The Commanders are looking to rebound from a tough season-opening loss to the Eagles and avoid going into an 0-2 hole ahead of a Week 3 meeting against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. They’ll be facing a Cowboys team that’s similarly in need of a victory.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Kickoff: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
TV: Fox
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Betting Lines:
Lines from DraftKings, as of Friday.
Spread: Commanders +4.5
Money line: Commanders +180, Cowboys -218
Over/under: 50.5 points
Pregame Reading
The Commanders new stadium won’t open for four years but new renderings released on Wednesday show the team is looking to address issues that currently hinder its current stadium.
The Commanders lost a nail biter in their season opener and had costly mistakes on both sides of the ball. The Washington Sun’s Martenzie Johnson compiled all of the plays that factored into the loss.
Stefon Diggs’ first touchdown for his hometown team had a costly impact on his team’s ability to tie the game early in the fourth quarter. He expressed remorse over his unnecessary penalty.
The season-opening loss to the Eagles laid bare one of the biggest questions facing Washington and its first-time offensive coordinator this season: Should the Commanders protect Jayden Daniels with a more conservative system or let him loose in hopes of recapturing the magic of 2024? The Sun’s Dave Sheinin broke down how the team tried to do a little of both against Philadelphia, with mixed results.
About the Cowboys
A trendy preseason pick to make the NFC playoffs, the Cowboys had a disappointing start to their 2026 campaign, losing to the Giants 28-20 on “Sunday Night Football.” Most notably, Dallas’ offense was much less explosive than expected, with star receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens held to a meager 44 and 28 receiving yards, respectively, and running back Javonte Williams rushing for just 41.
Read more about Pickens’ rough season opener in The Dallas Morning News, and about the team’s Week 1 defensive lapses in The Athletic.
One Big Question
Can Terry McLaurin get on track?
First-year offensive coordinator David Blough has discussed getting McLaurin roughly 10 targets per game, but the 31-year-old receiver was a non-factor in the season opener. He caught just two passes for 14 yards on four targets.
McLaurin was limited to just 10 games in 2025 and his 582 receiving yards were the lowest of his career. The Commanders’ offense already has limitations, and can’t afford to have McLaurin held in check for the second straight week.
Quote of the Week
“That wasn’t a coaching thing,” Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil told reporters Monday. “That wasn’t a schematic thing. That was just two plays on my end with a … I guess you could call it a lack of effort.”
Sainristil ranked last among the 89 cornerbacks Pro Football Focus graded in Week 1, and admitted that two big plays he allowed in Philadelphia stemmed from his effort. Quinn referred to Sainristill’s performance as “completely not acceptable.” He and the team’s secondary could have their hands full covering Lamb and Pickens on Sunday.
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