The Dallas Cowboys played inas much of a must-win game as there could be in Week 2
. They had their home opener against the Washington Commanders, and a loss would have left them 0-2 with two division losses. They won the game by 17 points, butthe defense couldn't stop the run, Dallas couldn't run the ball, and the Commanders continually shot themselves in the foot, keeping them out of the end zone. The Cowboys relied on Dak Prescott to be Superman to get a win versus inferior talent on paper.With two games under their belt, teams can start to see trends, good or bad, for every team. The incredible play of Prescott, the underwhelming rushing offense for Dallas, and the awful run defense have all been consistent this year. The Cowboys have specific
storylines coming out of Week 2 of the season, like their lack of explosive plays, Prescott's excellent play, the inconsistency of the special teams unit, and the poor third-down and run defense. Here are three key storylines from their Week 2 victory.
Dak Prescott is the best statistical QB in Cowboys history
Roger Staubach will likely always be known as the greatest quarterback to ever play for the Cowboys, and Troy Aikman was the leader behind three Super Bowl victories in the 1990s. It will be hard for Dak Prescott to pass those legends without at least one championship, but in the record books he is the top dog in Dallas. Prescott is the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes for the organization. He has the most touchdowns thrown in a single season and is only 1 yard behind Tony Romo for the most passing yards in a season. By the end of Prescott’s run, he will own nearly every Cowboys statistical record, and his legacy will grow if he can win in the playoffs.
The Cowboys special teams unit had its best performance under Sorensen
The Cowboys finally seemed to take a step forward on special teams under Nick Sorensen. They averaged over 30 yards per return with starts on the 34, 35, and 36. They also covered kicks much better, allowing only 20 yards per return with starts at the 19, 18, 24, and the 27. They had one kick that missed the landing zone, putting Washington on the 40-yard line, but otherwise it was an excellent performance. Aubrey made all 7 kicks, including a 60-yard field goal, to top off the best game the special teams have had in a few seasons.
The Dallas run defense is still bad
Without the 19 quarterback carries for 126 yards, Dallas still allowed 221 yards on 50 attempts to opposing running backs. That's 4.4 yards per rush. The Cowboys' defense in 2025 ranked in the bottom 10 in rushing yards allowed and tied with the Buffalo Bills for last in rushing touchdowns allowed. The front office put a lot of capital into improving the run defense but has had zero returns in that regard. The team allowed 11 first downs by rush in each of the first two contests and has allowed 48 yards per drive. That’s 12 more than last season's defense allowed, when they were a historically bad unit.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys top 3 storylines heading into Week 3 include building STs up
