The Dallas Cowboys avoided disaster on Sunday, defeating the Washington Commanders 37-20 at AT&T Stadium. Jayden Daniels' injury undoubtedly buoyed Dallas, but that's the cruelty of football. Injuries can change a game in an instant, and the Cowboys took full advantage.
There are still reservations about when this defense will truly be ready to compete. In the meantime, Dak Prescott and the offense will have very little margin for error. And up next is a massive test against two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil this Sunday.
It's a busy week for the Cowboys, so let's get into the latest happenings surrounding America's Team.
- Update on Maracaña Stadium conditions
- Quick Slants
- Week 2 Cowboys superlatives
- Must-see Cowboys quotes
- Must-read Cowboys stories from around the web
Update on Maracaña Stadium conditions
Much of the excitement for the NFL's first-ever game in Rio de Janeiro has stalled following soccer players calling out the field conditions at the iconic Maracaña Stadium.
Home to the Brazilian soccer club Flamengo, multiple players have come forward expressing concerns about the playing surface, including goalkeeper Augstín Rossi.
“You don’t even need to talk about the field, it’s there for everyone to see,” Rossi said. “The way we play, it’s unbelievable that we’re playing on a field like this. Both penalty areas are bad as [expletive]. If you look at it, there are bumps everywhere. There’s still going to be an NFL game here during the international break. After that game, I hope the field is in better shape.”
Despite that, rescheduling the game is "not a conversation," per NFL field director Nick Pappas. He added that there are "no concerns" about the playing surface.
That's certainly a confident stance, considering the players who use the field every week are painting a much different picture. Nobody should expect the NFL to publicly sound the alarm days before a historical international showcase, but dismissing the concerns entirely is difficult to reconcile with what Flemengo players have said.
The game is going to be played, but one has to wonder how the surface will impact both teams. It's unfortunate that field conditions have become such a major storyline for what should be a celebration of two fun teams participating in the NFL's first game in Rio.
Quick Slants
Your late-week dose of Cowboys news, injury updates, and other notable developments.
Tyler Smith is on schedule in recovery from thumb surgery
The Cowboys have been able to keep Dak Prescott upright, but the run game has struggled in Smith's absence, ranking 30th in the league in rushing yards per game. Thankfully, the All-Pro guard seems to be making good progress in his recovery from thumb surgery.
"Well, we should stay on the prognosis of the four weeks," Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan. "He's doing very well. ... He's very smart and very conscientious. So he's doing well."
Smith may be hard-pressed to return in Week 5, the first game he's eligible to come off IR, since the Cowboys play on Thursday night and will have just played on Sunday. All that matters, for now, is that he's on schedule.
Jerry Jones' cryptic postgame quote was, in fact, about football
As Jones made his way down from the owner's suite at AT&T Stadium, he greeted the media with the following quote: "There is nothing more dangerous than an old man with money." Many wondered if he was speaking specifically about the Cowboys or in his own code.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, Jones confirmed that he was following up on his willingness to make a move to improve the team.
"Very much, very much," Jones said. "I wouldn't under no circumstance, with that audience, be referring to anything other than a football context."
"I said it out of context, but I'm glad I said it. We were just feeling so good about our win that we were feeling our oats. We say this just right, don't tamper. My point is, it's good. We have the makings of a team here that I'm that optimistic about. I'd work to improve it in a minute financially."
The Cowboys' defense could certainly use a couple of reinforcements, but making a splash would be pointless if Dallas doesn't tread water until the trade deadline. If they do, look for Jones and Co. to swing big.
Cowboys' travel and practice plans for Brazil week
Accounting for the 10-hour flight to Rio, the Cowboys technically have a short week. That's why it'll be difficult for injured players to make it back.
With Dallas leaving on Thursday, guys like Malik Hooker and DeMarvion Overshown effectively lose two days of recovery and preparation they would've had if this were a home game in Arlington. With that, here's a rundown of the Cowboys' chaotic schedule (h/t Nick Harris, Star-Telegram):
- Tuesday - Practice at The Star
- Wednesday - Practice at The Star
- Thursday - Practice at The Star, leave for Brazil ~ 8 p.m. CT
- Friday - Arrive in the morning, practice at the training center for Brazilian soccer club Flamengo
- Saturday - A literal walkthrough at Maracaña Stadium
- Sunday - Fly back to Dallas shortly after the game, which starts at 5:25 local time
- Monday - Arrive back in Dallas in the morning
Week 2 Cowboys superlatives
Award | Player |
|---|---|
MVP of the Week | Dak Prescott |
Unsung Hero of the Week | Tyler Guyton |
Dud of the Week | Kenny Clark |
Breakout Player of the Week | Jaishawn Barham |
Prescott has had so many terrific games with the Cowboys that we need to be careful calling Sunday one of the finest performances of his career. Regardless, Sunday was another surgical showing from QB1, who led Dallas to 37 points on just eight possessions and nearly threw for as many touchdowns (four) as he had incomplete passes (five).
Guyton deserves credit for Dallas' offensive explosion. He largely kept a clean pocket for Prescott against a sneaky-good Washington front, allowing just two pressures, which felt inconsequential, and finished with a 75.6 pass-blocking grade.
Clark, on the other hand, has had a really poor start to the season. There were multiple plays on Sunday where he got blown off the ball. It might be time for Christian Parker to give him more breathers, as he's played 99 total snaps in two games. That's a lot.
CeeDee Lamb broke out in a huge way, but we expect greatness for him.
Barham, though, was a catalyst for the defense in his second career game. He started at the MIKE and was arguably Dallas' best defender, forcing a fumble in the third quarter and coming up with a handful of stops against the run.
Must-see Cowboys quotes
CeeDee Lamb wants teams to keep giving Dallas the ball first:
"Honestly, personally, I take offense that they want to put our offense out first, like we're not who we are. So, from now on, I feel like we've just got to control the narrative and control what we can do. If they give us the ball first, we'll go score first."
Dallas' opening drive on Sunday is exactly what should happen against most defenses. They traveled the length of the field in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Going three-and-out against the Giants injected hope in New York and its fans.
With the defense still finding its footing, the Cowboys must continue starting strong offensively.
Jerry Jones compliments Dak Prescott:
"He's a product of his own work ethic. He's a product of his focus on getting better at every detail of his game. I'm happy to say that he's a better quarterback today than he's ever been. ... I'm glad we've got him. ... He's playing at an extremely high level, and) that gives us our best chance (to win a Super Bowl). We still have the opportunity to get him championships."
Isn't it nice to live in a world where Jones is complimenting Prescott and not weaponizing his contract to (try to) rationalize the team's lack of offseason spending? It's refreshing to hear him speak so positively about his quarterback.
And it's crazy that we're even saying that, considering Prescott has so often been the best thing this franchise has had going for it.
Must-read Cowboys stories from around the web
- Cowboys rookie report: Jaishawn Barham sets the tone in Week 2 (Blogging The Boys)
Mike Poland assessed the performance of each Cowboys rookie who saw the field against Washington. First-round picks Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence both played well, but Jaishawn Barham made a seismic impact filling in for DeMarvion Overshown at MIKE linebacker.
- Ranking all 32 NFL starting QBs after Week 2: Patrick Mahomes is all the way back (FanSided)
Christopher Kline ranked every starting quarterback following Week 2. Dak Prescott jumped two spots to No. 6 after starting at No. 8 in the initial rankings. The only QBs ahead of Prescott (in order) are Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Matthew Stafford.
- What we learned from Dallas’ Week 2 victory over the Commanders (Cowboys Wire)
Mike Crum dives deep into the Cowboys' performance on Sunday. One of his biggest takeaways? That Washington's turnovers and miscues provided more resistance than the Dallas defense. The final score does not tell the full story of how Christian Parker's unit played.
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