ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys throttled the Jets, 30-10, on Sunday afternoon, reminding the guests from New York — as if any reminders had been wanted — of what the remainder of their season might appear to be 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 tug off a 22-16 victory in extra 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 instances within the purple zone and forcing Dallas to accept subject objectives on 5 drives. However Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wore down the protection with brief passes to neutralize the Jets’ gifted defensive backs. He related with broad receiver CeeDee Lamb 11 instances 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 mentioned. “You may’t get something going in case you don’t have the ball that a lot.”
Rodgers’s substitute, Zach Wilson, the second general choose within the 2021 draft, picked up the place he left off final season. Below strain all sport from Dallas’s fearsome entrance 4, Wilson was sacked thrice 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 staff 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 go to Ferguson, and added 3 factors on Brandon Aubrey’s 35-yard subject 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 yr, on a play-action go. The receiver broke freed from a deal with and sprinted 68 yards into the top zone to slender 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 virtually threw a second landing go to Garrett Wilson, who was broad open ultimately zone, however the ball was tipped by a Dallas defender and skidded nicely wanting its mark. The Jets settled for a subject purpose to make the rating 18-10.
“It was so irritating,” Zach Wilson mentioned. “I used to be going to tear it to him on the entrance pylon.”
In the end, the Cowboys returned to the system that helped them upend the Giants, 40-0, final week in New Jersey. Prescott removed the ball rapidly and Pollard, who turned the staff’s high operating again final season, saved the Jets from locking in on the go rush.
Parsons additionally stripped operating 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.
Enjoying from behind and beneath strain, 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 subject purpose to push their result in 30-10.
The ultimate two interceptions had 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 harm, had been an fascinating measuring stick for a staff with newfound postseason hopes.
Saleh mentioned he didn’t suppose Sunday’s loss was the beginning of an extended slide for the Jets, who’ve dwelling 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 mentioned. “That’s a very good soccer staff. They performed pretty much as good as I really feel you would.”
Sadly for Jets followers and the tv networks, the Jets, who had been hyped on HBO’s “Arduous Knocks” through the summer season, might proceed to wrestle as they search for an offensive system that works with out Rodgers, the Corridor of Fame caliber quarterback they anticipated to guide them this season.
