There have been multiple points in Dak Prescott’s career where missing just one starting offensive linemen was crippling for the entire offense around him. Sunday at the New York Jets was not one of those occasions whatsoever. In fact, down four starters up front, Prescott put up another MVP-caliber performance to give the Cowboys not only their second win, but a win they can build on in many positive ways. The fact this win came against the winless Jets is undoubtedly important context for judging it, but also has little to do with the way Dallas absolutely did what they had to do as the better team to impressively control this game and get to 2-2-1. There is a way to go about business as a team favorited to win on the road against a lesser opponent, and the Cowboys absolutely did that nearly from start to finish at the Jets.
Dallas turned a 10-3 second quarter lead into a 23-3 advantage before halftime, and even with the offense slowing down a bit in the second half, the defense stiffened up long enough for them to salt the game away at 37-14 late in the fourth. Coming off of a tie against the Packers that could have felt more like a win or a loss based on what the Cowboys did following it, the Cowboys coaching staff had a masterful game plan to look like far and away the better team against the Jets despite not having Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, CeeDee Lamb, or KaVontae Turpin.
This was the same Jets team that held a late fourth-quarter lead against the AFC North-leading Steelers in week one and same at the NFC South-leading Buccaneers in week three. They played a back-and-forth affair and lost by six at the Dolphins in week four. The Cowboys made them look every bit of the struggling winless team they still are at 0-5 now, a definitive win for first year head coach Brian Schottenheimer against fellow first year head coach Aaron Glenn.
Finding positives for the Cowboys after their tie against the Packers was convoluted, but the continued success of the offensive line as well as the overall level of preparation this team appears to have under their new coaching staff were two of them. Keeping those things as positives for a game the Cowboys can firmly place in the win column from Sunday afternoon is a great sign, and one that helps add a lot of context to where this team is with another favorable game on tap.
Let’s take a closer look at how a banged up Cowboys team got the job done and then some at the Jets.
The Cowboys missing KaVontae Turpin in this game opened the door for Ryan Flournoy to have his best game as a pro. The second-year draft pick was able to work both out of the slot and outside, doing his best work in the spot Turpin primarily lines up inside. Prescott missed some opportunities to hit the open Turpin last week against the Packers, as the smaller and shorter receiver that’s easier to miss compared to the much bigger and lankier Flournoy.
With 114 yards on six catches, Flournoy helped the Cowboys set the unlikeliest of records in the first half by being the first receiver with over 100 yards in the first half of a game where the team also had a 100-yard rusher through two quarters. Javonte Williams held up the other end of this record, finishing with 135 yards on the day.
Flournoy converted a 3rd-and-5 on the Cowboys’ first possession of the game working out of the slot, which eventually led to a Brandon Aubrey field goal. This was a big early moment for the Cowboys to settle into a game they’d eventually seize control of, as the Jets jumped ahead 3-0 on their opening drive – mainly by taking advantage of penalties. Matt Eberflus’ defense had a too many men on the field penalty for the second week in a row, as well as a costly offsides, but the great eraser that is pass rush showed up early and often to right this ship. Dante Fowler had easily his best game of the season, primarily rushing against the Jets’ backup left tackle, and made the play in the red zone to deflect a Justin Fields pass and hold the Jets to a field goal to start the game.
The Cowboys later taking their first lead on the first of two Jake Ferguson touchdowns was the type of drive coach Schottenheimer should frame a picture of in his office as a play-caller. This also happened to be the drive rookie running back Jaydon Blue saw his first action of the season, as the Cowboys continue to show offensive depth beyond just their line. Ferguson was used in a variety of ways throughout the drive that led to a wide open touchdown on the 13th play of an 85-yard march.
Ferguson was the motion man to make a key block on a nine-yard run by Williams on one play. After another inside catch by Flournoy, Ferguson was the lead blocker on a creative swing pass to Hunter Luepke for another first down. The only negative play from Ferguson on this drive was missing a block on a 3rd-and-1 handoff to Williams, but the physical runner was still able to slip through and move the chains. A subtle play like this was actually something the Cowboys took advantage of all game, with the Jets defensive line looking to be aggressive getting upfield, and the Cowboys out leveraging them for easy yardage numerous times. This is exactly what Ferguson did on his 26-yard run and catch for the go-ahead touchdown, and a lead the Cowboys would never lose.
The Cowboys getting their pass rush going did not stop with Fowler making the key play on their first defensive series. Now playing with the lead, the defense quickly got the Jets off the field on back to back sacks from Osa Odighizuwa and James Houston. The Cowboys not only gave Houston the bulk of snaps he’s earned in this game, but used him along with Sam Williams and at times Fowler as two-point stance rushers to get more pressure than at any previous point this season. The Cowboys defensive tackles with Odighizuwa, Kenny Clark, and Solomon Thomas have proved they can more than hold the line of scrimmage this season, as well as push the pocket, and using them to occupy blockers while the Cowboys’ edge rushers collapsed on Fields was a nice wrinkle to Eberflus’ game plan. The Cowboys defense was much more prepared for Fields thanks to this wrinkle in the front seven than they were against the mobile Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, where their second half adjustment was bringing pressure from the secondary to keep contain. Keeping their numbers in coverage while still getting pressure at the Jets led to a season-high five sacks.
Dallas may not have cashed in after getting the quick three and out with two sacks, but they did immediately after Marist Liufau forced a fumble to end a Jets drive that looked destined for points. New York had shown this season they are capable of hanging around games, but their biggest Achilles heel was also turnover differential. Liufau hunting for the ball and getting it out in this spot proved massive for these reasons, especially on a day the Cowboys offense was so methodical and careful with the ball themselves.
With the ball and the lead, the Cowboys offensive line playing with primarily backups made a huge statement off the turnover. Out of 12 personnel with both Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker on the field, Schoonmaker, Nate Thomas from left tackle, and Hakeem Adeniji from left guard made the key downfield blocks to spring Williams to the five-yard line. One play later, Williams ran the other way and picked up blocks from Ferguson and fullback Hunter Luepke to walk into the end zone. The Cowboys were up 17-3, but hadn’t quite tightened the screws enough defensively to make this lead feel completely safe. The following sequence would help open up the floodgates.
The Cowboys got yet another three and out thanks to a Kenny Clark sack, and got the ball back one more time for the offense with 29 seconds left in the first half. Williams ripped off the longest run of his career for 66 yards on the first play, again getting a key downfield block from Thomas out of the left tackle spot. The fact the Cowboys offensive line appeared to not even miss a beat and was as physical, sound, and in unison as they were making blocks on the second level was nothing short of amazing. Klayton Adams has more than earned his stripes in this facet of the game, and Schottenheimer’s ability to leverage the play of the offensive line, literally regardless of who is out there, is a huge deal.
Tyler Smith is one of the best left guards in football, especially at getting out in space and blocking on the second level, but playing for the first time all season Adeniji hardly looked out of place making these same blocks. The Cowboys offensive line was remarkable against a Jets team that, even in past down seasons, was known for having stout defensive lines. One play after Williams’ huge run, a play fake to Williams left Ferguson wide open for his second touchdown, and the Cowboys went to the locker room in full control up 24-3.
It would take three possessions into the second half for the Cowboys to tack onto this lead, but after two of the Cowboys best young defenders in Donovan Ezeruika and Liufau stopped Fields on fourth down, Prescott found Pickens for a 43-yard touchdown to solidify the rout at 30-3. The Cowboys not consistently being able to go to Pickens, who was matched up with the Jets best defender Sauce Gardner, was another wrinkle coming off the Packers game where Pickens dominated, but even this hardly bothered Prescott and the offense. Dallas was dialed in on this side of the ball better than they have been all year, not doing anything fancy and new but rather executing at their highest level with a ton of things they can build on. Best of all, an offense playing this way can continue to complement a growing defense. In two games without Lamb, they’ve scored 40 points in a tie and now beaten the Jets 37-22.
The Cowboys are early favorites to keep this momentum going and have their first winning streak under Schottenheimer next week versus the Carolina Panthers. Schottenheimer has to be riding high after beating the team he coached with way back in 2006 as a head coach that stood out night and day above another first time head coach here in 2025.
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