Dallas and Dak Have Their Way with Jets' Highly-Touted Defense

Eye-popping numbers from the Cowboys, who dominated time of possession and third-down efficiency in Week 2 rout

It wasn't the type of performance that one expects from an "historical" defense.

After pressuring Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen into four turnovers in a season-opening Monday Night Football victory, the New York Jets' defense had difficulty getting off the field during a 30-10 defeat to the Dak Prescott-led Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. 

Gang Green watched their opponent run 83 offensive plays, the most by any team in 14 games that have been played in Week 2.

Prescott engineered five scoring drives that lasted at least 12 plays apiece in the wire-to-wire victory. The Cowboys scored at least six points in all four quarters while possessing the ball for a staggering 42:15.

“It’s really disappointing. I think they were 50 percent on third down," said Jets' third-year head coach Robert Saleh.

Dallas methodically marched the field by converting in key spots, succeeding on 9 of 18 third-down attempts. The nine third-down conversions tied for the second most in the NFL this week through 14 completed games.

"Just getting the ball out really fast. They had a great scheme," said Jets' All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams about the Cowboys' success. "We gotta go look at the film and learn how to get better."

Operating at an 81.6 completion rate, Prescott went 31-of-38 passing for 255 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with nine different receivers over the course of the win.

"I thought he played with really good patience, and that’s what you got to do against a defense of that caliber," said Cowboys' head coach Mike McCarthy.

The Cowboys' field general moved the chains six times with third-down completions. Prescott twice converted third-down attempts by rushing past the sticks.

Receiver CeeDee Lamb seemed to routinely find the holes in the Jets' secondary. Targeted 13 times by Prescott, Lamb made 11 receptions for 143 yards. Seven of his 11 catches resulted in first downs for the Dallas offense.

Cowboys' WR CeeDee Lamb (88) makes a catch against Jets' CB D.J. Reed (4) / © Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Gang Green sacked Prescott only once and the unit was unable to record a single takeaway.

"Sauce [Gardner] had a chance. We had a couple of chances at an interception," said Saleh. "One of them would have been a pick six. Probably would have changed the entire outlook of the entire game. Sauce got the ball out on one, they recovered it."

After a 31-yard completion to Lamb late in the first quarter, Gardner stripped the receiver downfield but the ball was recovered by Cowboys' center Tyler Biadasz. Dallas proceeded to get a field goal out of the drive, bumping its lead to 10-0.

Later in the first half, Gardner failed to snatch a potential interception on a pass intended for Lamb. With the Cowboys facing a 2nd-and-3 from the Jets' 47-yard line, Prescott tried  a short pass to the right sideline but Gardner jumped the route. The Jets' All-Pro cornerback just missed grabbing the ball out of the air and racing the opposite way.

"Like the pick that I dropped. I was thinking about scoring and staying inbounds more than catching the ball," said Gardner. "So, I know what I have to do. I got to help the defense."

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