Wk 2 · 2026

Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys — Sun, Sep 20

Sun, Sep 20 · AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX · Fox FINAL

Weather

This one is played indoors. There is nothing to forecast.

Washington Commanders

NFC East · 1-3-1

4:25pET

DAL -3.5 · total 51.5 DraftKings opened -4.5 · 1 toward WSH

Ratings differential DAL by 5.2

Dallas Cowboys

NFC East · 2-3

What is at stake

An NFC East game. These two play each other twice a season, home and away, and when the NFC East finishes level it is the head-to-head result and then the division record that separate them — before any of the rest. Division standings.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 1.7 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have been through a draft and a free-agency window since.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Commanders: -4.4#28

Efficiency margin

Cowboys: -0.9#20

Commanders: -0.8#18

Offense

Cowboys: +3.1#4

Commanders: -3.6#30

Defense

Cowboys: -4.0#31

Commanders: 20.9

Points / game

Cowboys: 27.7

Commanders: 26.5

Points allowed / game

Cowboys: 30.1

Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats

The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.

Commanders form

T 27-27vs NYGL 13-30vs INDW 33-31vs SEAL 20-37at DALL 22-24at PHI

2026 season

Cowboys form

L 16-24vs TBW 34-30at HOUL 31-34vs BALW 37-20vs WSHL 20-28at NYG

2026 season

Commanders this season

Straight up1-3-1 · 25% (5 games)

Against the spread2-3 · 40% (5 games)

Over / under4-1 · 80% (5 games)

Cowboys this season

Straight up2-3 · 40% (5 games)

Against the spread2-2-1 · 50% (5 games)

Over / under4-1 · 80% (5 games)

Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 10

Opponent	Commanders	Cowboys
Eagles NFC	at L 22-24 preview	at Wk 7 · scheduled preview
Seahawks NFC	vs W 33-31 preview	at Wk 13 · scheduled preview
Colts AFC	N L 13-30 preview	at Wk 9 · scheduled preview
Giants NFC	vs T 27-27 preview	at L 20-28 preview
49ers NFC	at Wk 6 · scheduled preview	vs Wk 10 · scheduled preview
Rams NFC	vs Wk 9 · scheduled preview	at Wk 15 · scheduled preview
Cardinals NFC	at Wk 12 · scheduled preview	vs Wk 8 · scheduled preview
Titans AFC	at Wk 13 · scheduled preview	vs Wk 11 · scheduled preview
Texans AFC	vs Wk 14 · scheduled preview	at W 34-30 preview
Jaguars AFC	at Wk 17 · scheduled preview	vs Wk 16 · scheduled preview

Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Cowboys leads 28–13 · Cowboys has won the last 3

41 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 5.8 points toward Cowboys

Yr	Date	Result	Site	Won
2026	2026-09-20	Commanders 20 — 37 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2025	2025-12-25	Cowboys 30 — 23 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2025	2025-10-19	Commanders 22 — 44 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2024	2025-01-05	Commanders 23 — 19 Cowboys	at DAL	Commanders
2024	2024-11-24	Cowboys 34 — 26 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2023	2024-01-07	Cowboys 38 — 10 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2023	2023-11-23	Commanders 10 — 45 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2022	2023-01-08	Cowboys 6 — 26 Commanders	at WSH	Commanders
2022	2022-10-02	Commanders 10 — 25 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2021	2021-12-26	Commanders 14 — 56 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2021	2021-12-12	Cowboys 27 — 20 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2020	2020-11-26	Commanders 41 — 16 Cowboys	at DAL	Commanders
2020	2020-10-25	Cowboys 3 — 25 Commanders	at WSH	Commanders
2019	2019-12-29	Commanders 16 — 47 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2019	2019-09-15	Cowboys 31 — 21 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2018	2018-11-22	Commanders 23 — 31 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2018	2018-10-21	Cowboys 17 — 20 Commanders	at WSH	Commanders
2017	2017-11-30	Commanders 14 — 38 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2017	2017-10-29	Cowboys 33 — 19 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2016	2016-11-24	Commanders 26 — 31 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2016	2016-09-18	Cowboys 27 — 23 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2015	2016-01-03	Commanders 34 — 23 Cowboys	at DAL	Commanders
2015	2015-12-07	Cowboys 19 — 16 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2014	2014-12-28	Cowboys 44 — 17 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2014	2014-10-27	Commanders 20 — 17 Cowboys	at DAL	Commanders
2013	2013-12-22	Cowboys 24 — 23 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2013	2013-10-13	Commanders 16 — 31 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2012	2012-12-30	Cowboys 18 — 28 Commanders	at WSH	Commanders
2012	2012-11-22	Commanders 38 — 31 Cowboys	at DAL	Commanders
2011	2011-11-20	Cowboys 27 — 24 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2011	2011-09-26	Commanders 16 — 18 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2010	2010-12-19	Commanders 30 — 33 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2010	2010-09-12	Cowboys 7 — 13 Commanders	at WSH	Commanders
2009	2009-12-27	Cowboys 17 — 0 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2009	2009-11-22	Commanders 6 — 7 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2008	2008-11-16	Cowboys 14 — 10 Commanders	at WSH	Cowboys
2008	2008-09-28	Commanders 26 — 24 Cowboys	at DAL	Commanders
2007	2007-12-30	Cowboys 6 — 27 Commanders	at WSH	Commanders
2007	2007-11-18	Commanders 23 — 28 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys
2006	2006-11-05	Cowboys 19 — 22 Commanders	at WSH	Commanders
2006	2006-09-17	Commanders 10 — 27 Cowboys	at DAL	Cowboys

Commanders leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	Marcus Mariota QB #8	33/51, 340 YDS, 4 TD
	Jayden Daniels QB #5	29/51, 260 YDS, 3 TD
Rushing	Jacory Croskey-Merritt RB #22	56 CAR, 157 YDS, 1 TD
	Jayden Daniels QB #5	12 CAR, 100 YDS
	Rachaad White RB #1	22 CAR, 100 YDS
Receiving	Stefon Diggs WR #18	18 REC, 170 YDS, 3 TD
	Terry McLaurin WR #17	10 REC, 141 YDS, 1 TD
	Antonio Williams WR #14	12 REC, 124 YDS, 1 TD
	Dyami Brown WR #6	7 REC, 86 YDS

Defense

Tackles	Jeremy Reaves S #39	29
	Amik Robertson CB #2	26
	Sonny Styles LB #52	20
Sacks	Odafe Oweh LB #98	2
	K'Lavon Chaisson LB #45	1.5
	Frankie Luvu LB #4	1
Interceptions	Rasul Douglas CB #31	1
	Kain Medrano LB #56	1
	Sonny Styles LB #52	1

full roster and per-player history

Cowboys leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	Dak Prescott QB #4	105/150, 1065 YDS, 8 TD, 1 INT
Rushing	Javonte Williams RB #33	62 CAR, 231 YDS, 5 TD
	Dak Prescott QB #4	12 CAR, 66 YDS
	Tyler Goodson RB #25	9 CAR, 34 YDS
Receiving	CeeDee Lamb WR #88	37 REC, 498 YDS, 4 TD
	George Pickens WR #3	18 REC, 225 YDS
	Ryan Flournoy WR #19	13 REC, 104 YDS
	Jake Ferguson TE #87	12 REC, 83 YDS, 3 TD

Defense

Tackles	Caleb Downs S #13	29
	Dee Winters LB #53	25
	Jaishawn Barham LB #55	21
Sacks	Quinnen Williams DT #92	1
	Rashan Gary LB #7	1
	Caleb Downs S #13	1

full roster and per-player history

These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.