One word has spread throughout the Dallas Cowboys' defense this week as they prepare to play the Washington Commanders Sunday at AT&T Stadium: communication.

In Dallas' 28-20 season-opening loss to the New York Giants, the defense allowed 165 rushing yards, gave up three touchdown passes, and let Jaxson Dart complete 79.3% of his passes. New York converted 9 of 11 third-down opportunities. According to coach Brian Schottenheimer and coordinator Christian Parker, it all came down to a lack of communication.

"Calls were being made, they have to be louder, they have to be more decisive, but they have to be received," Schottenheimer said. Parker said the defense retooled walkthroughs and focused on verbal and nonverbal situations, especially with crowd noise expected at home.

"It's one poor performance. It's one loss that does not equal two," Parker said. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams added, "The things that we messed up on is easily fixed." The outing raised concerns about whether the defense resembles last season, when Dallas allowed a franchise-record 511 points. Parker responded: "This is the 2026 defense and it's our responsibility to fix our issues."