3 Takeaways from Jets' Week 2 Loss vs. Cowboys
The New York Jets experienced a full range of emotions in Week 1, beating the rival Buffalo Bills in overtime but losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the season to a torn Achilles. Week 2 always carried the potential for some sort of emotional letdown.
Week 2 also brought a daunting matchup with a Dallas Cowboys team that is expected to be among the NFC's top contenders. While the Jets survived Week 1, the Cowboys rolled in a 40-0 victory over the New York Giants.
The result was a lopsided loss that indeed let the Jets down in a big way. New York's celebrated defense couldn't contain Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys offense. Zach Wilson and the offense couldn't get nearly enough going to keep pace.
We're only two games into what will be a very long season, but after Sunday's 30-10 loss, it certainly feels like the Jets won't be true Super Bowl contenders without Rodgers. Here are our biggest takeaways.
Dalvin Cook Isn't Adding Enough to the Offense
The Jets added Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook late in the summer as a potential final piece to their Super Bowl puzzle. With Rodgers out of the picture, New York needs to be able to lean on Cook and the ground game.
Thus far, though, Cook hasn't looked or played like the upper-echelon talent he has been over the past four seasons. The 28-year-old averaged just 2.5 yards per carry against Buffalo—though he did have three catches for 26 yards—and was equally inefficient on the ground on Sunday against Dallas.
Cook finished with seven yards on four carries and one five-yard catch.
The Cowboys have a solid defense, and it's not as if the rest of the Jets offense was rolling against them. However, it certainly feels like Cook has either lost a step or is struggling to adjust to Nathaniel Hackett's offense.
The latter could be true, as Cook was a very late addition to this offensive lineup. However, New York must be at least a little concerned that Cook's best football is behind him—a concern that could explain his lengthy free-agency wait following his release from the Minnesota Vikings.
Zach Wilson Shows Positive Signs but Continues to Show Inexperience
A strong defense and a good ground game can deliver wins in the NFL. However, the best teams get consistently strong quarterback play.
Ever since Rodgers exited last Monday night's game, the question has been about whether Wilson could do enough to keep New York in contention. The 2021 second overall pick is still a work in progress, and that showed on Sunday.
Wilson did a few nice things. He appeared more comfortable in the offense than he did for most of 2022. He delivered a beautiful and precise pass on Garrett Wilson's 68-yard touchdown reception that hit the receiver in stride and did enough with his legs to keep Dallas honest early.
However, Wilson also had mistakes that Rodgers probably wouldn't make. He couldn't maintain an up-tempo offense late in the second quarter on a drive that ultimately ended on a field goal. He tried pressing in the second half and finished with three interceptions after the break.
Wilson was always an unpolished product, and he didn't get first-team reps during the summer. Yet, he's still making poor decisions that a third-year quarterback shouldn't be making, and that makes it hard to consider the Jets offense a legitimate threat.
The Defense Isn't Good Enough to Carry New York to the Super Bowl
There was still reason for Jets fans to believe in their team following Rodgers' injury. New York has productive playmakers like Wilson and Breece Hall, plus a defense with the potential to be great.
"I think we have the potential to be the best defense in the NFL and honestly I think we can be historical," cornerback D.J. Reed said before the season, per Peter Botte of the New York Post.
Against the Bills, New York's defense did look like one that could carry the Jets deep into the playoffs. It kept the Jets in the game and allowed them to reach overtime, where a Xavier Gipson punt return delivered the walk-off score.
However, the unit benefited greatly from the mistake-prone play of Bills quarterback Josh Allen (3 INTs, 1 fumble) in that game.
The Cowboys didn't make the sort of miscues that the Bills did, and as a result, they made that vaunted defense appear pedestrian.
Dallas finished with 382 total yards and no turnovers. It held the ball for more than 42 minutes of game time.
This is still a very good defense, as it was a year ago, when New York ranked fourth in both yards and points allowed. Yet, if the Jets can't start finding answers offensively, the defense isn't going to carry them on a deep playoff run.