3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 2 Win vs. Jets
The Dallas Cowboys completed their sweep of the NFL's two New York teams to start the 2023 NFL season with another dominant showing.
Dallas finished with a 30-10 win over the New York Jets in which its defense flexed its muscle again.
The Dallas defense limited the Zach Wilson-led Jets offense to 215 total yards and it made New York's rushing attack feel nonexistent.
The Cowboys offense produced a few new wrinkles on Sunday, as Dak Prescott got all of his tight ends involved in the red zone.
Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker both scored and the Cowboys tried to get Peyton Hendershot into the end zone as well.
Dallas does not carry any concerns about its play after two weeks, and the same statement should be made after Week 3 since it faces the Arizona Cardinals.
Defense Continues Strong Start
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Dallas' defense looks like the best unit in football through two weeks.
Micah Parsons and Co. held the Jets scoreless in three of the four quarters on Sunday. The only touchdown conceded was on a 68-yard pass play to Garrett Wilson.
The Cowboys did not allow the Jets to sustain many drives, and if Wilson did not have breakaway speed, they could have held the visitors without a touchdown.
New York started the game with 28 yards on three drives that resulted in punts. It had two punts and four turnovers in the second half.
The Dallas defense smothered the New York passing game as the visiting side got more desperate to score.
Jayron Kearse, Trevon Diggs and Malik Hooker all intercepted Zach Wilson in the second half to finish off another dominant victory.
Do not be surprised if Dallas continues its defensive tear in Week 3 against an Arizona offense that is susceptible to turnovers with Joshua Dobbs at the helm.
Tight Ends Get Involved in Red Zone
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Fantasy football players with Tony Pollard on their rosters were not fans of the Cowboys' red zone strategy.
Dak Prescott targeted the team's three tight ends for scoring plays. Two of them worked and the other failed.
Prescott picked out Ferguson for a four-yard touchdown pass to kick off the scoring and then he found Schoonmaker for a one-yard score in the second quarter.
The Cowboys tried to get Hendershot in the end zone on a running play in the second half, but that was snuffed out by the Jets defense.
Dallas needed to show some variety in its red-zone strategy because the Jets stuffed Pollard on a few occasions inside the 10-yard-line.
The Cowboys took advantage of the matchups with the tight ends to score touchdowns and open up the advantage before halftime.
CeeDee Lamb still led the team in receptions and receiving yards, but if the Cowboys can continue to find some variety in the red zone, the approach in that area of the field can be more successful instead of just relying on Pollard and Lamb to score all the touchdowns.
Brandon Aubrey's Stellar Start
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The Cowboys' kicker experiment with Brandon Aubrey could not have gotten off to a better start.
The former Major League Soccer draft pick went 5-for-5 on field goals on Sunday after his 2-for-2 start in Week 1.
Dallas has had its share of kicking issues over the last few years, so it has to be refreshing to see someone thrive in that role.
Aubrey nailed field goals from 35, 21, 55, 26 and 30 yards. Four of those kicks occurred in the second half to help the Cowboys pull away.
In previous seasons, the Cowboys might have been stuck with a vulnerable lead because of poor kicking.
Aubrey eased any concerns about the kicking game through two weeks, and if he continues to thrive at this rate, he will be one of the most important players to the Cowboys as they face tougher games and chase the NFC East title.
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