The Dallas Cowboys throttled the Jets, 30-10, on Sunday afternoon, reminding the guests from New York — as if any reminders have been wanted — of what the remainder of their season might seem like with out quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers lasted simply three official performs within the Jets’ season opener final week earlier than he tore his left Achilles’ tendon. The Jets (1-1) managed to drag off a 22-16 victory in additional time towards the Buffalo Payments because of their great protection and pounding run sport.
The Jets’ protection did its half Sunday, too, stopping the Cowboys (2-0) a number of occasions within the crimson zone and forcing Dallas to accept discipline objectives on 5 drives. However Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wore down the protection with brief passes to neutralize the Jets’ proficient defensive backs. He related with broad receiver CeeDee Lamb 11 occasions for 143 yards. Working again Tony Pollard caught one other seven passes for 37 yards and rushed for 72 yards on 25 carries.
In all, Prescott accomplished 31 of 38 makes an attempt for 255 yards and two touchdowns, thrown to tight ends Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker.
The Cowboys had the ball for greater than 42 minutes, ran 83 performs and transformed 9 of 18 third-down possibilities, leaving the Jets’ offense little likelihood to get going.
“Defensively, we simply couldn’t get off the sector,” Jets Coach Robert Saleh stated. “You possibly can’t get something going for those who don’t have the ball that a lot.”
Rodgers’s alternative, Zach Wilson, the second general choose within the 2021 draft, picked up the place he left off final season. Below stress all sport from Dallas’s fearsome entrance 4, Wilson was sacked 3 times and threw three fourth-quarter interceptions, because the Jets tried to nip away at a scoring deficit. Wilson completed with 170 yards on 12 of 27 passing, main the crew with 36 yards speeding. He was hounded all through the night time by Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who had 4 quarterback hits, together with two sacks.
Wilson’s few brilliant moments got here early and with the help of his teammates. Dallas took an early lead on Prescott’s first-quarter landing move to Ferguson, and added 3 factors on Brandon Aubrey’s 35-yard discipline purpose. Halfway by way of the second quarter, Wilson opened a drive from the Jets’ 32-yard line by discovering Garrett Wilson, the 2022 offensive rookie of the 12 months, on a play-action move. The receiver broke freed from a sort out and sprinted 68 yards into the top zone to slim the rating to 10-7.
Dallas adopted with a scoring drive of their very own, punctuating a 75-yard sequence with a 1-yard landing strike to Schoonmaker.
With 12 seconds remaining earlier than halftime and the Jets having pushed to the Cowboys’ 16-yard line, Zach Wilson nearly threw a second landing move to Garrett Wilson, who was broad open in the long run zone, however the ball was tipped by a Dallas defender and skidded effectively in need of its mark. The Jets settled for a discipline purpose to make the rating 18-10.
“It was so irritating,” Zach Wilson stated. “I used to be going to tear it to him on the entrance pylon.”
Finally, the Cowboys returned to the method that helped them upend the Giants, 40-0, final week in New Jersey. Prescott removed the ball rapidly and Pollard, who grew to become the crew’s high working again final season, saved the Jets from locking in on the move rush.
Parsons additionally stripped working again Dalvin Prepare dinner of the ball on the Jets’ second drive of the third quarter, short-circuiting their try to shut a scoring hole that had ballooned to 21-10.
Taking part in from behind and underneath stress, Zach Wilson threw interceptions on the Jets’ remaining three possessions. The primary of them, early within the fourth quarter, was picked off by Cowboys security Jayron Kearse, who returned the ball 32 yards to the Jets’ 17-yard line. The Cowboys added a discipline purpose to push their result in 30-10.
The ultimate two interceptions have been nabbed after the Jets approached midfield and the Dallas secondary sat again on Wilson’s throws. The matchup, like a lot of the Jets’ schedule earlier than Rodgers’s damage, had been an attention-grabbing measuring stick for a crew with newfound postseason hopes.
Saleh stated he didn’t suppose Sunday’s loss was the beginning of a protracted slide for the Jets, who’ve residence video games towards the division-rival New England Patriots and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the coming weeks.
“It gained’t snowball, it’s not going to snowball,” he stated. “That’s a very good soccer crew. They performed nearly as good as I really feel you could possibly.”
Sadly for Jets followers and the tv networks, the Jets, who have been hyped on HBO’s “Exhausting Knocks” through the summer time, might proceed to wrestle as they search for an offensive method that works with out Rodgers, the Corridor of Fame caliber quarterback they anticipated to guide them this season.
