# Commanders face Cowboys test with injuries piling up

> Washington enters Week 2 as underdogs again, dealing with a dozen injured players while trying to exploit Dallas's weak secondary.
- Title: Commanders face Cowboys test with injuries piling up
- Summary: Washington enters Week 2 as underdogs again, dealing with a dozen injured players while trying to exploit Dallas's weak secondary. The Commanders must limit…
- Keywords: washington commanders, dallas cowboys, jayden daniels, nfl week 2, ceedee lamb, george pickens, antonio williams, dan quinn, david blough, secondary matchup, news, local
- Source: The Banner — https://thebanner.com/sports/commanders-nfl/commanders-cowboys-preview-jayden-daniels-antonio-williams-PCWWPJBVSNCGNCIP3BTCE5TISI
- Author: Kevin Reynolds
- Published: 2026-09-18T19:30:28.32+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: washington commanders, dallas cowboys, jayden daniels, nfl week 2, ceedee lamb, george pickens, antonio williams, dan quinn, david blough, secondary matchup, news, local
## Quinn's stamina lesson from Tiafoe
Coach Dan Quinn showed the team a video of tennis star Frances Tiafoe's marathon U.S. Open quarterfinal to emphasize the need for grit and outlasting opponents in divisional games.
## Commanders nearly beat Eagles in Week 1
Washington trailed for over 40 minutes but came within a 2-point conversion of forcing overtime against Philadelphia, showing they can compete with better teams.
## Undermanned against Dallas stars
The Commanders are missing a dozen players due to injury this week while facing the Cowboys' star-studded roster, though Dallas looked shaky in their opening loss to the Giants.
## Defense gave up explosive plays
Washington allowed a 64-yard completion, a touchdown on third-and-goal from the 17, and a 22-yard scramble by Jalen Hurts on third-and-18 against the Eagles.
## Cowboys receivers tower over corners
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are both over 6 feet tall, while Washington's top corners Mike Sainristil and Amik Robertson are under 5-10, creating a significant size mismatch.
## Defense coordinator: size isn't the issue
Daronte Jones says stopping Lamb and Pickens requires team effort across all defensive levels, not just corners, through disguises and proper assignments.

> They've shown that they've dominated defensive backs in this league regardless of the size. That's not a one-man job.
## Daniels slow to start, found rhythm late
The quarterback admitted it took time to ease in after nine months away, not surpassing 100 passing yards until the fourth quarter when the offense went up-tempo.
## Blough wants Daniels in the pocket
New offensive coordinator David Blough prefers Daniels under center and staying in the pocket, though the quarterback looked uncomfortable in those situations against Philadelphia.

> Each game has a different flow to it, and we'll do whatever we gotta do to have success as a unit.
## Antonio Williams emerges as third option
The rookie third-round pick had four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut, giving Daniels another target alongside Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs.
## Williams could exploit Dallas secondary
Blough plans to give Williams more responsibility as he continues to develop, and the emerging receiver could help the Commanders attack a Cowboys secondary that looked vulnerable against the Giants.
## Key takeaway

The Commanders must limit explosive plays on defense and get Jayden Daniels comfortable in the pocket to compete with the Cowboys' star receivers.