It seemed like the Washington Commanders had a shot to hang with the Dallas Cowboys, despite being severely limited on offense. And then things turned on a dime.

There are a few moments to point to as a possible starting point for the downslide. Perhaps it was the Cowboys scoring in 35 seconds before the end of the first half, thanks in part to a 44-yard catch by George Picken and a 33-yard run by Javonte Williams. It's also possible that it started on the Commanders' opening drive of the third quarter, when Jayden Daniels was injured on a sack-fumble that was picked up by the Cowboys.

Regardless of when things started to turn ugly for the Commanders, the reality is that Washington quickly went from being competitive to finding themselves in a 26-point hole and an eventual 44-22 loss. Injuries, penalties and a humming Cowboys team all contributed to the loss, which dropped Washington to 3-4, and with three games against the league's top teams up next, the Commanders head back to Virginia with uncertainty on multiple fronts.

Although the loss is disheartening for a Commanders team that entered the season with so much promise, the bigger story of the day involves Daniels, who suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter. Daniels went to the medical tent before jogging to the locker room and was later ruled out for the rest of the game. Daniels is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday.

The margin for error was already small for the Commanders heading into Sunday's game. With Terry McLaurin already ruled out and Noah Brown placed on the Reserve/Injured list, wideout Deebo Samuel was downgraded to out on Saturday. The decision left the Commanders with the likes of Luke McCaffrey, rookie Jaylin Lane and Chris Moore as their top receivers.

As a result, Washington needed a standout game from Daniels and the weapons left at his disposal, and while there were some positive moments, the unit never gained enough consistency to match the Cowboys' No. 1-ranked offense blow-for-blow. Drops and errant throws plagued the Commanders early, forcing another slow start. The Commanders have now started games with either a punt or turnover in seven games.

The Commanders' run game also had few moments of true success. Washington's injuries at wide receiver allowed the Cowboys and their 32nd-ranked defense to overcommit to the run game, with running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt facing several eight-man boxes. They still finished with 136 yards, but the running lanes led to little success that they eventually had to abandon because of the deficit.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys were rolling on offense, and it started with the opening drive. They moved 66 yards downfield in five plays on their opening drive, helped by a 37-yard pass interference penalty from Marshon Lattimore. Williams finished things off with a two-yard run to go up 7-0.

Although the Commanders had another tough day defensively with 409 total yards allowed, they did give their offense chances to swing the momentum in their favor. The best example came after Tress Way pinned the Cowboys at their own 1-yard line, when Daron Payne burst into the backfield to take down Williams for a safety. That gave the Commanders life, and they took the lead on perhaps their best drive of the day by driving 65 yards on seven plays. Daniels connected with Moore on a 44-yard pickup and later with Ertz for the five-yard score.

But the Cowboys were quick to strike back. Brandon Aubrey drilled a 47-yard field goal, and after the first of four consecutive drives that ended with a punt or turnover on downs for the Commanders, CeeDee Lamb scored on a 74-yard touchdown to put the Cowboys up 17-8. Aubrey had another field goal -- a 61-yarder -- to make the score 20-8.

The Commanders got a much-needed reprieve before halftime when Daniels ran in the one-yard score to cap off a 68-yard drive. The Commanders were also set to get the ball back to start the second half, providing a chance for them to take the lead.

The Cowboys spoiled that with their next drive. Williams' 33-yard run moved the Cowboys to the Commanders' 2-yard line, and Ferguson finished the drive with a touchdown to put Dallas back up by 12 points.

Daniels' fumble at the start of the third quarter gave the ball back to Dallas at their own 45-yard line. That's when the Cowboys started to look for the knockout punch. They put together a nine-play drive that ended with Ferguson getting his second touchdown of the day. Then, with Marcus Mariota now in at quarterback, Daron Bland intercepted a pass on third-and-6 and returned it 68 yards for the touchdown.

Rodriguez managed to get across the goal line to get the deficit to under 21 points, but all Dallas needed to do was run out the clock and keep the Commanders from gaining any momentum. Washington's last drive ended with a punt after going backwards two yards.

The next three games are not going to get any easier for the Commanders. They have two matchups in primetime, including the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. After that, they will play the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, both of which are vying to remain at the top of the NFC.