The Washington Commanders are hoping that a mini bye week will help them get back on track when they face the struggling Dallas Cowboys this Sunday.
The Commanders (7-4) are in second place in the NFC East and haven’t played since their 26-18 loss to the first-place Philadelphia Eagles on November 14. The Cowboys (3-7) are coming off their fifth consecutive loss, a 34-10 defeat to the Houston Texans on Monday night.
After a tough one-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Commanders had extra days to rest and recover thanks to the mini bye week before their next game against Dallas.
“I was able to reset and refocus, restart,” said rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels on Wednesday. “It’s kind of needed in a long season like that. It was great to get away for a little bit, but I’m glad that we’re back now.”
The Commanders’ offense could definitely use a reset. Daniels completed only 59.1% of his passes in the games against the Steelers and Eagles, throwing one touchdown and one interception. Those games included two of his lowest passer ratings of the season.
The team has averaged 22.5 points over their last four games, which is over eight points less than the 31.1 points per game they averaged in their first seven games of the season.
“I don’t think anyone is hitting the panic button, but at the same time there’s a lot to improve on,” said Washington tight end Zach Ertz. “There’s a lot of urgency that goes with that.”
For Dallas, this game will have a personal touch for head coach Dan Quinn, who was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for three seasons before coming to Washington.
The Cowboys beat the Commanders twice last season, but they now enter this game as double-digit underdogs after losing five games by a combined score of 172-70.
“We have a lot of moving parts going on, and we just have to be cleaner and more detailed in certain spots,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’re not playing well enough, not executing well enough, coaching well enough to overcome some of the mistakes we’re making in critical times of the game.”
Dallas has also struggled with turnovers, with a minus-11 turnover differential, one of the worst in the league. Defensively, they rank near the bottom in allowing 365.7 yards per game and are second to last in points allowed (29.3 per game).
The Cowboys have had trouble starting games well, as they’ve only scored first in three out of their 10 games this season.
Quarterback Cooper Rush is expected to start his third straight game for Dallas after throwing for 354 yards, one touchdown, and one interception against Houston.
“We’ve got seven losses. We gotta go,” McCarthy said. “Backs against the wall. Gotta fight, claw, scratch. Gotta do everything we can to go win the next game. That’s where my mind’s at. That’s the way we coach and that’s the expectation.”
On the injury front, Dallas received some good news as All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) returned to practice as a full participant on Wednesday. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) and defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (knee) are also eligible to come off injured reserve.
However, several other players were missing or limited in practice. Tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion), fullback Hunter Luepke (calf), and guards Zach Martin (ankle/shoulder) and Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) did not practice, while wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (back/foot) was limited.
For Washington, safety Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday but worked off to the side, indicating he may still play on Sunday. Linebacker Nick Bellore (knee) was also absent from practice.
