FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys return home Sunday looking to put their season opener behind them when they host the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium in an NFC East matchup between two teams searching for their first victory of the season.
Dallas opened the 2026 season with a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants, and the Cowboys’ defense enters Week 2 dealing with both injuries and questions about communication.
Safety Malik Hooker suffered a forearm fracture in the opener and is expected to miss Sunday’s game. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is also expected to be sidelined after suffering a hamstring injury against New York. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Overshown could miss one to two weeks.
The injuries create another challenge for a defense that acknowledged communication breakdowns during the opener. With Overshown serving as a key communicator in the middle of the defense, Dallas will have to adjust how defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s calls are relayed on the field.
Schottenheimer said Wednesday that he does not expect communication to become a lingering problem as the Cowboys prepare for Washington.
Parker was active throughout Wednesday’s practice, moving around the field and communicating with members of his defensive staff as Dallas worked through its preparations for the Commanders.
The Cowboys are also evaluating who will take over Overshown’s communication responsibilities. Schottenheimer identified Dee Winters, Jaishawn Barham, Shemar James and veteran Curtis Robinson among the players who could be involved.
Dallas will need the adjustments to come quickly. Washington enters Sunday’s game at 0-1 after a 24-22 loss to Philadelphia, setting up a matchup between two NFC East teams trying to avoid an 0-2 start.
For the Cowboys, the focus is clear: clean up the communication, adjust to the defensive injuries and find a way to get their first win of the season in front of their home crowd.
