EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Cowboys earned three of their longest plays from scrimmage this season, they recorded more sacks than we've seen all year, and they had several key turnovers.
But all games have those handful of plays that are easily forgotten but likely played a small part in the overall outcome. Let's look at five from Sunday's game that made a difference:
Jets accept penalty, Thomas TFL – On the Jets' opening possession, Justin Fields had a 5-yard run to the 1 on second-and-goal, and the Cowboys were flagged for offsides. But instead of declining the penalty and having third-and-goal from the 1, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn accepted the penalty, and the half-the-distance enforcement went to the 3 for second down. On the next play, Solomon Thomas made a tackle for loss, and then Dante Fowler deflected a pass on third down to force a field goal. Had they declined the penalty, it's likely the Jets run from the 1 on third down and probably fourth down as well if needed.
Luepke third down – The Cowboys had a few big conversions on the 90-yard scoring drive that started in the first quarter and was completed early in the second. But aside from a slant pickup on a George Pickens catch, the biggest play was a dump-off pass in the flat to fullback Hunter Luepke on third-and-10. Luepke was able to bulldoze his way for exactly 10 yards to move the chains. The Cowboys finished off the drive with a touchdown and a 10-3 lead.
Liufau forced fumble – This probably isn't a play that is forgotten, but let's include it because it absolutely changed the entire game. The Jets are down 10-3 and driving inside the 20-yard line late in the second quarter. Breece Hall broke off yet another big run, but this time linebacker Marist Liufau rocked him at the end of the play, jarring the ball loose. Sam Williams recovered the fumble at the 10, giving the Cowboys the ball. Who would've thought they still had two touchdowns left in them, but that probably doesn't happen if the Jets keep the ball and score either a touchdown or field goal. Without the fumble, it's conceivable this game is 10-10 at the half instead of 23-3.
Flournoy picks up first down – Right after the fumble recovery at the 10-yard line, the Cowboys immediately had a 5-yard penalty and were pinned back at their 5-yard line. The Jets were even calling timeouts to try to get the ball back with good field position. But on second-and-10, the Cowboys went back to the air and Dak Prescott hit Ryan Flournoy on a slant for first-down yardage across the 20-yard line. That changed the entire complexity of the drive and now the Cowboys went to work. Prescott hit Flournoy again for 46 yards that set up a touchdown and a 17-3 lead.
Split-sack before halftime – The Cowboys had just scored to grab a 17-3 lead with less than a minute to play and figured the Jets would make a push to score. But an incomplete pass by Fields left the door open for the Cowboys to get the ball back. And after James Houston and Kenny Clark dropped Fields for a huge loss on second down, the Cowboys called timeout to make sure they'd get the ball back. Once they made the third-down stop and forced a punt, Javonte Williams went to work with a 66-yard run that led to another Jake Ferguson touchdown and a commanding 23-3 lead.
