The Washington Commanders are coming off their "mini bye" looking for their eighth win of the season against the Dallas Cowboys. Here are three keys to securing a 3-1 record in the NFC East.
Run the ball.
The Commanders got away from their strength of running the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles through a mix of injuries and facing two dominant defenses. There is an opportunity to fix that against the Cowboys, though, and Washington should take advantage of it.
For starters, the Cowboys have struggled more than almost every team to defend the run this season. They rank 31st ahead of only the Carolina Panthers in that category, averaging 151 yards per game. They've given up at least that total in four of their previous five games, including 223 yards against the San Francisco 49ers.
Expect the Commanders to pounce on that weakness, not just because it's something they do best, but also because the "mini bye" has helped players like running back Brian Robinson and the offensive line get healthier than they have been in weeks. Head coach Dan Quinn said all members of the starting lineup were full participants on Wednesday, and that trend continued throughout the week.
The Commanders are clearly at their best when they're able to implement a strong ground presence. They are 7-1 when they rush for at least 100 yards and 0-3 when they fail to reach that mark. In games where they rushed for at least 200 yards, they put up 42 points against the Arizona Cardinals, 34 against the Cleveland Browns and 40 against the Panthers.
Assuming all goes well on the ground, it's reasonable to anticipate the offense will be humming once again.
Attack Cooper Rush.
Although the Cowboys were 3-1 with Cooper Rush back in 2022, the veteran backup has not fared as well in his second stint as their starter. He's 0-2, completed just 57.3% of his passes and posted a 28.5 QBR. It should not be surprising that Dallas has put up just 16 points in the last two weeks with him under center.
Rush is obviously familiar with Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. from their days in Dallas, but the same can be said for the Commanders' head coach and defensive coordinator. Whitt said he has respect for Rush, but he and Quinn are also aware of the quarterback's weaknesses. Rush has struggled under pressure this season, posting a 46.4 grade from Pro Football Focus with a 42.9% completion rate. And considering how banged up Dallas' offensive line has been through 10 games, there will be a chance for Washington's defense to turn the heat up on him.
The Commanders don't have what some would consider to be "top-tier" edge rushers, but the players up front have outperformed expectations. They are tied for 12th in sacks this season, and much of that has come from Dante Fowler Jr. The 2016 No. 3 overall pick is on pace for a career year with 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He's joined by the like of Dorance Armstrong, another former Dallas player, as well as Frankie Luvu, who has been moved all over the defensive front and produced 10 quarterback hits.
The Commanders' secondary has proven it can hold its own, allowing the fifth fewest passing yards per game, but defending CeeDee Lamb will be a challenge for the group. The good news is that Rush has proven he's not as polished of a passer as Dak Prescott and will make mistakes when forced into difficult situations. Even if Washington's pass-rush doesn't get to him, speeding up his process could lead to the turnovers the defense is looking for.
Get the offense back in rhythm.
This is tied to the running game, but regardless of whether it was caused by injuries or playing quality defenses, it's clear that Washington's offense was out of sync against the Steelers and Eagles. Quinn, Jayden Daniels, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury all stressed the importance of getting a full week of practice under them; the Cowboys will be an ideal opponent to prove that's what the offense needed to get back on track.
The Cowboys have struggled to keep offenses out of the end zone, particularly during their five-game losing streak. They've allowed at least 30 points in four of the last five weeks, most recently giving up 34 points to the Houston Texans. Once again, the ground game is where the Cowboys are hurt the most, as their 18 rushing touchdowns allowed this season are the most in the NFL.
Dallas' secondary is performing slightly better, allowing 230.5 yards through the air, but that is not enough to cover up its issues in the red zone. Teams have scored touchdowns on 74.29% of their red zone attempts against the Cowboys, which ranks last by more than four percentage points.
The Commanders haven't been the best in that category, either, particularly against the Eagles and Steelers, but the Cowboys will give them a chance to finish drives at a more efficient rate than what they showed in those two losses. They punted 11 times combined against those teams, which is as many times as their first six games.
If Washington can capitalize, much of the outside concerns about the offense should evaporate.
