Was it really a must-win game?
Maybe calling anything in Week 2 a must-win is a little extreme. But after the way the Cowboys opened the season against the Giants, falling to 0-2 overall and 0-2 in the NFC East would have created a lot of uncomfortable conversations around this team.
Instead, Dallas responded.
The Cowboys beat Washington 37-20 on Sunday, and while there are still things to clean up,particularly defensively, this looked much closer to the team I expected to see coming into the season.
The offense came out ready to play. Dak Prescott was in control. CeeDee Lamb took over the game. And even though Christian Parker’s defense still had its share of frustrating moments, if this was the defense we saw in Week 1, I think we’d feel a lot differently about where this team stands.
Dak’s Record-Breaking Day
Let’s start with Dak Prescott.
Washington made it pretty clear that it wasn’t going to let Dallas establish the running game. The Cowboys finished with only 66 rushing yards on 21 attempts, with Javonte Williams averaging just 2.5 yards per carry.
So Dallas stopped trying to force it.
That’s something I really liked.
If Washington is going to load up to stop the run and trust its secondary to hold up against CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and the rest of these receivers, then take what they’re giving you.
Dak did exactly that.
He finished 26-of-31 for 279 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. And those numbers are even more impressive when you consider how often Washington was able to generate pressure. According to Next Gen Stats, Dak was pressured on 15 of his 36 dropbacks (41.7%) despite getting the football out in an average of 2.66 seconds.
It never really felt like Washington’s different fronts and pressure looks sped him up.
That’s a big deal considering how much I talked about those looks in my opponent preview. Washington wanted to create confusion at the line of scrimmage and make Dak figure out where the pressure was actually coming from. For the most part, he had the answers.
And then his final touchdown became a little more special.
With Washington cutting the lead to 30-20 in the fourth quarter, Dak responded by leading an 11-play touchdown drive and finding Lamb from 24 yards out. Touchdown No. 4 on the day.
And career touchdown pass No. 249, moving him past Tony Romo for the most in Dallas Cowboys history.
We’ve talked a lot about what this Cowboys offense is supposed to look like. I think Sunday gave us a pretty good example.
A Signature CeeDee Lamb Game
Sometimes you just need your best player to be your best player.
CeeDee Lamb was that on Sunday.
Eight catches. 153 yards. Two touchdowns.
It was Lamb’s first 150-yard game since his 227-yard performance against Detroit in 2023, and NFL Research noted that this was already the third game of his career with 150-plus receiving yards and multiple touchdowns. Only Bob Hayes has more in Cowboys history.
But more than the numbers, this felt like one of those games where Dallas decided Washington didn’t have somebody who could stop No. 88. And they were right.
Next Gen Stats had Lamb catching eight of his nine targets. Against Mike Sainristil specifically, Dak targeted Lamb twice. That’s the matchup Dallas needed to exploit.
I’ve talked about wanting this offense to play through its receivers, and this is what I mean. That doesn’t mean abandoning the run every week. It means recognizing what the defense is trying to take away and understanding where your advantage is. Washington wanted to stop the run. They did, but couldn’t stop the receivers.
And when Washington made one last push in the fourth quarter, it was Lamb who finished it. His second touchdown stretched the lead back to 17 and simultaneously gave Dak the franchise record.
That’s a signature performance.
Better…But I’m Still Not Sold on the Defense
This is where I have a harder time figuring out exactly how I feel.
Because the defense was better.
I think Week 1 is almost working against them here. If this was the first time we watched Christian Parker’s defense, I don’t think we’d be nearly as concerned. Dallas allowed 20 points, forced a huge turnover in the second half and was much cleaner with the penalties.
Jaishawn Barham, who was one of my X-Factors coming into the game, also made one of the biggest plays of the afternoon. With Dallas leading 20-13, Barham forced a fumble, the Cowboys recovered it and Dak immediately turned the short field into another Ferguson touchdown.
That’s complementary football.
But there are still things here that bother me. The biggest is that this defense just cannot finish sacks right now.
There were multiple opportunities where Dallas got into the backfield, seemingly had the quarterback dead to rights and couldn’t finish the play. Against Jayden Daniels, that’s asking for trouble.
Daniels had 69 rushing yards in the first half alone. Next Gen Stats charted 69 yards on six scrambles, his third-highest total in any game and already a career high for a half. Then Marcus Mariota came in, and Dallas had some of the same issues containing him.
It’s one thing if Daniels beats you with a designed quarterback run or Washington creates a numbers advantage with the read option. He’s one of the most athletic quarterbacks in football. Sometimes he’s going to get you.
It’s another when Dallas wins the initial rep, gets pressure and then allows him to escape because nobody finishes the play. Those are yards you can’t give away.
Unfortunately, we also never got to see how the second half would have played out with Daniels.
On the final play before halftime, Daniels was stepped on by one of his own offensive linemen and landed awkwardly while trying to brace himself with his left arm. He suffered a dislocated left elbow, the same elbow he injured last season, and had to be carted off. Initial X-rays showed no fracture, but Washington is still evaluating the injury. Hopefully Daniels is able to make a full recovery.
Mariota played the entire second half, and that makes evaluating Dallas’ defensive performance a little more complicated.
Now the Secondary Is Getting Thin
And this is probably the part I’m most concerned about coming out of the win.
Dallas entered Sunday already without Malik Hooker. Then P.J. Locke went down with a foot injury on Washington’s opening possession, and Cobie Durant later left with a hamstring injury. Both could now miss multiple weeks; Brian Schottenheimer said Monday that Durant has a hamstring strain while Locke tore his plantar fascia.
That meant Markquese Bell was suddenly being asked to take on a much larger role at safety. And you could see some of the communication problems that followed.
There were still too many moments where Washington found open space in Dallas’ zone coverage, and when you’re already dealing with new pieces in a new defensive system, losing two more defensive backs during the game isn’t going to make communication any easier.
The defense looked tired at times. It struggled to contain both quarterbacks. Washington still finished with 182 rushing yards and actually outgained Dallas 389-332.
Those aren’t numbers I’m thrilled about.
But Dallas also forced the turnover it needed, was better with the penalties and kept Washington from ever completely taking control of the game. So am I completely comfortable with Christian Parker’s defense after two weeks?
No.
Do I feel better about it than I did seven days ago?
Absolutely.
And with Lamar Jackson coming next, they better figure out how to finish those scks quickly.
🚨 The Overreaction 🚨
Editor’s note: The following section contains no level-headed analysis. This is my chance to fire off a hot take I may regret by Tuesday.
No real overreaction this week. We are going to be just fine. The walls aren’t burning down and the wheels aren’t falling off the bus.
The defense better figure out how to tackle a running back in Rio though…with Derrick Henry and company coming up.
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