There wasn't much to be excited about after the Dallas Cowboys' embarrassing Week 1 loss to the New York Giants. In the existential panic that came out of the Sunday Night Football defeat, Malik Hooker's injury flew under the radar.
The starting safety fractured his wrist against the Giants and required surgery. While Brian Schottenheimer doesn't expect the injury to keep Hooker sidelined for long, he'll likely miss the Cowboys' Week 2 matchup with the Washington Commanders.
In his place, P.J. Locke becomes a crucial starter. His performance against the Commanders could determine whether Dallas bounces back or tumbles to an 0-2 start.
It's time for P.J. Locke to prove why the Cowboys signed him in free agency
The Cowboys quietly signed Locke, the former Denver Broncos safety, to a one-year deal this offseason. He joined a revamped safety rotation that Dallas invested heavily in.
The veteran hardly saw the field in the preseason, seeing just seven defensive snaps. Still, he carved out a prominent role. Heading into Week 1, Locke was listed as a co-starter with Hooker in the unofficial depth chart.
He didn't play well in Week 1 when filling in for Hooker, but then again, hardly anyone on the Dallas defense looked particularly good.
Locke will need to bounce back against the Commanders. He'll likely be the full-time starter at free safety, as Dallas doesn't have many other options. Jalen Thompson will hold down the other starting spot, and Caleb Downs is best in the slot. Just one game into his rookie season, it wouldn't make sense to move the first-rounder into a new position.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels isn't afraid to push the ball down the field. He's given Cowboys fans a scare before with his deep shots to Terry McLaurin, and he could look to do so again against a depleted secondary.
Daniels' shot to McLaurin down the right sideline in 2024 nearly earned Washington a comeback win over Dallas. In his most recent start against the Cowboys, he completed three passes of more than 25 yards.
While he only completed one of them, Daniels threw five passes at least 20 yards down the field in Week 1. Only three quarterbacks attempted more deep shots. He'll look to hit those explosive passes again in Week 2.
Locke and Thompson will need to limit those plays against Washington on Sunday, forcing Daniels to beat them on quick throws. Expect Christian Parker to lean on two-high looks, giving Locke less ground to cover.
The Cowboys will need a few things to go right if they're going to beat the Commanders, including improved play against the run, but Locke's performance in coverage will be a critical piece of the puzzle.
Add us as a preferred source on Google