Desperately needing a win, many wondered just how this Dallas Cowboys team could in fact earn a victory with so many injuries hitting the starting lineup. Fortunately, though, they were playing the New York Jets.
Behind an explosive offense and a defense that had its best performance of the young season, the Cowboys dominated their hosts, 37-22.
Still, although New York was winless coming into the matchup, this wasn't going to be an easy affair for Dallas. Or at least that was the original thought, considering that four of the Cowboys' five starting offensive linemen were out injured. Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith did suit up in case of an emergency, but he spent the day resting on the sideline.
However, with Dak Prescott continuing his masterful play, there was seemingly no hiccup in the Dallas offense. The quarterback completed 18 of 29 passes for 237 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 127.4 passer rating.
Benefiting from Prescott's impressive play was second-year man Ryan Flournoy, who had more receiving yards in this game (114) than he did in all of his 2024 rookie season (102). Also heavily involved in the passing attack was a familiar face, Jake Ferguson. The tight end had seven catches for 49 receiving yards but also registered two scoring grabs. And Javonte Williams continued his successful campaign on the ground, finishing with 135 rushing yards, which marked his first time cracking the century mark in a Dallas uniform. In addition, he had a touchdown as well.
But an even bigger surprise than the offense overcoming its injuries was perhaps the play of the Dallas defense as Jets quarterback Justin Fields was sacked five times. He did throw for 283 yards and two touchdowns, but most of that came in garbage time with the game already decided.
Breece Hall's 113 rushing yards fueled a New York running game that went for 144 yards, but it wasn't nearly enough. Rookie linebacker Shemar James led the Cowboys with 15 tackles while James Houston was one of five players to record at least a half-sack, earning 1½.
Overall, in a penalty-fille game that saw a total of 21 flags thrown, the Cowboys outgained the Jets, 416 to 378, converted 46 percent of their third downs and were 3 of 4 in the red zone.
First Quarter
The Jets put together a lengthy drive to open the game, using 13 plays and over seven minutes of clock time to travel 66 yards to the Dallas 3-yard line. But there the Cowboys' defense stood strong, limiting the damage to a 25-yard field goal with New York going on top early, 3-0.
It would be the Jets' first and last lead of the game.
Forty of the Cowboys' 49 yards gained during their first possession came on a deep pass to Flournoy down the right sideline, but the team had to settle for a field goal of its own. Brandon Aubrey, the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September, continued his hot streak, getting the three points from 35 yards out to even the score after one quarter.
Second Quarter
The Cowboys then opened the second frame with a first-and-10 at the Jets' 47-yard line after Prescott beat the blitz with a quick slant to George Pickens for 14 yards, which in turn led to Dallas eventually getting its first touchdown of the game. To cap the 13-play, 90-yard drive, Ferguson hauled in a short pass and then raced to the goal line for the 26-yard score.
Late in the quarter, New York was knocking on the door again, holding a first-and-10 at the Cowboys' 23-yard line. But on the tail end of a 10-yard gain by Hall, Dallas linebacker Marist Liufau punched the ball out and teammate Sam Wiliams fell on the fumble to end the threat.
That gave Prescott and company just over two minutes to work with; they needed only 1:21. Despite a penalty backing the Cowboys up to their own 5-yard line, the quarterback made quick work of the Jets defense. He found Flournoy for gains of 10 and 46 yards with a 14-yard scramble himself in between.
Williams took care of the rest. He first went around the left end for an 11-yard gain and then came right back and went 5 yards around the right end for the score.
But the Cowboys weren't done yet. After the defense forced a quick three-and-out, Dallas got the ball back at its own 33-yard line with 29 seconds left. And that's when Williams broke through the line off left guard, bolted into the open field and scampered 66 yards before being knocked out of bounds at the 1-yard line. Prescott then connected with Ferguson again, the pair combing for their second touchdown of the day.
And while Aubrey saw his extra-point attempt doink off the right upright, the Cowboys still went into the break with a comfortable 23-3 lead.
Third quarter
Although the Cowboys offense couldn't keep the momentum going early in the second half, the team's defense made sure the New Yorkers didn't do much either. And when the unit stopped the Jets on fourth-and-1 at the Dallas 47-yard line, Prescott and his troops were set up with good field position to begin their next drive.
After Flournoy went around the left end for 10 yards on first snap of the series, Prescott went for it all on the next one. He threw deep to Pickens, who corralled the ball in the end zone for a big 43-yard touchdown. The rout was officially on, 30-3.
The Jets did manage to add three points to their scoreboard total before the end of the quarter. A six-play, 44-yard drive finished with a 48-yard field goal by Nick Folk, snapping the Cowboys' streak of 30 unanswered points.
Fourth Quarter
With the outcome essentially decided, there was nothing really left to do but play out the clock. The Jets did finally get into the end zone, thanks to a 10-play, 78-yard drive that first saw Fields complete a 16-yard pass to Hall on fourth-and-5 at the Dallas 17. The New York quarterback then connected with fullback Andrew Beck for the touchdown and followed that up with a pass to tight end Mason Taylor for the two-point conversion, the score now 30-14.
But when Jalen Tolbert recovered the Jets' onside-kick attempt, the Cowboys again had good field possession to begin a drive. And they took advantage. A short pass to Williams got Dallas back on the board and marked the 12th game in his career that Prescott has thrown at least four touchdown passes.
The Jets did add one more touchdown, although it was of course too little too late. A 9-yard pass from Fields to Garrett Wilson got New York in the end zone, and after picking up the two-point conversion, the day's scoring was done, 37-22.
