The Washington Commanders are looking to bounce back on the road against NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.

The NFC is stacked with playoff teams this season, so the Commanders may need to win the division, which is wide open, to have a shot at the playoffs. Jayden Daniels will have vengeance on his mind against the worst defense in the league, but the Commanders’ own defense will make this a shootout.

I asked A to Z Sports Dallas beat writer Mauricio Rodriguez about the key matchups within the game that look to be yet another classic.

1) Dallas’ defense is obviously the weakest link of the team. Where do you see Jayden Daniels finding success on Sunday?

“Anywhere he wants, to be honest. The Cowboys’ defense has been unable to get anything going versus the run or the pass. But two things are clear. I think the Commanders would be wise not to abandon the run, as Dallas defenders have shown terrible gap integrity, miss tackles, and take poor angles. But when throwing the football, Daniels and the Commanders should zero in on Donovan Wilson, a former box safety that Matt Eberflus insists on using as a cover-first safety.

“The Cowboys have paid dearly for that mistake, and I bet Washington comes out looking for him. Hopefully, Dallas changes its look, however. Daniels should also target the Cowboys’ outside cornerbacks, as the secondary has had communication issues and plenty of busted coverages,” – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports Dallas

We know Daniels is the ultimate competitor and will want to bounce back from his two turnovers on Monday night. He put the blame on himself, and he will be motivated to lead the team to a win against the Cowboys, and he will have plenty of opportunities. The Cowboys have the worst defense in the league, allowing 411 yards per game.

2) Javonte Williams has had his career revived in Dallas this season. What’s been the biggest surprise with his success?

“The easy answer is that he can break tackles and force missed tackles. Williams isn’t a home run threat — though he has had big gains at times — but where he’s truly shone is in his ability to avoid negative plays. The Cowboys’ run scheme is multiple for the first time in many years, which helps.

“But Williams has turned tackles for loss into small gains consistently, and that’s allowed the Cowboys to make life easier on Dak Prescott. Williams is a reminder that sometimes players can look totally different when healthy, and it seems like that was really the issue with him the last couple of years.” – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports Dallas

The Commanders’ run defense has been much improved this season, but last week was a major step backward. The Chicago Bears had their best rushing game of the season with 145 yards on the ground. The defense has to step up, and that starts in the trenches on Sunday.

3) CeeDee Lamb could be coming back this week, with George Pickens already thriving lately. Do you see them meshing well together if he returns?

“Absolutely. Pickens is more of an outside wide receiver anyway, and Lamb plays his best football out of the slot. Though I will say Pickens was actually used in the slot a little more than usual in last week’s 168-yard performance. We’ve already seen them mesh well together, and Lamb’s time away served as the perfect opportunity for Pickens and Prescott to get on the same page. Doubling Lamb will not be as easy with the way Pickens is playing, and teams that want to double both will have to deal with the Cowboys’ run game with light boxes.” – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports Dallas

The secondary has been a liability for the majority of the season, and it will have its hardest test yet on Sunday, with Lamb looking to come back from injury, and with Pickens cooking with Prescott. Changes have to be made if the defense comes out and looks the same in a crucial game.

The Cowboys have the second-most passing yards per game in the league with 270. This looks like a shootout, and the team that can get turnovers will win.