Commanders Get Back on Track at Division Rival Dallas Cowboys? What Odds Say
There's only six divisional games on the schedule, and in order to clinch the division, finding a way to win those contests are crucial. However, the Washington Commanders (1-2) couldn't seize the opportunity to win their first division game this past weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) at home. But they'll get a shot to rebound this week against the Dallas Cowboys (2-1) in Arlington.
The Cowboys have won two straight games after losing the season opener (and quarterback Dak Prescott) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the defending NFC East champs will look to make it three straight on Sunday. However, the Commanders, losers of two straight, aren't backing down from the challenge - with oddsmakers thinking that's justified, as Dallas is only a 2.5-point favorite.
"The first thing that came to mind was we don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves because we’re going on the road to play a good Dallas team and that’s another one in the division, so we have an opportunity to try and get this taste out of our mouths," wide receiver Terry McLaurin said.
Despite the team's rough patch in the past two weeks, quarterback Carson Wentz feels good about where the team is and that they have the tools to snap the Cowboys' win streak.
"We’ve got another divisional rival, another big game down there," Wentz said. "I still feel we’ve got a lot of optimism in this locker room. We’re very confident in what we can be. We just have to find a way to show that consistently and do that."
While the NFC East games are important, running back Antonio Gibson sees the value in every game on the schedule considering there are so few and the wiggle room is nearly nonexistent when fighting for positioning in the NFL.
“Every game is a big game to us," Gibson said. "We’re not going to take it any other way. Come in, new week for us, do what we need to do and handle business.”
The Commanders know how to win and how to lose, so it's all up to the players to execute those successful strategies to reverse the fortunes of the past two weeks.
The Commanders and Cowboys face off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email [email protected].