-14 overall. That’s 57% converting on third downs. Last year, the San Francisco 49ers had the worst third-down defense in the league, allowing a 49.8% conversion rate. Dallas had a historically bad defense on third down in Week 1, allowing a 90% conversion rate before kneeling to end the contest. They improved against Washington, but the Cowboys were still 8% worse against them than any team was to end the 2025 season. Getting off the field on third down could be the most significant immediate impact Dallas could make on their defense.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: What we learned from Dallas’ Week 2 victory over the Commanders
