Analysis | Commanders struggle to gain momentum in 25-10 loss to Dallas

There were about six minutes left in the first, and it looked like the Washington Commanders were about to see the momentum swing in their direction.

The Commanders' pass rush, which had been in Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush's face throughout the first half, forced the quarterback to underthrow his pass. It was snagged by Benjamin St-Juste, who returned the interception to the Cowboys' 45-yard line.

But there was a problem. An illegal contact penalty wiped away the turnover. Dallas went on to score five minutes later. That about sums up the afternoon for the Commanders in a 25-10 defeat.

Washington (1-3) never truly saw the game get out of hand. Its defense, which allowed 24 points in one quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles, delivered an admirable performance against the Cowboys, allowing 279 total yards. While Rush and the Cowboys marched into the red zone multiple times, Washington held strong and only allowed one touchdown drive.

The Commanders, however, could never get a firm grasp on the contest. The sparks from the offense quickly flamed out, mostly because of costly penalties that included two intentional grounding calls. Third-and-long was commonplace for the unit, which all but wiped away a solid ground game that saw Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic and Jonathan Williams combine for 137 yards.

After the Cowboys hit two field goals to take a 6-0 lead, the Commanders got on the board in the first half for the first time since Week 1. Carson Wentz capped off a seven-play, 65-yard drive, assisted by big runs from Williams and McKissic, by hitting Jahan Dotson for a 10-yard score, giving the rookie his fourth touchdown of the season.

Dallas got to work and responded on its ensuing drive. Rush and the Cowboys went on a 15-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Rush finding Michael Gallup, who had returned from a torn ACL he suffered last season, for a 10-yard score to retake the lead.

After Wentz threw an interception to Trevon Diggs, his second of the season, to end the second quarter, the half ended with a 12-7 lead in Dallas' favor. After Wentz threw an interception to Trevon Diggs, his second of the season, to end the second quarter, the half ended with a 12-7 lead in Dallas' favor.

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The fifth Washington Commanders (1-3) regular season game is Sunday, October 9th vs Tennessee (2-2) at FedEx Field, The Don Geronimo BIG Pregame Show at 10am, Commanders Pregame at 11am, Kickoff at 1pm. Listen for your chance to win tickets all-season long on BIG100, DC101WASH FMHOT99.5 & WMZQ!

Don't forget that all 2022-23 games will heard on the Commanders Flagship Radio Station www.WBIG.com your smart speaker and the iHeart App! And for more Commanders content and Season Tickets, check out the Commanders Official Website


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