The Washington Commanders (3-4) suffered a crushing defeat Sunday, Oct. 19, at the hands of their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1), falling 44-22 in a game that was never close.

The Commanders’ defensive breakdowns allowed Dallas to dominate from start to finish. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott carved up Washington’s secondary with 264 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and a passer rating over 130.

The game started poorly for Washington. After Dallas received the opening kickoff, the Cowboys drove down the field efficiently. A 13-yard catch from wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and a 37-yard defensive pass interference put running back Javonte Williams in the perfect position to punch a touchdown through the Commanders’ scrambling defense to open the scoring.

The Commanders’ start went from bad to worse as they went three-and-out on their first possession and were forced to punt. Fortunately for them, punter Tress Way booted the ball 58 yards, forcing the Cowboys’ offense to start their drive at their own 1-yard line. Defensive tackle Daron Payne capitalized on this opportunity, dropping Williams in his own endzone for a safety.

Finally showing signs of life, the Washington offense flew down the field on their next drive. Quarterback Jayden Daniels’ 44-yard dot to wide receiver Chris Moore set tight end Zach Ertz up for an easy touchdown catch. A missed two-point conversion, however, limited the Commanders to an 8-7 lead with 7:38 left in the first quarter.

Not to be outdone, Dallas’ offense quickly began to threaten once again. A beautiful 24-yard toe-tap catch by wide receiver George Pickens and a Williams rush allowed placekicker Brandon Aubrey to add 3 more points to their tally.

Unfortunately, with the ball back, the Commanders failed to muster any sort of offense, going three-and-out once again. Then, with 4:27 left in the first quarter, Washington’s secondary made a massive mistake.

Prescott, who had tons of time in the pocket, fired a rocket toward Lamb, who made the catch and took off. After two Commanders safeties ran into each other, Lamb had nothing but open field in front of him as Dallas extended their lead.

In the second quarter, the Cowboys grew their lead further. After Dallas recovered their own fumble, Aubrey booted the ball through the uprights from 61 yards away to go up by 12.

Washington finally put together another strong drive, traveling the length of the field and rushing for a touchdown. Daniels cut the lead to 5 with just 45 seconds remaining in the half.

Unfortunately for the Commanders, the Cowboys needed only 31 seconds to go the length of the field, thanks to explosive plays. Pickens burned the secondary for a 44-yard reception, followed by a 33-yard burst from Williams that pushed Dallas into the red zone.

One play later, tight end Jake Ferguson hauled in a 2-yard touchdown pass, silencing Washington’s momentum and giving the Cowboys a commanding 27-15 lead heading into the half.

The third quarter brought no relief for the Commanders, who lost all hope of a comeback when rookie linebacker Shemar James knocked the football free from Daniels. Dallas won possession right away, while the Commanders quarterback limped off the field holding his hamstring and headed down the tunnel. He would not return.

A couple plays later, Ferguson hauled in his second touchdown of the night, giving his team a 34-15 lead with 7:44 left in the third. Things went from bad to worse when backup quarterback Marcus Mariota threw a pick-six to Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland, effectively sealing the game.

Washington added a late touchdown by running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. to make it 41-22, but it was merely for show. Dallas added one more score as Aubrey tacked on 3 more points with 12:45 remaining, bringing the final score to 44-22.

The loss drops the Commanders to 3-4 on the season as they struggle to find consistency and Daniels struggles to stay healthy. With Daniels injured again and no clear timeline for his return, Washington’s season may be in jeopardy.

Washington will look to rebound in their next matchup Monday, Oct. 27, on the road against quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs (4-3).