The Washington Commanders suffered their fourth defeat of the season in Week 7, as they fell to the Dallas Cowboys, 44-22. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.

1. Updates on Jayden Daniels.

Although there is obvious concern about how the Commanders lost on Sunday, Daniels' health remains the biggest issue for the team as they begin preparations for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Daniels' injury, which was described as a hamstring, according to the team's public relations department, occurred on the Commanders' opening drive of the third quarter. The offense moved to the Cowboys' 39-yard line before Daniels was taken down for a sack-fumble and limped to the medical tent. Daniels then jogged back into the locker room and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Daniels wanted to go back in the game, head coach Dan Quinn said after the game when asked whether the score played a factor in keeping him out, but the team decided to be cautious with their starting quarterback. Daniels is set to get an MRI on Monday (today), and Quinn stopped short of making any assumptions about the injury.

Regardless of the severity of the injury, there is, as it currently stands, legitimate concern about Daniels' availability for what is now a critical stretch for the Commanders. It would be another leg injury for the quarterback, who relies on scrambling as a key part of his skill set. As was the case earlier in the season, he will be a player to watch when the team returns to practice later in the week.

2. Another slow start offensively.

Slow starts have been one of the lingering issues for the Commanders this season, and that was the case once again at AT&T Stadium.

The Cowboys and their No. 1 ranked offense opened the game exactly as many thought they would. They zoomed down the field, helped in large part by a pass interference call on Marshon Lattimore at the Commanders' 2-yard line. Javonte Williams plowed through the defensive front for a two-yard score, putting the Cowboys up 7-0.

The Commanders, meanwhile, had far less success with their offense. They were stopped short on third down and looked like they were about to try for a fourth-down conversion at their own 46-yard line before a false start moved them back and forced a punt. The penalty resulted in a gain of just two yards to start the game.

Part of the Commanders' issues offensively have come from their habit of getting into deficits early in games. They have now started six of their seven games with a punt or turnover and have been outscored 53-22 in the first quarter. The hope is that will improve when their injured players return, but it's certainly a dire circumstance as they prepare to face three of the league's best teams in consecutive weeks.

3. Daron Payne was one of the few bright spots on defense.

It's been a tough season so far for the defense, but Payne has been one of the few positives from the group on a weekly basis.

Although Payne did not record a sack on Sunday, he remained a formidable presence in the passing game. He recorded three pass breakups -- more than any player on the Commanders' roster -- at the line of scrimmage, two of which directly led to the Cowboys settling for a field goal. His final stat line included five tackles and a quarterback hit.

Like many players on the Commanders' defense, Payne did not have a perfect performance. Still, his day was largely consistent with how he has played all year. He is now tied with Trey Amos for the most pass breakups on the team and leading all of Washington's defensive linemen with 26 tackles.

4. Penalties.

While the Commanders were at a disadvantage because of the injuries they sustained throughout the season, Quinn said the injuries were not the reason the Commanders lost on Sunday. They often put themselves in difficult situations, particularly through the penalties that either put their offense in negative positions or gave the Cowboys free yardage.

Granted, neither team played a particularly clean game, as they combined for 21 flags thrown on Sunday. However, there was a clear disparity between how much those fouls cost each team; the Commanders overshadowed the Cowboys' 79 penalty yardage with 118 of their own. For context, that is just 18 yards fewer than the 136 rushing yards they had for the entire afternoon.

The Lattimore pass interference was the most egregious, but it was the smaller penalties that continuously put the Commanders in difficult spots. A tripping penalty on Colson Yankoff on a kickoff return moved them from the 29-yard line to the 14. There was a delay of game in the third quarter that turned a third-and-3 into a third-and-8. What's more, several false starts and holding calls turned manageable downs into more difficult tasks.

Quinn said after the game that the Commanders didn't play up to their standard. That statement referred to the overall sloppiness from both sides of the ball as much as the overall performance.

5. A tough day on defense.

The Cowboys, who ranked near the top of the league in nearly every category, were always going to be a problem for the Commanders' defense. They had performed well in some categories heading into the game, but explosive plays continued to haunt the unit. With so many players out on offense, the team needed a complete team effort to pull out a win on the road.

While there were some positive moments from the defense that kept the Commanders in the game, things quickly fell apart. They gave up 409 yards to the Cowboys, marking the third time they have allowed an opponent to surpass the 400-yard mark this season. Four of their drives lasted five plays or fewer, including a 72-yard touchdown at the end of the first half that featured a 44-yard completion from George Pickens and a 33-yard run by Williams.

When asked about his feelings on the drive, Quinn said, "Words cannot explain. I was hot."

There is still time for the Commanders to fix their issues, but things aren't going to get any easier for the defense for the rest of the month. Their next three opponents -- the Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions -- are all in the top 10 in terms of yards per game and points per game.