The Dallas Cowboys took down the Jets, 30-10, on Sunday afternoon, reminding visitors from New York — as if they needed any reminding — what the rest of their season might look like without quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers lasted just three official games in the Jets’ season opener last week before tearing his left Achilles tendon. The Jets (1-1) managed a 22-16 overtime win against the Buffalo Bills thanks to their terrific defense and playmaking.
The Jets’ defense did its part Sunday as well, 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.
Overall, Prescott completed 31 of 38 attempts for 255 yards and two touchdowns, to tight ends Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker.
The Cowboys had the ball for more than 42 minutes, ran 83 plays and converted 9 of 18 third-down opportunities, giving the Jets offense little chance to get started.
“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 that much.”
Rodgers’ replacement, Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, picked up where he left off last season. Under pressure all game from Dallas’ formidable front four, Wilson was sacked three times and had three interceptions in the fourth quarter as the Jets tried to cut into the scoring deficit. Wilson finished with 170 yards on 12-of-27 passing, leading the team with 36 yards rushing. He was hounded throughout the night by Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who had four quarterback hits, including two sacks.
Wilson’s few bright moments came early and with the help of his teammates. Dallas took an early lead in the first quarter on Prescott’s touchdown 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 Garrett Wilson, the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year, on a play-action pass. The receiver broke free from a tackle and sprinted 68 yards into the end zone to make it 10-7.
Dallas followed with a score of its own, capping a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard strike to Schoonmaker.
With 12 seconds left in the half and the Jets driving to the Cowboys’ 16-yard line, Zach Wilson nearly threw a second pass to Garrett Wilson, who was wide open in the end zone, but the ball was intercepted by a Dallas quarterback. and slipped well short of his mark. The Jets settled for a field goal to make it 18-10.
“It was so frustrating,” Zach Wilson said. “I was going to rip it off him on the front pillar.”
Finally, the Cowboys returned to the formula that helped them blow out the Giants, 40-0, last week in New Jersey. Prescott was quickly disentangled from the ball and Pollard, who became the team’s leading back last season, kept the Jets from locking up in the pass rush.
Parsons also stripped Dalvin Cook of the ball on the Jets’ second drive of the third quarter, short-circuiting their attempt to close a 21-10 deficit.
Playing from behind and under pressure, Zach Wilson threw interceptions on the Jets’ final three possessions. The first of those, early in the fourth quarter, was picked off by Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse, who returned the ball 32 yards to the Jets’ 17-yard line. The Cowboys added a field goal to push their lead to 30-10.
The final two cuts were taken after the Jets approached midfield and the Dallas secondary sat back on Wilson’s throws. The game, like much of the Jets’ schedule before Rodgers’ injury, was an interesting measure for a team with new postseason 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 rivals New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs in the coming weeks.
“It won’t snow, it won’t snow,” he said. “They are a very good football team. They played as well as I think you could.”
Unfortunately for Jets fans and television networks, the Jets, who were featured on 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 quarterback who they expected him to lead them this season.
