Commanders' brutal loss featured some surprising historic moments

ARLINGTON, Tx. -- Losing sucks. When you’re the Washington Commanders, losing to the Dallas Cowboys is worse.

When you’re the Commanders, losing to the Cowboys 44-22 is almost the worst thing imaginable. The only thing that might make it worse, in fact, is losing your franchise quarterback in the process.

We’ll have to wait and see if Washington will be without quarterback Jayden Daniels moving out of Week 7, and in the midst of all the wreckage left behind from the team’s latest loss to Dallas, we’re digging for nuggets of positivity as a new day dawns.

A Beacon of Hope on Defense

Defensive tackle Daron Payne has been a beacon of hope all year long. As a player, some weren’t sure he was destined for success in the new regime of the Commanders' leadership. Many were stunned to hear coaches singing his praises this offseason, but his play in the regular season has done nothing but prove those words true.

In Week 7, with the team already in danger of falling behind by two scores, Payne ensured the special teams' efforts to pin the Cowboys at their own one-yard line weren’t for nothing, securing a safety to score the first two points of the game for Washington.

It was the first for the franchise since 2022, another play made by Payne, giving the defensive tackle the most safeties secured in franchise history.

In addition, Payne also notched a career-high three passes defensed, including two coming on back-to-back plays, and became just the fourth defensive lineman to have as many in a game this year.

While his coaches have communicated that Payne sets the tone in the defensive line room, he did all he could on Sunday to keep his team alive in Dallas.