Here are the 10 big storylines for the week, with five for the Commanders and five for the Cowboys.
Commanders
- The Cowboys will play their first game against Dan Quinn's Commanders. This is his first season in Washington after taking over as the head coach. He spent the previous three seasons as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator and even had one game as the interim head coach for Mike McCarthy during the 2021 season. But Quinn isn't alone as a familiar face on the opposing sideline. He's got four coaches on his staff with Cowboys ties and there are five players, including Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr., who all signed as unrestricted free agents this past March.
- Washington started out red-hot this season, cruising to a 7-2 record behind Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Things have cooled off somewhat in the last two weeks as they have lost consecutive games to the Steelers and Eagles. Still, at 7-4, Washington is looking for double-digits wins for the first time since going 10-6 in 2012.
- One of the reasons for the Commanders' recent slide could be attributed to Daniels' rib injury. Since he suffered the setback in Week 7 against the Panthers, the Commanders not only have struggled to win, but his numbers are different. Daniels was completing nearly 75 percent of his passes before the injury and has been held to just 59 percent since the injury. Also, he was averaging 53.1 rushing yards in the first seven games and dropped to 27.5 rushing yards for the last four.
- Daniels' arrival has helped the players around him this year. Running backs Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler have provided a healthy 1-2 punch in the backfield. Robinson has seven rushing TDs this year. Ekeler ranks fourth in the NFL with 1,170 all-purpose yards. Receiver Terry McLaurin is having one of his best years of his career. He's at 721 receiving yards (seventh in the NFL) and is tied for fourth in the league with six TD receptions.
- Former Cowboys defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. is having a career season so far, leading the Commanders with 8.5 sacks, which ranks fourth in the NFL. Since being the No. 3 overall pick in 2015 with the Jaguars, Fowler is now on his fifth team, including a two-year stint in Dallas from 2022-23. Fowler's 8.5 sacks is already good for second in his career and needs three more to match his 11.5 in 2019 with the Rams.
Cowboys
- On the heels of a five-game losing streak, the Cowboys are back on the road this week. Ironically enough, the road is the only pace they've won, as the Cowboys are 3-2. Other than the 33-17 win over Cleveland in Week 1, every road game has been a one-score game this season. The Cowboys are 8-3 in Washington in their last 11 meetings at FedEx Field, where they own a 17-10 record since they opened the stadium in 1997.
- Cooper Rush will remain the starting quarterback – at least for now. The Cowboys obviously want to see Trey Lance play, with Mike McCarthy even stating last Monday night he regretted not putting him in at the end of the game. But the team is sticking with experience for now. Rush did have career-highs in both passing yards (354) and attempts (55), but could only generate one touchdown and 10 points.
- The Cowboys could be getting some much-needed help back on the injury front. DaRon Bland hasn't played all season with a foot injury but could make his 2024 debut. Also, the practice window opened for both Brandin Cooks and Marshawn Kneeland, meaning they could play this week if they're taken off of IR. And cornerback Jourdan Lewis said he is hopeful to play this week after missing the last game with a neck injury.
- However, with some players coming back, there are others added to the list. Tight end Jake Ferguson is not expected to play because of a concussion. The Monday Night game didn't help matters, giving the team just six days between games. Also, safety Markquese Bell is likely headed to injured reserve and will have season-ending surgery on a shoulder injury. The Cowboys are also monitoring Zack Martin, who has been banged up all season but has battled injuries. He left the game with a foot injury last Monday.
- In what feels like a broken record, the Cowboys' slow starts continue to plague them all season. Dallas has scored first in just three of 10 games this season and have been outscored 73-52 in the first quarter, despite getting the ball to start the game seven times this year.
