After a disappointing Week 1 defeat to the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys got themselves off the mark in the 2026 season against the Washington Commanders.
Brian Schottenheimer cannot afford to rest on his laurels too long, with America’s Team now facing a grueling international travel schedule ahead of their clash on Sunday, September 27.
Dallas heads to Brazil for its next game, where it will play Baltimore at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. The latest NFL odds on Vegas Insider have the Ravens as the favorites, even after their surprising Week 2 loss to New Orleans, and the Cowboys will need to play a complete game if they are to move to 2-1 for the season.
Although the ‘Boys secured an important victory against Washington, there were some concerns that need to be ironed out.
If not, they are exactly the kind of weaknesses that could play into the hands of Baltimore.
Stopping the run is priority number one for DC Christian Parker
Against Washington, Dallas gave up 182 rushing yards, highlighting once again that the team is failing to stop the run. That total followed a similar stat line against New York in Week 1, which posted 165 rushing yards.
However, it is not just about stopping traditional running backs like New York’s Cam Skattebo or Washington’s Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but stopping the quarterback too, before he can escape the pocket.
Of Washington’s 182 yards, 69 of those came from Jayden Daniels, including an 18-yard scramble at the end of the first quarter, which set up a field goal. A 20-yard run then followed that, which eventually led to Stefon Diggs’ touchdown.
Again, that isn’t something unique to the Commanders’ game, as Jaxson Dart also managed 54 rushing yards against the Cowboys in Week 1.
But the fact that Daniels reached that total in one half before exiting the game with an elbow injury is a concern.
For a team that struggles to run the ball well, the Cowboys have been equally ineffective at stopping the run and preventing the quarterback from scrambling.
That will need to be addressed over the course of the season by new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, but especially against Baltimore, a team built on exactly those two threats.
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are the ultimate test for Dallas
Entering the season, not many considered the Commanders to be a top team to look out for. So if Daniels was able to exploit the gaps in the Cowboys’ defensive line so effectively in one half, what might happen when the team comes up against Lamar Jackson?
The Ravens’ star player is renowned for his impressive mobility, which he uses to escape collapsing pockets before either picking out a teammate or carrying the rock upfield.
If not him, then Derrick Henry is typically there to break through, and tackling either player could be made more difficult by the state of the field at the Maracanã, which Flamengo players have publicly criticized in recent weeks.
Jackson and Henry will be relishing the chance to play a Dallas defense that has given up the third-most rushing yards so far this season.
But if the Cowboys can find ways to contain two of the biggest rushing threats in the league, then that will give the team a strong platform for the rest of the season.
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