This Is How The Cowboys Will Beat The Commanders In Week 2…

A to Z Sports Dallas
•September 18th, 2026
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The Dallas Cowboys have a clear path to beating the Washington Commanders in Week 2 — but there is one thing they absolutely cannot allow.
Jayden Daniels to beat them with his legs.
Mauricio Rodriguez breaks down the three biggest keys to Cowboys-Commanders and explains why Dallas can attack Washington's defense, create favorable matchups and potentially bounce back from the Week 1 loss to the Giants.
The first key is forcing the Commanders to move away from their blitz-heavy defensive approach.
Washington blitzed Jalen Hurts on 44% of his dropbacks in Week 1, and Hurts completed only 40% of his passes on those plays. Mauricio believes the Commanders will have a difficult time replicating that success against Dak Prescott.
Dak has historically been one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL against the blitz, and Dallas has the offensive personnel to punish Washington if it sends too much pressure.
Tyler Guyton also showed improvement at left tackle in Week 1, while Cooper Beebe and Tyler Booker give Dallas additional strength on the interior. Javonte Williams is another important piece because of his ability to protect Dak in pass protection.
If Dallas can consistently block Washington's four-man rush, Mauricio believes opportunities will open up in the passing game.
That leads to the second key: attack the Commanders' cornerbacks with George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.
Mauricio believes Pickens presents a major matchup problem for Washington's outside corners, while CeeDee Lamb could have an advantage against nickel corner Nick Cross.
Pickens had some costly drops in Week 1, but Mauricio believes Washington's secondary presents a much better opportunity for him to make explosive plays.
CeeDee Lamb is another player Mauricio expects Dallas to target heavily.
The third key is the most important one for the Cowboys defense:
Contain Jayden Daniels.
Mauricio isn't overly concerned if Stefon Diggs wins some individual matchups against Caleb Downs. He's also willing to live with Terry McLaurin making plays.
What Dallas cannot afford is allowing Daniels to repeatedly escape the pocket and create explosive plays with his legs.
The Cowboys struggled to contain Jackson Dart in Week 1, and the Eagles also had trouble keeping Daniels contained in their matchup with Washington.
If Dallas makes the same mistake again, Daniels has the ability to completely change the game.
The good news is that Mauricio believes Dallas can win the other matchups.
Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark could have major opportunities against Washington's interior offensive line after Philadelphia consistently pushed the Commanders' center and left guard backward in Week 1.
If Dallas wins that battle, the Cowboys' linebackers should have cleaner opportunities to attack the running game.
Ultimately, Mauricio believes the Cowboys can beat Washington if they execute three things:
1. Force the Commanders away from the blitz.
2. Attack Washington's secondary with George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.
3. Do not allow Jayden Daniels to beat them with his legs.
Can Dallas bounce back and avoid an 0-2 start?
Watch Mauricio Rodriguez's full Cowboys-Commanders game plan and let us know which key you think matters most.
Subscribe to A to Z Sports Dallas for daily Dallas Cowboys news, analysis, game previews and reaction throughout the 2026 NFL season.
0:00 Cowboys-Commanders game plan
0:15 Jaishawn Barham gets the green dot
1:02 Why Washington's defense made Mauricio feel better
1:45 Washington blitzed Jalen Hurts 44% of the time
2:33 George Pickens vs. Washington's corners
2:58 Key No. 1: Force Washington away from the blitz
4:23 Key No. 2: Attack the Commanders' corners
6:05 Cowboys-Commanders keys recap
6:30 Key No. 3: Contain Jayden Daniels
7:53 Quinnen Williams vs. Washington's interior OL
8:38 The one thing that could kill the Cowboys
#DallasCowboys #Cowboys #Commanders #NFL #JaydenDaniels #GeorgePickens
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