Cowboys 37, Commanders 20: Prescott Breaks TD Record

16 hours ago

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Dallas answered its Week 1 loss with a 37–20 win over Washington, and Dak Prescott supplied the record-setting center of the story. Prescott completed 26 of 31 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns, with the fourth moving him past Tony Romo for the most touchdown passes in Cowboys history. Prescott finished the night at 249 career passing touchdowns. Dallas improved to 1–1; Washington fell to 0–2.

The final score and quarter-by-quarter scoring are confirmed by the official NFL Game CenterWashington confirmed after the game that Jayden Daniels sustained a dislocated left elbow. Initial X-rays showed no fracture, but further imaging Monday will evaluate ligament damage and whether surgery is necessary; no recovery timetable has been announced. . The larger result was more than a milestone ceremony. Dallas scored in every quarter, built a two-score lead before halftime and kept control after Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels left with a left-elbow injury.

How Dallas controlled the game

Dallas led 10–0 after the first quarter and 17–10 at halftime. Washington briefly kept the margin manageable, but the Cowboys scored 17 unanswered points across the third quarter and the start of the fourth to stretch the lead to 30–13. Brandon Aubrey reinforced that control with field goals from 60 and 44 yards, ensuring Washington could not turn one defensive stop into a quick swing.

The Cowboys did not need to hide Prescott behind a conservative plan. He was accurate, decisive and productive in the red zone, and Dallas finished drives instead of settling for a sequence of short opportunities. The 26-for-31 line translates to an 83.9 percent completion rate, but the more important number was four: every touchdown pass carried both scoreboard value and historical weight.

For comparison, the Cowboys’ Week 1 loss to the Giants left Dallas needing cleaner execution and more reliable scoring possessions. Week 2 supplied both. The result also supersedes the assumptions in Football Nation’s pregame Commanders-Cowboys prediction review, which now serves as archive context rather than a live forecast.

Prescott passes Romo in Cowboys history

Prescott entered the game within range of Romo’s franchise record of 248 passing touchdowns. His fourth touchdown of the night made the record his at 249. That is a career achievement, but it also mattered immediately: the record-setting throw was part of the production that prevented Washington from mounting a second-half comeback.

The official Cowboys video below captures the postgame tone around Prescott after the win. It is embedded from the team’s public X account rather than reproduced or downloaded.

CeeDee Lamb turned Prescott’s efficiency into explosive production, catching eight passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Ferguson caught the other two touchdown passes. Together, they gave Dallas answers at different levels of the field: Lamb punished Washington’s coverage with chunk gains, while Ferguson converted the kind of high-leverage opportunities that often decide whether a drive produces seven points or three.

Washington and Dallas players line up during a previous rivalry game at AT&T Stadium — Washington and Dallas at AT&T Stadium. Photo by All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo source and license: All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Daniels’ injury changed Washington’s options

Daniels completed 11 of 17 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown to Stefon Diggs in the first half. He also ran seven times for 69 yards, making his mobility Washington’s most consistent source of stress on the Dallas defense. His last offensive snap of the half ended with a fall on his left arm after left guard Chris Paul stepped on him. Washington ruled him out with a left-elbow injury.

That is still the full medical picture. The Commanders have not announced a diagnosis, structural damage or a return timetable. Football Nation’s dedicated Jayden Daniels injury report explains why his 2025 injury history is relevant without treating it as proof of a repeat dislocation. The next meaningful checkpoint is Washington’s medical update after further evaluation.

Marcus Mariota handled the second half and connected with Diggs for a 20-yard touchdown. Washington also appeared to have a 29-yard Mariota touchdown to Dyami Brown, but replay changed the ruling to incomplete and the drive ended with a field goal. That reversal did not create the entire margin, but it captured the night: Washington needed touchdowns to chase Dallas and repeatedly settled for less.

Fantasy football impact

Prescott’s four-touchdown performance restores confidence after Week 1 and reinforces his ceiling when Dallas can protect him and finish drives. Lamb’s 153-yard, two-touchdown line confirms that he remains the offense’s highest-upside pass catcher. Ferguson’s two scores will draw waiver and lineup attention, although touchdown totals can fluctuate more than route participation and targets.

For Washington, Daniels should remain held until the team provides a diagnosis and practice status; managers should not make a drop decision from video alone. Mariota becomes relevant in superflex and two-quarterback formats if Daniels cannot play, while Diggs showed that the passing game can still produce a touchdown with the backup. Football Nation’s Week 2 injury tracker will carry the next confirmed status change.

What the result changes

Dallas moves to 1–1 with evidence that its core passing-game pieces can still control a divisional matchup. The Cowboys’ defense gave up rushing production to Daniels, but it did not let Washington turn that threat into enough points. The cleanest takeaway is not that every concern from Week 1 disappeared; it is that Dallas responded with better quarterback play, better finishing and a decisive fourth quarter.

Washington is 0–2 and now has two separate problems to solve: a winless start and uncertainty around its starting quarterback. The Commanders’ Week 1 loss to Philadelphia already showed how narrow its margin can be. If Daniels misses time, Mariota’s mobility gives the offense continuity, but Washington must build a plan that does not assume the same explosive rushing production.

The broader NFC picture remains fluid after two weeks. Football Nation’s Week 2 power rankings provide the leaguewide context, while the Malik Davis injury update and the Tress Way retirement report track roster stories surrounding both clubs.

Football Nation verdict

Dallas earned the headline on both levels: the Cowboys won 37–20, and Prescott became the franchise’s career leader in touchdown passes. Lamb and Ferguson made the passing game decisive, while Aubrey kept the scoreboard pressure constant. Washington’s loss cannot be separated from Daniels’ exit, but the result should not be reduced to the injury; Dallas had already built the stronger scoring structure and finished it.

For the Cowboys, this was the right kind of correction after Week 1—efficient, aggressive and complete enough to withstand a rivalry game’s volatility. For Washington, the urgent question is medical rather than rhetorical. Daniels’ test results and practice availability should determine the next conclusion.