Dallas is 1-1 after beating Washington, but SB Nation writers flag its struggling run game and defensive lapses ahead of a Brazil matchup with Baltimore. Cowboys defenders P.J. Locke and Cobie Durant are also set to miss time.
The writers say Dallas relied on Dak Prescott’s passing against Washington: Javonte Williams averaged 2.5 yards per carry, after 3.4 in Week 1. They see a parallel in Baltimore’s upset loss to New Orleans: after taking a 17-9 third-quarter lead, the Ravens went three-and-out twice and threw an interception, running the ball just once over that stretch.
Tom Ryle says the win might have been much closer had Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels not dislocated his elbow; Daniels had the Commanders in position to tie just before halftime. The writers point to Dallas’s vulnerability against his running as a concern with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry ahead.
