ARLINGTON, Texas 鈥 Every game in the NFL can be considered "must win" week to week, but the Cowboys were in desperate need of a victory going into Sunday afternoon against the Commanders after a disappointing outing in Carolina last week.
They came through, defeating their NFC East foes 44-22 in a one-sided game. The Cowboys improved to 3-3-1 with the win and advance to second place in the division with a 2-1 record.
In a season where things don't get easier going into the back half of the schedule, it's crucial that the Cowboys stack up as many wins as possible if they want a shot to make the playoffs at the end of the year. There's a long way to go, and a lot of work to do to reach that point, but Sunday was a step in the right direction.
Let's dive into some news and notes of how the Cowboys pulled off the big win:
The Cowboys' run game struggled to get going against the Panthers, George Pickens made history for the Cowboys, plus more notes from Dallas' 30-27 loss on Sunday.
Like He Never Left
Cowboys All-Pro WR CeeDee Lamb said earlier in the week that it wouldn't take too much time for him to re-acclimate himself to playing after missing the last three full games with a high ankle sprain.
Sure enough, Lamb came out as though he'd never left for the Cowboys offense. Lamb finished the day with five receptions for 110 yards, the continuing his streak off 100+ yard receiving games with three this season. No catch was bigger than Lamb's 74-yard touchdown grab over the middle of the field, where he broke free at the catch point and ran away from everybody for his first touchdown of the season. Stride by stride with him? His running mate, George Pickens, who had himself a day as well with four catches for 82 yards.
Butter, Butter, Butter
In his third season with the Cowboys, kicker Brandon Aubrey continues to astonish with what he can do to put points on the board for the Cowboys offense. With a 61-yard make in the second quarter, Aubrey now stands alone in NFL history with the most makes from 60 or more yards with five over the course of his career. As usual, the kick looked as if it would be good from 70 yards.
It was one of three makes for Aubrey on the day, who has stayed perfect on field goals this season making all 15 of his attempts through seven games.
End of Half Masterclass
The Cowboys' four play, 72-yard drive at the end of the second quarter that finished with a Dak Prescott to Jake Ferguson touchdown is the fourth time this season that Dallas has gotten points on the board at the end of the second quarter with less than a minute to play.
Three of scoring drives finished in touchdowns, and one with a Brandon Aubrey field goal as Brian Schottenheimer and the Cowboys continue to execute at a high level during their end of half sequences.
With the win on Sunday over the Commanders, the Cowboys are now 2-1-1 when they put points on the board with less than a minute to go in the half.
Defense Bounces Back
From the jump, it was evident that the Cowboys defense was on a mission to put a better product on the field than they have the last six weeks. Dallas forced a three-and-out on Washington's opening drive but stuttered giving up a touchdown after Javonte Williams got tackled in the end zone for a safety. After that though, the next four drives resulted in three punts and a turnover on downs. In the second half, two turnovers from Dallas' defense helped blow the game open.
It's important to note that Washington was extremely short handed, entering the game without their two best WRs in Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel, as well as losing Jayden Daniels in the third quarter to a hamstring injury.
Still, as the Cowboys have said this year and last, nobody is going to feel sorry for another team going through injury struggles. Was Dallas' defense perfect? No. That said, they proved that getting the league's #1 offense the ball a few extra times can be the difference in games.
Tale of the Turnovers For as much as the Cowboys defense has struggled in their opening six games, coming into Sunday afternoon they had won the turnover battle in three straight games, a point of emphasis for Brian Schottenheimer and Matt Eberflus. That streak extended to four games against the Commanders. Rookie linebacker Shemar James strip-sacked Jayden Daniels, and Jadeveon Clowney recovered the loose ball to give the Cowboys the ball at their own 45-yard line. A Dak Prescott to Jake Ferguson touchdown on a PA boot a few plays later allowed the Cowboys to capitalize on the opportunity. On the very next Washington drive, with Jayden Daniels having gone to the locker room with a hamstring injury, the Cowboys' pass rush got a big hit on Marcus Mariota which forced him into an errant throw. DaRon Bland was waiting, cutting off the route and bringing it back for a 68-yard pick six, his first since 2023 when he broke the NFL record for most pick-sixes in a season in NFL history.
Trench War
Last week, anyone on the Cowboys staff and team would've told you that they lost the battle in the trenches and were not the more physical team.
That wasn't the case as much on Sunday in a 44-22 win over the Commanders, although the Cowboys weren't exactly dominant in the trenches entirely.
Still, they were able to out-rush (152 yards to 136 yards) and out-sack (four sacks to one sack) the Commanders, a certain step in the right direction.
