The Commanders and Cowboys face off on Sunday afternoon. For the (checks notes) 133rd time. Rarely do these matchups come so early in the season.
Honestly, it’s kind of a bummer that the first contest falls in Week 2, but the Commanders were dealt this hand and simply must play it well. They can’t lose their second straight NFC East game in as many weeks.
That would create a huge hole with lots of digging required to get out. That’s why the Commanders must play well and come away with a victory in Week 2.
An 0-2 record is no fun. An 0-2 division record is even worse. They’ll need excellence from several key players to leave Dallas with a win. Here are five (not named Jayden Daniels) that must show up big for Washington:
WR Terry McLaurin
The veteran No. 1 receiver wasn’t a big part of Washington’s offense against Philadelphia. He wasn’t targeted until the fourth quarter, as the Eagles did a bunch to take him away. Washington still went to him in key moments late in that game, but he rolled with the punches like a veteran should.
Still, designing plays to get him involved early on Sunday could assist with McLaurin finding a required early flow.
There should be room for him to work within the suspect Dallas secondary, and that connection he and quarterback Jayden Daniels refined all spring and summer must show up in important, explosive moments. It’s hard to keep McLaurin down. Seems borderline impossible in consecutive weeks.
RB Bill Croskey-Merritt
The team’s top running back led the Commanders with 63 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. While there were some hard runs in there, it’s still just 3.9 yards per clip. He’s got to be more efficient running the football in a zone scheme that suits him, but that’s not the most important thing.
Hold onto the freaking ball.
Croskey-Merritt got the ball punched out with roughly four minutes left in the fourth quarterback. That simply can’t happen. The Commanders acknowledged that point with actions, putting Kaytron Allen in the mix on that key comeback attempt.
That was a shot across the bow if there ever was one.
“Yeah, I think the ball security,” Quinn said, “that’s definitely the premium for us.”
Croskey-Merritt must act like a feature back on Sunday, holding onto the ball while being a steadily productive force. If not, snaps may start going to others.
LB Leo Chenal
The Commanders will play Sunday without captain and green-dot wearer Frankie Luvu. That means Leo Chenal will step in and take most every snap next to Sonny Styles. Washington paid him handsomely to be a key defensive component.
Chenal was more of a key reserve and roving chess piece in Kansas City, but he must be an every-down, stabilizing force in this one. There’s no second option with Jordan Magee on injured reserve, so Chenal has to be good in coverage, a stout run defender while shutting down plays before they turn explosive. That doesn’t sound super glamorous, but it’s a required job with Luvu unavailable.
EDGE Dorance Armstrong
The Commanders pass rush got off to a relatively strong start in Week 1, with impactful play when blitzing or applying a four-man rush. Now Washington adds Dorance Armstrong to the mix upon his reinstatement from a one-game suspension.
Armstrong’s return from suspension and an ACL tear that cut an excellent start to the 2025 campaign short comes in Dallas, where the Texas native got hurt. It’s a full-circle moment to be sure, and he joins Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson as edge rushers.
Quinn not-so-subtly hinted at the fact Armstrong could join those two in a personnel package that has all of them rushing the passer at once. Armstrong can bring it from the interior, too, and should make the Commanders four-man rush super dangerous.
CB Mike Sainristil
Have you reached Mikey fatigue at this point? The cornerback’s Week 1 gaffes have been rehashed and written about a ton in recent days, to the point its put-up-or-shut-up time. There isn’t much more to say other than that he’s got to play better, and has a tough task ahead against the Cowboys receivers.
Commanders fans should keep an eye on his play and his usage in this one, to see if Washington’s staff sticks with Sainristil or decreases his snaps some. He’ll still be involved in that game in some capacity, and simply can’t give up the explosives that proved so costly in Week 1.
