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.