By Jamal Baker
NDG Contributing Writer
The Dallas Cowboys dominated the New York Jets in a 37-22 victory Sunday afternoon at MetLife stadium.
Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns, and has looked like an MVP candidate so far this season.
Another shining star on offense was running back Javonte Williams, who rushed for a career-high 135 yards with a rushing and receiving touchdown.
Dallas was without wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, left tackle Tyler Guyton, left guard Tyler Smith, right guard Tyler Booker, center Cooper Beebe and slot wide receiver KaVontae Turpin yet the offense still put on a dazzling performance.
“There’s not many teams in the league that can put four guys who don’t start into the game and feel confident about going and winning a game, especially on the road against one of the most premier interior defensive lineman (Quinnen Williams) and some good rushers as well,” Prescott said. “So, credit from the front office of getting these guys, but just as important, these guys don’t see themselves as backups, as they shouldn’t.”
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer and his staff also deserve credit for developing a phenomenal gameplan and putting players in positions to succeed. The NFL has always been about the next man up, and the Cowboys have certainly successfully adopted that culture.
Wide receiver Ryan Flournoy was a prime example of stepping up to the plate and taking advantage of your opportunity. The Southeast Missouri State product amassed 114 receiving yards on six catches.
“Man, all glory to God, first and foremost,” said Flournoy. “Without Him, I wouldn’t even be here and have this opportunity to go out and do what I love, man. It’s special, you know? And the way I play, I play for Him. It’s in Colossians 3:2, that in whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, and that you are working for the Lord, not for men.
“And that’s just how I go out and play every Sunday.”
The phrase “Let your apology be as loud as your disrespect” is a phrase that comes to mind when analyzing the performance of this Cowboys defense against the Jets.
The Dallas defensive unit finally showed signs of promise and hopefully they can build off their most recent outing.
The Cowboys allowed the least number of points they have all season and had a consistent pass rush that clearly affected quarterback Justin Fields.
“We’ve got a lot of rushers,” defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. “Like I’ve been saying the previous weeks, our offense has been humming, if we can get some stops and get more teams to truly just drop back, you’re going to see more numbers like that. We’ve got to just keep doing that.”
Clark’s impact may not jump out on the stat sheet, but the former UCLA Bruin was disruptive all afternoon and had half a sack.
Dallas recorded a season-high five sacks, 14 quarterback hits and a forced fumble.
“It’s just been a long road, and we’ve been continuously just getting better,” Clark said. “It all starts with practice, with how we walk through and everything. Just our process of what we’re doing. We’ve just got to keep that going and keep holding each other accountable. We’ve got a lot of playmakers, and the more we do that, we can start making more plays on the field.”
One of the playmakers Clark was referencing is defensive end James Houston, who finished with 1.5 sacks Sunday and currently leads the team with 3.5.
The Cowboys did however give up 180 rushing yards, including 135 to Breece Hall. With it being their first game of the season allowing 100 or more yards to a single rusher, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt—for now.
The Cowboys are scheduled to face the Carolina Panthers at noon Sunday at Bank of America Stadium as they look to continue their positive momentum.
