The Cowboys improve to 2-2-1 on the season.
DALLAS — While the offense has been solid and methodical, moving the ball down the field on one of the best defenses in the NFL, it was the Cowboys’ defense that stood out in the first half. Especially considering how much they’ve struggled through the first four games of the season.
The Dallas Cowboys led the New York Jets 23-3 at halftime.
James Houston, Osa Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark combined to sack Justin Fields three times in the first half. James Houston had 1.5 sacks and leads the team in sacks with 3.5 on the season. The Cowboys’ defense also forced a turnover in the first half, when Marist Liufau forced a Breece Hall fumble and Sam Williams recovered it.
They have held the Jets to 141 total yards, with 98 rushing yards and 43 passing yards. They have held Justin Fields to a passer rating of 71.7. Compare that to Dak Prescott’s passer rating of 132.6 through the first two quarters.
Offensively, the Cowboys were effective both running the ball and throwing it. Ryan Flournoy led the receivers with 104 yards on five catches after the first half. Tight end Jake Ferguson had both of the Cowboys’ receiving touchdowns in the first half.
Javonte Williams was excellent in the ground game, rushing for 108 yards in the first half while also scoring his fifth touchdown of the season. That is a new career high for the Cowboys’ starting running back.
Coming into this game, Dallas was second in the NFL in two-minute offense, with the Cowboys having scored 20 points on drives that had started with two minutes or less in either half or overtime. In the first half, they made it 34.
With the Cowboys starting at their own 9-yard line at the 2:00 mark in the first half, Dak Prescott led a 91-yard, 1:21-minute drive that resulted in a touchdown. After the Cowboys’ defense forced a three-and-out on the next Jets’ possession, the Cowboys again scored thanks to a 66-yard Williams rush set up a Ferguson 1-yard touchdown reception.
The Cowboys’ offense came out after halftime and went three-and-out to start the second half, with a 3rd and 3 incompletion toward Javonte Williams leading to a quick punt. But the Jets were unable to capitalize.
One good run by Breece Hall picked up 17 yards. But then Dante Fowler blew up a 2nd down run from Hall on the next set of downs, leading to a 4-yard loss, and on 3rd and 8, Dallas sacked Fields for the third time on the day, forcing a Jets punt.
Dallas would pick up a single first down on their next possession, but would have to punt on the next set of downs, amassing just 12 yards on the six-play possession, and playing the field position game again, punting it away to the Jets.
Then the Dallas defense would make a big stop. After New York picked up one first down, they wound up in a 4th & 1 situation. With about 18 inches to get for the first down, Fields changed the play at the line of scrimmage, rolled to his left and had Marist Liufau in his face. Fields tried to jump and make the throw, but couldn’t connect, and Dallas created a turnover on downs.
It took Dallas just two plays to find the endzone and put the game away. A Prescott to George Pickens 43-yard touchdown pass on a bomb up the middle of the field made it 30-3 Dallas with 4:33 to play in the 3rd quarter, and Dallas was well on their way to their second win of the year.
The Cowboys improve to 2-2-1 on the year – technically a .500 mark. The tie officially counts as half a win and half a loss, so Dallas is technically 2.5-2.5.