By the Numbers: Cowboys' run game lagging; defense's shows susceptibility to running QBs

The numbers on the scoreboard were the most important ones for the Cowboys in their home opener against Washington , but there was plenty to examine with a deeper dive into the afternoon's statistics, too. And while leveling the team's record at 1-1 was satisfying, that closer look shows there's still a long way to go before Cowboys Nation should feel confident about any talk of being among the league's elite.

Dak Prescott 's numbers in his record-setting performance were magnificent any way you slice them, and KaVontae Turpin had a productive day that may be being overlooked by many simply because he hasn't returned one to the end zone in almost two years. But a second straight game with weak rushing numbers is starting to spell out a troubling trend for Javonte Williams as well as the offensive line blocking for him.

The defensive run game needs work, too, with gaudy rushing totals from Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels spotlighting a (thus far) very exploitable weakness in Christian Parker's unit. And while the third-down defense was better in Week 1, the inability to get off the field should have Cowboys Nation concerned.

Here's our weekly look inside some of the numbers that helped tell the story of the Cowboys' latest outing.

The Cowboys' bellcow is off to a rather lumbering start this season after his career-best 2025 campaign. He gained just 30 yards on 12 carries on Sunday, which is less success than he had in an already-disappointing Week 1. Williams's two-game average of 3.0 yards per tote has him ranked outside the top 40 among all ball carriers across the league.

9.9: Average YPC allowed to Jayden Daniels

Daniels gashed the Cowboys for 69 yards- in just one half- before leaving Sunday's game and averaged 9.9 yards every time he left the pocket. That's more than double the per-rush rate Jaxson Dart recorded in Week 1. The Cowboys defense is currently allowing over 6.5 yards to opposing quarterbacks... and Lamar Jackson is up next. Scheme, gap discipline, poor tackling, whatever the issue... this needs fixing ASAP.

40: Offense's average starting field position

KaVontae Turpin looked much like his old self on Sunday, nearly breaking one kick return for a housecall and averaging 30.5 yards on his four total attempts. That helped give the Cowboys offense a big head start on five of their eight possessions. (Recovering a fumble on the Washington 13 obviously boosted that number on a sixth.) According to DLLS Cowboys , the average starting field position was the team's best for a game since the "Watermelon Kick game" versus Atlanta in Week 2 of the 2020 season.

57.1%: Commanders' 3rd-down percentage conversion rate

The Cowboys stopping Washington on just six of their 14 third-down tries showed how effective the Commanders were at moving the ball, even outgaining Dallas by 50-plus yards by game's end. But at least it was an improvement over the Giants' 9-of-11 success rate in the season opener. Dallas currently has the worst third-down defense in the NFL, one of only six teams allowing opponents to convert third downs at a 50% clip or better.

A second straight game with a team rushing total of below 70 yards has Dallas scraping the bottom of the league in the ground game. Their 135 yards through two games (both against mediocre run defenses) has Javonte Williams & Co. ranked 30th out of all teams thus far this season. It could be even tougher sledding in Week 3, when they face the Ravens , who are currently in the top five when it comes to shutting down the run. And then? It's the Texans , Buccaneers , and Packers , all in the top eight through two weeks.

143.7: Dak Prescott's Week 2 passer rating

The number has been officially adjusted down from Sunday's original data by one-tenth of a point , but Prescott's monster passer rating still ranks as the fourth-best in his entire pro career, which now encompasses 148 games (including playoffs). The last time he crossed the 140 threshold? Thanksgiving 2023, also against Washington.

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