Washington Commanders vs Dallas Cowboys LIVE. Cowboys chase their first win of the season

There's already a sense of urgency in the NFC East as the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys renew their rivalry with both teams trying to avoid an 0-2 start .

Washington is looking to recapture the form that carried it to the 2024 NFC Championship Game , while Dallas hopes new head coach Brian Schottenheimer can help restore the standard that existed when Commanders coach Dan Quinn ran the Cowboys' defense.

Both teams opened the season with disappointing road losses. The Cowboys fell 28-20 to the New York Giants after another shaky defensive performance, while the Commanders came up just short in a 24-22 loss to the defending division champion Philadelphia Eagles .

"There's definitely must-win games in this league," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. "With all the changes and all the excitement around this team, we've got to go win."

Dallas never held a lead against New York and failed to force a second-half stop, leaving Prescott with only two offensive possessions after halftime. Washington, meanwhile, trailed for most of the afternoon before falling one failed two-point conversion short of forcing overtime in Jayden Daniels' return from injury.

"The message to our team is that we have to level up," Quinn said. "I liked our toughness and the way we competed, but there's still a lot of room to grow."

Jayden Daniels vs. the Cowboys' defense

Dallas' defense struggled badly in its debut under coordinator Christian Parker, allowing Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart to carve it up for three touchdown passes while repeatedly escaping the pocket. Daniels presents an even bigger dual-threat challenge, making this an early measuring stick for a Cowboys defense that can't afford another disappointing outing.

Dallas hasn't started 0-2 since 2010.

Prescott owns a 13-2 career record against Washington.

The Cowboys are 25-5 at home against NFC East opponents since Prescott became the starter in 2016.

Terry McLaurin needs 25 receiving yards to reach 7,000 for his career.

Prescott needs four touchdown passes to surpass Tony Romo (248) as the Cowboys' all-time passing touchdowns leader.