
The Dallas Cowboys are officially turning the page after their 28-20 loss to the New York Giants in Week 1 and focusing on the Washington Commanders in Week 2.
The game taught them harsh lessons, including major defensive issues. Dallas nearly allowed 400 yards and let the Giants convert 9 of 11 third downs.
One big topic after the game for the Cowboys players and coaches was their communication struggles. Dallas will make sure that doesn’t happen a second time in the Commanders showdown.
Dallas Cowboys Focused on Cleaning Up Communication During Games

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer spoke with the media before their Wednesday practice. Schottenheimer said the focus of Week 2 is to clear up the communication process.
“It was surprising to us that we didn’t communicate well. … We were disappointed. We’re gonna communicate better this week. Did I see it coming? Absolutely not. “I will be very surprised if we don’t communicate at a much higher level in this game.”
The Cowboys had notable moments in the game when they were forced to use timeouts and broke down on defense. The most glaring example is the Giants‘ tight end Isaiah Likely’s touchdown; he was left wide open when Cowboys linebacker Dee Winters was supposed to cover him.
Brian Schottenheimer Will Have Cowboys Clean Up Mistakes

It’s going to be a big week for the Cowboys to see how they respond to what Schottenheimer wants to fix. The communication part should be the easy part for the coaching staff to clean up.
Dallas has more than half of their starters on defense new from the 2025 Week 1 lineup. These kinds of mistakes were bound to happen and might continue. It’s all about them limiting those mistakes until they are good.
The Cowboys will have a chance to turn things around in Week 2 against the Commanders. Washington is coming off a loss themselves. A failed two-point conversion attempt was the difference as the Philadelphia Eagles took down the Commanders.
This is a good opportunity for the Cowboys to take advantage of Washington’s lack of momentum. Picking up a win against the NFC East would help the Cowboys in the long run.
If the Cowboys lose a second straight week, that could be catastrophic to their chances of winning the NFC East. The pressure is heightened since the Giants and Eagles picked up Week 1 wins within the division.
With just a few days until the Cowboys face the Commanders, they need to address their issues now and play better in Week 2. Another loss for them, and the chatter about them being overrated could be the loudest it’s been in a long time.
Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer Made Singular Promise Before Week 2 vs. Commanders