The New York Jets played their first game since Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury, and it didn’t go according to plan. In the second week of the season against the Dallas Cowboys, the Jets lost 30-10 on the road on Sunday.
Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers under center and the offense never managed to stack plays to move the ball consistently. While the defense wasn’t a letdown in the loss, there weren’t many positives to take away from the road defeat to the Cowboys.
Buy Jets TicketsAfter a lopsided loss to the Cowboys in Week 2, here are six of our immediate takeaways.
The Jets couldn't find a rhythm offensively with Zach Wilson at QB
Outside of a 68-yard touchdown to Garrett Wilson in the first half, the offense of the Jets didn’t generate much in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys. Wilson was under duress for the majority of the game at quarterback, but he also made a few mistakes with three interceptions.
The young signal-caller completed only 12 of his 27 attempts for 170 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in Week 2. Even though the Jets continue to express confidence in Wilson, it remains to be seen how long they can stick with him until they consider other options.
Dalvin Cook doesn't look explosive
The Jets elected to give Breece Hall the start on Sunday after he showed plenty of explosiveness in his first game back from a torn ACL in Week 1. Dalvin Cook also got touches in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys, and he wasn’t effective with the touches he received.
While Hall also didn’t create much with his touches either, Cook did look like a running back who was coming off shoulder surgery and is approaching the latter part of his career. The veteran back also lost a fumble in the 20-point defeat to Dallas, though, it was a stellar play by Micah Parsons that forced it.
Garrett Wilson needs more plays manufactured for him
The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year scored the lone touchdown for the Jets on Sunday on a quick pass from Wilson where he showed off his speed to evade defenders. Even with the long touchdown, Wilson finished with only 83 yards and a touchdown on two catches.
The second-year wideout exited the game with an injury in the second half, so it’s worth keeping tabs on his status moving forward. While the hope is Wilson is okay, Nathaniel Hackett and the Jets need to do a better job manufacturing plays for their star player to get the ball more with Rodgers sidelined.
The run defense played lights out
One of the positives in Sunday’s loss was the performance by the run defense. The Jets limited the Cowboys to 134 rushing yards on 44 attempts, allowing only three yards per attempt on the ground.
Quinnen Williams was disruptive from the interior, along with Al Woods and Quinton Jefferson. Through the first two weeks, New York’s defense has held its opponents to 231 rushing yards on 66 attempts (3.5 yards per attempt) and zero rushing touchdowns.
The Jets didn't have an answer for CeeDee Lamb
From the moment the game began, the Jets were unable to slow down what the Cowboys were doing with CeeDee Lamb. The electric wide receiver for the Cowboys brought in 11 of his 13 targets for 143 yards, including a few crucial plays on third down.
After allowing Stefon Diggs to record 10 receptions, 102 yards, and a touchdown in Week 1, the Jets now allow another No. 1 wideout for a team to have another productive showing in Week 2.
Micah Parsons is an unreal talent
It’s well-documented that the Jets couldn’t get anything going offensively and one player — Micah Parsons — made things even tougher. This is supposed to be a piece about the Jets, but Parsons was remarkable in Sunday’s matchup.
The All-Pro defender tallied four tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass breakup, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Parsons made a case for the best player in the NFL not named Patrick Mahomes in Week 2 and the Jets couldn’t do anything to slow down the former first-round pick.
