Washington
Commanders
1-0
42
FINAL
35
Dallas
Cowboys
1-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 2 matchup of the 2026 season, the Washington Commanders topped the Dallas Cowboys 42-35, solidifying their place in the early playoff picture. With both teams looking to establish momentum early in the season, this game proved pivotal for their respective aspirations.
Washington's offense was firing on all cylinders, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, who threw for four touchdowns while racking up significant yardage. Running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a force on the ground, amassing 124 rushing yards, and providing the balance needed to keep the Dallas defense on its heels. Meanwhile, the Cowboys' Dak Prescott delivered a strong performance, passing for 425 yards and keeping his team competitive throughout.
Defensively, the Commanders made crucial plays that ultimately swung the game in their favor. Sonny Styles was a standout, not only leading the team with four tackles but also intercepting three passes, a key factor in stifling any potential Dallas comebacks. The game's turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Styles' third interception halted a promising Cowboys drive, allowing Washington to seal the victory and leave Dallas searching for answers.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dak Prescott | QB | 35 | 19 | 54% | 425 | 3 | 4 | 86.9 |
| Jayden Daniels | QB | 29 | 20 | 69% | 299 | 4 | 2 | 113.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 6 | 124 | 20.7 | 15 | 1 | 99 | 0 |
| Javonte Williams | HB | 8 | 81 | 10.1 | 18 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| Jayden Daniels | QB | 4 | 67 | 16.8 | 6 | 1 | 53 | 0 |
| Rashee Rice | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Joe Mixon | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Dak Prescott | QB | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Parker Washington | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stefon Diggs | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 4 | 110 | 27.5 | 36 | 2 | 65 | 0 |
| Jonathan Mingo | WR | 3 | 100 | 33.3 | 32 | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Terry McLaurin | WR | 4 | 94 | 23.5 | 51 | 1 | 56 | 0 |
| Rashee Rice | WR | 4 | 70 | 17.5 | 7 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Jaylin Lane | WR | 2 | 69 | 34.5 | 63 | 1 | 57 | 0 |
| Jake Ferguson | TE | 3 | 58 | 19.3 | 17 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Chigoziem Okonkwo | TE | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 28 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Joe Mixon | HB | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 9 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Stefon Diggs | WR | 6 | 45 | 7.5 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Parker Washington | WR | 1 | 29 | 29.0 | 18 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Rachaad White | HB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Javonte Williams | HB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonny Styles | MIKE | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Jalen Thompson | FS | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Amik Robertson | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rashan Gary | LEDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Downs | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorance Armstrong | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quan Martin | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DeMarvion Overshown | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Markquese Bell | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leo Chenal | MIKE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Cross | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trey Amos | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Hooker | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Sainristil | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daron Payne | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DaRon Bland | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frankie Luvu | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malachi Lawrence | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Odafe Oweh | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cobie Durant | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tress Way | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drew Stevens | K | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Brandon Aubrey | K | 1 | 2 | 2 | 42 |

