ARLINGTON, Texas — The improvement by the Dallas Cowboys offense was more than noticeable, it was glaring as they outshot the Washington Commanders in their convincing 37-20 win at AT&T Stadium to move to 1-1 on the season.

Bullet dodged. Insert Neo's gif from The Matrix gif.

The miscues that cost them the season opener against the New York Giants — i.e., penalties, drops — were mostly nowhere to be found in Week 2, and Dak Prescott went on to rain (Rayne?) on the Commanders defense to the tune of four passing touchdowns that also pushed him past Tony Romo as the franchise’s all-time leader in that category.

It wasn't a flawless showing, considering the inability to get Javonte Williams and the ground attack going outside of Prescott's legs, but it served as a much-needed reminder of what the Cowboys' offense has been and can again be.

"Yeah, we definitely played better. We started faster," said the All-Pro quarterback and all-time leader in Cowboys' passing touchdowns. "That was the biggest thing, coming from last week to this week … I said it before we took the field, and I think I just kind of echoed it for the whole first quarter: we have to start fast. The only thing I care about right now is the focus and the effort, start fast, and everything else will follow.

"The guys did exactly that. Coming out and getting a touchdown on the first drive was huge, and it allowed our defense to play to their strengths and do what they wanted to do. I think that was a huge start to the game. If we start fast, we're gonna put ourselves in a great position."

The recipient of Prescott’s record-setting touchdown was CeeDee Lamb, the All-Pro receiver himself getting off to a blazing start on Sunday, racking up 94 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone en route to finishing with 153 yards and two touchdowns.

That QB-WR connection remains one of the best in the NFL.

"That was crazy to find out," Lamb said about Prescott's record. "It was obviously a lot of emotion. We needed to close the game out. I'm happy he relied on me to make that play."

He then added that the Cowboys raised their eyebrow at the Commanders' decision to defer to the second half after winning the coin toss.

"Honestly, personally, I take offense that they want to put our offense out first, like we're not who we are. So, from now on, I feel like we've just got to control the narrative, and control what we can do," Lamb said. "If they give us the ball first, we'll go score first."

Another key contributor in nearly hanging 40 points in the home opener against a bitter division rival was tight end Jake Ferguson, who found the end zone not once, but twice — he and Lamb splitting the touchdown tally on Prescott's historic day.

"Feels great [to get back in the end zone], and feels great to get back in the win column," said the two-time Pro Bowler. "That's a full team effort right there — all three phases. … I think that just goes back to the offseason when there might not be many guys in town, but we were still throwing routes. We were figuring it out.

"I grabbed [Ryan Flournoy] after this game and said, 'That's all those routes we were running in April, in our free time.' I think that just shows we've been putting in a lot of work on the connection and the brotherhood that we're trying to build here. We've got a lot to do, but that's just what we're striving for."

That sentiment was echoed loudly by former first-round pick Tyler Guyton.

Guyton hasn't allowed a sack through the first two games of the 2026 season, keeping Prescott's blindside clean, and with the majority of his reps being one-on-one with no tight end chip block assistance. Now fully healthy, supremely confident and also playing an impact role in helping to lift Prescott into the history books, and the Cowboys into the win column, Guyton isn't mincing words.

"In the NFL, the margin for error is small, and we need every win that we can possibly get to help us in the future, so this [and every win] is the biggest win we could possibly get. I can only do my part, and I have a great team around me, and there's a lot of amazing players in this team.

"And when you've got a leader like [Prescott], sh-t becomes a lot easier than it would have been if we didn't, so it's a swagger thing, bro. We lost one, but we bounced back. And that's what the f-ck we do. There was no question that we're going to win that game. We had no doubt in our mind, and all we got to do is go out there and execute."

Another big test awaits the Cowboys when they travel internationally this week to face Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, and Dallas' defense will be pushed to the limit and, at times, beyond it. That means Prescott and the offense will be looked upon to keep the good times rolling, and that also means not simply having a fast start and a fast finish, but keeping that intensity for four full quarters.

They had a bit of a lull against the Commanders before finding top gear again, and Prescott understands that can't happen going forward, because every possession matters — especially as the defense works through injuries and growing pains.

"It's one play at a time, and I echo that," he said. "Those guys know that, but it's just human nature. You get up a couple of touchdowns, you get a couple of scores, and it may not be the whole group, it may not be everyone; but [instead] a player here, a player there kind of letting off the gas a little bit and it shows this in a game where all 11 [players matter].

"I just think that was an example of that. We talked, as we do, and we've got great leaders and guys that take a lot of pride in their jobs. There weren't a lot of conversations or words needing to be said, and we got it back going. Don't let off the gas, because sometimes, when you do, you put yourselves in a much tougher situation than you want to be in."

Having been on the receiving end of more than his fair share of those tough situations over the course of his 11-year career, Prescott isn't too keen on experiencing any more of them when it's tied to something very much in the Cowboys' control.

"In the NFL, the ball bounces a funny way, and now you're sick, you know?" he added. "Just continue to play one play at a time and just trust the process."

That said, tossing four touchdowns and scoring 37 points in an imperfect outing bodes exceedingly well for the offense in their bid to return to being the No. 1 unit in the league, or GOTI, the acronym they gave themselves during the summer.

So, yes, Neo dodged the bullets in Week 2, and now the Cowboys need their process to permeate all three phases of the game, so they can finally lay claim to the Trinity of football.