Grading the Jets’ 30-10 loss against the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.
The Jets could get nothing going for most of the day. They had one big play and one decent drive, and the rest of the game was a mess. QB Zach Wilson (12 of 27, 170 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 38.1 QB rating) did not kill the Jets, but he also gave no reason to believe he has drastically improved from last year. In Wilson’s defense, the offensive line did nothing to help him. He was under siege all day as the Jets had no answer for Cowboys star Micah Parsons (2 sacks, 4 QB hits). The running game was nonexistent. Breece Hall (4 rushes, 9 yards) and Dalvin Cook (4 rushes, 7 yards, 1 fumble) never established themselves on the ground. The Jets went 1-for-10 on third down.
Grade: F
It looked like Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (31 of 38, 255 yards, 2 TDs, 112.2 QB rating) was going to complete every pass he threw early. He completed his first 13. WR CeeDee Lamb (11 catches, 143 yards) beat up the vaunted Jets secondary. The defensive line only sacked Prescott once, and the Jets could not get off the field, allowing the Cowboys to convert 50 percent of their third downs. CB Sauce Gardner could have swung the game if he caught a Prescott pass that hit his hands. Instead, he dropped it, and the Cowboys scored a touchdown on the drive.
Grade: D
The Jets ran a fake punt, and it may have been the highlight of the game. It was a gutsy call on fourth-and-1 at their own 19, and Ashtyn Davis got the 4 yards for the first down. Kicker Austin Seibert made his one field-goal attempt after signing on Saturday. Punter Thomas Morstead hit a 58-yard punt.
Grade: B
This loss was not on the coaches. The Jets were outmanned. The Cowboys were the much more talented team. However, there were some troubling things. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett seemed to have no plan for Parsons. How about a double team? Hackett was unable to find anything that worked to get his offense into a rhythm. Defensively, Jeff Ulbrich’s unit gave up 382 yards and had no answer for Lamb.
Grade: D