The Dallas Cowboys are hoping to avoid the dreaded 0-2 start when they host the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. It’s the season-opener for the Cowboys at home, where they are hoping to get their first win of the year, while pushing down an NFC East rival in the standings.
It won’t be an easy win. The Cowboys didn’t look like a good football team in Week 1 and the Commanders have some pieces to make life difficult for Dallas. This has been a matchup where the Cowboys have dominated in recent years, but as the team learned last week, that means nothing in a new season.
Here are three reasons to hate playing the Commanders in Week 2.
The running game
It wasn’t an explosive running game for the Commanders in Week 1, but the Cowboys’ defense isn’t as stout against
the rush as the Philadelphia Eagles are. Jayden Daniels is among the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the league and Christian Parker’s unit had issues stopping New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart from eating them up on the ground. The Giants and Dart ran for 165 yards on the Cowboys, showing they still have work to do on defense.
Last season, the Cowboys failed to slow down the starting running back for the Commanders, Jacory Croskey-Merritt. In the Week 17 matchup, Croskey-Merritt ran just 11 times for 105 yards and two scores, one of which came from 72 yards out.
The Cowboys need to find their run defense quickly because the Commanders can run the ball and control the game if they don’t. If Dallas can slow the rushing attack, they’ll be in a much better position to come away victorious.
Sonny Styles
When the Cowboys were going through the draft process last April, the linebacker out of Ohio St. was considered a strong option. However, the Commanders hopped on the opportunity to draft Styles, and he proved to be worthy of the seventh overall pick with his Week 1 performance.
Styles had a strong debut, totaling four tackles, two for a loss, and a sack.
SONNY STYLES DESTROYS SAQUON BARKLEY AND SACKS JALEN HURTS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/2ZN2IbFLYa
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 13, 2026
The Cowboys are aware of Styles’ potential, and they need to ensure he doesn’t make as many plays against them as he did against the Eagles. Styles is one of the game’s top rookie defenders who is only going to get better.
Strong pass rush
The Commanders were 12th in the league last year with 42 sacks, and they boosted their pass rush by adding Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency. In Week 1, the Commanders were able to pressure Eagles QB Jalen Hurts and sacked him three times. Two of those sacks came from Styles and Oweh.
The rest of the strong defensive front for the Commanders includes Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, and Tim Settle. If LB Frankie Luvu plays, that also adds another pass rushing option for the Commanders.
One of the weaknesses of the Cowboys’ offense is their tackles, and although they held up well in their initial game for the 2026 season, another test awaits.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys vs Commanders: 3 things to hate about the Week 2 matchup
