Commanders vs. Cowboys: We make our picks and predictions for Week 2

The Washington Commanders face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2 NFL action from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. While there are no true “must-win” games in Week 2, this is as close as it gets for Washington and Dallas. The loser of this game not only falls to 0-2, but also 0-2 in the NFC East.

Washington opened the season with a heartbreaking 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite a slow start, quarterback Jayden Daniels heated up in the fourth quarter, completing 9 of 11 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. The Commanders had a chance to tie it late, but the two-point conversion fell short.

The Cowboys fell 28-20 to the New York Giants. The final score doesn’t reflect how one-sided this game was at times.

Which team gets back on track in Week 2? Can the Commanders slow down Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens? Can Daniels and Washington’s offense get going much sooner?

Who wins? It’s time for our Week 2 picks.

The Cowboys are four-point favorites, which seems fair. Both Washington and Dallas had new coordinators in 2026. For the most part, things went well for Daronte Jones and the Commanders. Unfortunately, explosive plays crushed any chance at a win. Meanwhile, things weren’t smooth for Christian Parker and the Cowboys.

I believe the Dallas defense plays better in Week 2. I also think Daniels plays much better, too. Anytime he plays well, the Commanders can compete with anybody. Washington will get to Prescott a couple of times, but can’t force a turnover. Prescott makes some big plays like he always does in Dallas against Washington, which proves to be enough in the end. Defensively, the Cowboys exploit the Commanders’ secondary for a couple of touchdowns.

The Cowboys offense owned the Commanders’ defense in both games last season. But this is a new defensive coordinator with several changes made in defensive personnel. The Washington offense will still need to put plenty of points on the board if they are to get a win.

The defense gave up entirely too many big yardage plays last week, and Dak Prescott going to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens is certainly a more dangerous threat than they faced last week. 

This will be another tough one, with Jayden Daniels needing to pull off a late drive.

The Commanders’ schedule is unforgiving all season long, but especially so in the first six weeks. Two divisional matchups on the road to start the season? Someone isn’t a fan of this team. Still, the Commanders almost came away with a win in Philly last week, and while there is plenty to work on, they don’t have anything to hang their heads about. If the coaches can help the players overcome their mental mistakes and get their timing down, this week’s game won’t be as frustrating. Plus, the Cowboys already lost to the Giants, who were predicted to be at the bottom of the division before the season started. Most of the league is predicting a Cowboys win, but I think the Commanders learned from their loss, and I’m not convinced the Cowboys have an answer for Antonio Williams. It won’t be easy, but the Commanders will win.