The Washington Commanders suffered a disappointing loss in Week 6 at the hands of the Chicago Bears. Now, the team has a shot to bounce back in Week 7 against the division rival Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys are also coming off a loss after falling to the Carolina Panthers. With that being said, both of these teams desperately need a win to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. This will be the first meeting between the Cowboys and Commanders in 2025, and the next meeting won’t be until Christmas Day.
One of the main stories heading into this matchup is the health of the Commander’s offense. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin has missed the last three games with a quadriceps injury, and fellow receiver Deebo Samuel is dealing with a bruised heel that’s kept him out of practice this week. McLaurin is ruled out for Sunday, and NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that there is “real uncertainty” about both receivers playing this weekend.
It would obviously be a big problem if neither of Daniels’ top targets can go this week. On the flip side, the Cowboys are welcoming back their star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for this matchup.
Now, let’s go over the four keys to a Commanders’ victory in Week 7.
Keep the Cowboys’ passing attack in check
The Cowboys have had one of the best passing attacks in the league this season. The team is second in passing yards per game, third in passing touchdowns per game, and third in points per game. That is even more impressive considering CeeDee Lamb has only played in three games.
With Lamb back in tow, the test will be even tougher for the Commanders’ defense. George Pickens has also been on fire this year, and this Cowboy offense could easily explode any week. The young defenders in the Commanders’ secondary have also struggled this year, so it’s understandable to be concerned about this matchup.
If the Commanders can keep Dak Prescott under 250 passing yards, they should have a good chance to win.
Healthy pass-catchers have to make plays
As mentioned above, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel both seem unlikely to play in Week 7. Even if they do, they won’t be at 100%, and that could be a problem for Jayden Daniels and the offense.
Luke McCaffrey, Chris Moore, and Zach Ertz have all flashed at times this season, but none of those three have been consistent. The Commanders added Treylon Burks to the practice squad this week, but he’s coming off an injury and has never contributed much in the NFL.
To match the Cowboys, Daniels will need somebody to step up and make plays. We just don’t know who it will be.
Get pressure on Dak Prescott
Prescott has not been under that much pressure this year. The Cowboys’ offensive line has held up well in pass protection and allows just 1.2 sacks per game.
It’s easy to hit targets down the field and make explosive plays when you have a clean pocket. The Commanders have to get to Prescott and make him uncomfortable to help out the secondary. While the Cowboys are near the top of the league in sacks allowed, the Commanders are near the top of the league in sacks per game, so something has to give here.
I feel pretty good about the Commanders winning if they get four sacks on Prescott.
Win the turnover battle
Last weekend, the Commanders lost to the Bears by one point after losing the turnover battle 3-0. It was an uncharacteristic performance from Daniels, and it cannot be replicated this weekend.
Luckily, the Cowboys haven’t generated many turnovers this year. The team averages just 0.7 takeaways per game through six weeks. The Commanders have been even worse in that area, though, as the team averages just 0.5 takeaways per game. A late interception could easily decide this game, and the Commanders need to be on the right side of that.
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