The Dallas Cowboys throttled the Jets, 30-10, Sunday afternoon, reminding New York’s visitors — as if reminders were necessary — of what the rest of their season might look like without quarterback Aaron Rodgers .
Rodgers played just three official plays in the Jets’ season opener last week before tearing his left Achilles tendon. The Jets (1-1) were able to pull out a 22-16 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills thanks to their formidable defense and hard-hitting running game.
The Jets defense also did its part on Sunday, stopping the Cowboys (2-0) several times in the red zone and forcing Dallas to settle for field goals on five drives. But Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wore down the defense with short passes to neutralize the Jets’ talented defensive backs. He connected with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb 11 times for 143 yards. Running back Tony Pollard caught seven more passes for 37 yards and rushed for 72 yards on 25 carries.
In total, Prescott completed 31 of 38 attempts for 255 yards and two touchdowns, thrown to tight ends Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker.
The Cowboys had the ball for more than 42 minutes, made 83 plays and converted 9 of 18 third-down opportunities, giving the Jets offense little chance to get going.
“Defensively, we just couldn’t get off the field,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “You can’t do anything if you don’t have the ball a lot.”
Rodgers’ replacement, Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, picked up where he left off last season. Under pressure throughout the game from Dallas’ fearsome front four, Wilson was sacked three times and threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter, as the Jets attempted to overcome a scoring deficit. Wilson finished with 170 yards on 12 of 27 passing, leading the team with 36 rushing yards. He was hounded all night by Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who had four quarterback hits, including two sacks.
Wilson’s few shining moments came early and with help from his teammates. Dallas took an early lead on Prescott’s first-quarter touchdown pass to Ferguson and added 3 points on Brandon Aubrey’s 35-yard field goal. Midway through the second quarter, Wilson opened a drive from the Jets’ 32-yard line by finding 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson on a play pass. The receiver broke free from a tackle and sprinted 68 yards to the end zone to cut the score to 10-7.
Dallas followed with a score of its own, punctuating a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to Schoonmaker.
With 12 seconds left before halftime and the Jets driving toward the Cowboys’ 16-yard line, Zach Wilson nearly threw a second touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson, who was wide open in the zone goals, but the ball was deflected by a Dallas defender. and skidded well before his target. The Jets settled for a field goal to make it 18-10.
“It was so frustrating,” Zach Wilson said. “I was going to snatch it from him at the front pylon.”
Ultimately, the Cowboys returned to the formula that helped them beat the Giants, 40-0, last week in New Jersey. Prescott got rid of the ball quickly and Pollard, who became the team’s best running back last season, kept the Jets from stalling on the pass rush.
Parsons also stripped running back Dalvin Cook of the ball on the Jets’ second drive of the third quarter, short-circuiting their attempt to narrow a score gap that had ballooned to 21-10.
Playing from behind and under pressure, Zach Wilson threw interceptions on the Jets’ final three possessions. The first of them, early in the fourth quarter, was spotted by Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse, who returned the ball 32 yards to the Jets 17-yard line. The Cowboys added a field goal to increase their lead to 30-10.
The final two interceptions came after the Jets approached midfield and the Dallas secondary sat on Wilson’s throws. The game, like much of the Jets’ schedule before Rodgers’ injury, had been an interesting measuring stick for a team with renewed playoff hopes.
Saleh said he didn’t think Sunday’s loss was the start of a long slide for the Jets, who have home games against the division rival New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs in weeks future.
“It’s not going to snowball, it’s not going to snowball,” he said. “They’re a very good football team. They played as well as I think you could.
Unfortunately for Jets fans and the television networks, the Jets, who were hyped up by HBO’s “Hard Knocks” over the summer, may continue to struggle as they search for an offensive formula that works without Rodgers, the Hall of Fame caliber quarterback they were hoping for. lead them this season.
