The Washington Commanders are getting ready for the third season of the Dan Quinn era, and the expectations remain high.

The Commanders have a 17-game slate full of challenges and opportunities against some of the league's best teams. Super Bowl contenders like the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers loom later in the year along with talented teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans. There's even another international game in the near future against the Indianapolis Colts in London.

Now that the season is on the horizon, Commanders.com is going to break down each of Washington's opponents. After starting off the series with the Philadelphia Eagles, we're moving on to the Dallas Cowboys, who the Commanders will play in Week 2.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Sept. 20
Time: 4:25 p.m.
Location: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)

Individual stats leaders

• Passing Yards -- QB Dak Prescott (4,552)
• Passing TDs -- QB Dak Prescott (30)
• Rushing Yards -- RB Javonte Williams (1,201)
• Rushing TDs -- RB Javonte Williams (11)
• Receiving Yards -- WR George Pickens (1,429)
• Receiving TDs -- WR George Pickens (9)
• Tackles -- LB Shemar James (91)
• Sacks -- DE Jadaveon Clowney (8.5)
• Interceptions -- S Donovan Wilson (2)

Key additions in free agency

• S Jalen Thompson
• CB Cobie Durant
• DE Sam Williams
• S P.J. Locke
• CB Derion Kendrick

2026 Draft class

• S Caleb Downs
• EDGE Malachi Lawrence
• OLB Jaishawn Barham
• T Drew Shelton
• CB Devin Moore
• EDGE LT Overton
• WR Anthony Smith

Key questions

• Will the investments on defense pay off? Much like they did in 2024, the Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in the league last season, ranking 30th in yards allowed and 31st in yards per play. Fixing the unit was one of the team's biggest goals this offseason, and they hired Christian Parker away from the Philadelphia Eagles to lead the overhaul. Parker, 34, is the youngest defensive coordinator in franchise history, but the Cowboys have at least given him some pieces to work with. They spent most of their free agency resources on the defense, bringing in Thompson, Durant, Williams and others to provide more veteran depth throughout the unit. They used their first three picks on that side of the ball, headlined by Downs, who many considered to be the best defensive prospect in the class. The Cowboys certainly have more bodies on defense, and on paper, it should be an improved unit that could have a higher ceiling if Downs has an immediate impact. However, the Cowboys haven't had a formidable defense since Dan Quinn was their coordinator in 2023, so there can't be any assumptions until they show improvement on the field.
• Can George Pickens do it again? In many ways, Pickens was a revelation for the Cowboys' offense last season. He shattered expectations in 2025 with the best season of his career, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in his first Pro Bowl campaign. But can Pickens be that type of player again? That's the question everyone in the NFL, including the Cowboys, has about the former second-round player as he enters his fifth season. There's an argument to be made last season could be the start of a new phase in Pickens' career. He was paired with one of the top quarterbacks in the league and produced. He got 31 more targets than he ever had in a single season and had the highest success rate of his career. However, Pickens' previous seasons are working against him here, as he only has one other 1,000-yard season and never scored more than five touchdowns in his three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, the Cowboys need to see more from Pickens, and it will be interesting to see how he responds.
• What version of Dak are the Cowboys getting this year? At this point, there's little evidence to oppose the viewpoint that Prescott is one of the league's top 10 quarterbacks. He's 11 yards away from 36,000 passing yards in his career -- a feat only 31 other players in NFL history have accomplished -- and led the league in completions last season. Prescott's problem since 2019 is that he only seems to thrive in odd-numbered years. In 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025, he threw for at least 4,400 yards and 30 touchdowns. However, in 2020, 2022 and 2024, he missed time with various injuries and struggled with turnovers. If we follow that trend in 2026, Prescott is set to have those same issues. The pieces are certainly there for him to buck the trend. He still has CeeDee Lamb and Pickens; Williams has emerged as an exciting option out of the backfield; and the defense should take some pressure off him if the personnel changes work out. Like everything associated with the Cowboys, though, we'll have to see actual results on the field before we can draw any real conclusions.