Sunday can’t come fast enough for the Washington Commanders. After a last-second loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday, the 3-3 squad has been eagerly preparing for Sunday’s game in Dallas against the rival Cowboys.
The sportsbooks are expecting a high-scoring contest between the two talented offenses — and the two mediocre defenses. Most sportsbooks have the over/under set at 55.5 points, the highest expected point total of the season.
Dallas’ offense enters Week 7 leading the NFL in yards per game and ranking third in points per game.
Washington, despite a bevy of early-season injuries and a pair of games featuring backup quarterback Marcus Mariota in place of Jayden Daniels, also ranks among the top 10 scoring offenses.
“We got the chance to take this thing to another level. Obviously, the stats are the stats, but it just says we could score with the best of them, and we can put up points,” Daniels said, highlighting the turnovers and sluggish opening drives that have forced the Commanders into early holes. “We just have to be better with the details and execution.”
The offense could receive a boost from Pro Bowl receiver Terry McLaurin, who missed the past three games with a quad injury. He returned to practice in a limited capacity, though Commanders coach Dan Quinn hasn’t confirmed whether the pass catcher will return on Sunday.
One thing is certain: The offense would love to have him back.
“A great leader for the team, especially me in the locker room,” rookie receiver Jaylin Lane said of McLaurin. “It’d be amazing getting him back on the field.”
It’s been an up-and-down start for the Commanders, alternating between victory and defeat on a weekly basis through the first six weeks.
“We still got some way to go. We’re not a finished product, but we know in this league that you want to get hot at the right time,” Daniels said. “So, whatever that looks like, but we just have to keep stacking days and taking one day at a time and one game at a time.”
The 2-3-1 Cowboys have endured a similar stretch. The group, led by first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, showed flashes of promise during a close season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and a Week 4 tie against the Green Bay Packers. Last week’s loss to the Carolina Panthers was a low point, though.
The Cowboys’ offense could pack a stronger punch on Sunday. They’re expecting All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb to return after missing three games with an ankle injury. All-Pro KaVontae Turpin, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown in a win against the Commanders last season, could also return from injury.
“I’m super excited,” said Cowboys receiver George Pickens, who ranks third in the league in receiving yards. “I don’t even think the words can fully explain [Lamb], and possibly [Turpin] too, so super excited. [The offense can be] way more dangerous and way more explosive, too, when you’ve got other guys like CeeDee and Turp — it’s another component of explosiveness that you can’t really describe.”
The Dallas offense barely resembles the group that Washington faced twice last season. The Cowboys were without quarterback Dak Prescott in both matchups and overhauled their coaching staff during the offseason.
“You can look at it as a player, some of the matchups, a style, an attitude of what a player may do, what they look like at the line, how would they pass protect,” said Quinn, who worked as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator from 2021 through 2023. “They’ve also added some new faces. … So, you do look at it, but it’s the tape from 2025 that you really dive into.”
A Cowboys-Commanders showdown is timeless, though. The matchups may have lost their luster as both teams lost their contending status, but last year’s games were promising. Both showdowns required last-minute touchdowns to cement the final score in the Cowboys’ Week 12 victory and the Commanders’ triumph in the season finale.
It’ll be the first time that defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who grew up in D.C., will play in the rivalry. He signed with the Commanders this past offseason, much to the chagrin of the Dallas fans in his family, who have already started the trash talk.
“I’ve been hearing about this Cowboy stuff for a long time,” Kinlaw said.
Though he admitted to hating the Cowboys growing up, the 300-pounder isn’t underestimating the Commanders’ top rivals. The aggressiveness of Dallas’ offensive line has impressed him.
“They’re a solid group and they’re physical. They don’t take no mess with nobody. That’s what I look forward to,” Kinlaw said. “You got to take a punch to give a punch. Take a punch here, take a punch there, but your counterpunch has got to be greater.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.