The Washington Commanders fell to 0-2 on the road to the Dallas Cowboys, but there are far bigger concerns for the team following the defeat.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels was carted off the field after dislocating his elbow right before halftime of the eventual 37-20 loss to the Cowboys. It was the same elbow that Daniels injured twice last season. Head coach Dan Quinn said after the game that no fractures were detected in the initial X-rays, but Daniels would undergo further testing on Monday.
"Man, are we bummed for him," Quinn said. "I thought he was really playing his ass off. We will rally so hard around Marcus [Mariota] until Jayden's back."
Guard Chris Paul stepped on Daniels' foot while running a play at the Commanders' 1-yard line, causing the quarterback to stumble and reach out his left arm for balance. Daniels' elbow buckled under his weight, and while he managed to throw the ball away, it was clear that something was wrong. Daniels had an air cast on his left arm as he was carted off the field, and it was announced shortly before the second half began that Mariota would take over for the rest of the game.
Daniels looked like his old self for the half, using his legs to keep the chains moving and delivering accurate passes to players like Stefon Diggs, who now has three touchdown catches on the season. It seemed like the Cowboys, which were down multiple defensive starters, had no answer for Daniels, who finished the day completing 11 of his 17 passes for 96 yards and rushing for 69 yards on seven carries.
While Mariota played well, given the circumstances, the injury to Daniels was a momentum-swinging moment in favor of the Cowboys, who were already humming on offense. Dak Prescott extended his undefeated home streak against Washington with an efficient day, completing 26 of his 31 pass attempts with four touchdowns and 305 total yards. CeeDee Lamb -- Prescott's primary target -- caught eight of his nine targets for 153 yards with two scores.
It was clear from the opening drive that the connection between Prescott and Lamb would be Washington's primary obstacle. Prescott completed passes of 15 and 23 yards on back-to-back throws, setting the Cowboys up at the Commanders' 16-yard line. Four plays later, Prescott found Lamb open in the end zone to put Dallas up 7-0.
Although Washington eventually found its footing, the offense got off to a slow start for the second week. They punted the ball away after a three-and-out, and the Cowboys responded with a 13-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a field goal. The Commanders responded with a long drive of their own, getting to the Cowboys' 9-yard line thanks to a 24-yard pickup from Terry McLaurin on a third-and-18 and an 18-yard scramble from Daniels on third-and-2. A botched pitch led to a fumble that Washington recovered back at Dallas' 22-yard line, forcing the Commanders to settle for a field goal.
The Cowboys then marched down the field on another scoring drive to the tune of seven plays covering 65 yards. An unnecessary roughness penalty on Jeremy Reaves moved the ball to the Commanders' 10-yard line, and tight end Jake Ferguson finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown -- his first of two in the afternoon.
With the Commanders needing a response down 14 points, Daniels led the Commanders on an eight-play drive highlighted by a 20-yard scramble from the quarterback. Daniels wrapped things up by connecting with Diggs for the four-yard score. Washington's defense then slowed up Dallas' defense with a sack from Javon Kinlaw, leading to Dallas' first punt of the day, and Daniels accounted for 24 rushing yards while also completing eight and 10-yard passes to Diggs. The offense moved to the Cowboys' 1-yard line with a four-yard run from Rachaad White, setting up three attempts at getting into the end zone that resulted in Daniels being carted off the field.
"I was just disheartened for him, man," Quinn said. "I know what he's gone through. He was in good spirits tonight. We all wanted to play so well for him. So, to see him in that spot, it stung."
What followed was a series of bad breaks for the Commanders. The Commanders opened the second half with a field goal, but they had to settle for three points after a 29-yard pass from Mariota to Dyami Brown was ruled incomplete. The Cowboys tacked on three points of their own and then secured a fumble on the first play of Washington's ensuing drive. That turnover led to a touchdown two plays later, as Prescott completed a 12-yard pass to Ferguson. A missed 51-yard field goal from Drew Stevens turned into another Dallas field goal that made the score 30-13.
The Commanders found the end zone one more time, as Mariota connected with Diggs for a 20-yard score, but Dallas responded in kind with another score set up in part by a 35-yard pass to Lamb. Prescott and Lamb worked together for one more play -- a 24-yard pass to the end zone that put the Cowboys back up by 17. The Commanders ran out the clock from there to close out the game.
The Commanders are set to play the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener next weekend on Sept. 27.
