The Cowboys won big, but that doesn't mean they didn't have issues in their game against the Jets. Here's where they need to get better.
The better teams in the NFL don’t overlook poor play just because they won a game. The Dallas Cowboys crushed the New York Jets in a game that wasn’t as close as the 37-22 final score. The Cowboys had an unbelievable end of the half that broke the game open with two touchdowns in the final minute.
That contest is over, and now Dallas can’t just be excited about the good; they need to examine the poor parts of their performance and identify areas for improvement ahead of their matchup with the Carolina Panthers in Week 6.
Dallas must eliminate their penalty proclivities
The Cowboys' penalty problems have been consistent since their opening game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets also had a terrible game, with 10 penalties for 61 yards, while Dallas was worse in both categories, with 11 penalties for 91 yards. This team had been criticized for penalty issues under Mike McCarthy, but the Cowboys currently average more penalties per game under Brian Schottenheimer than they did in 2024.
The coaching staff must continue to work on the team's discipline in the future. The first improvement the defense can make is stopping the penalties that allow a team to get free yards and first downs.
Stop the three-and-out drives on offense
Dallas was up against the best defense in terms of forcing opposing offenses to go three-and-out, but the team has had this issue before facing the Jets. The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers both forced multiple three-and-out drives for the Cowboys as well.
Four such drives are how Dallas let New York hang around, especially when the Cowboys have been one of the worst defenses in the league. Not every drive will end with points, but with a weapon like Brandon Aubrey as a kicker, avoiding three-and-out greatly increases the chance of leaving the field with points.
Don’t continue the run defense slide
The Cowboys' run defense had shown some improvement statistically, but they have yet to become a top-20 team. That is survivable, but they can’t get worse, and they were at their worst against the Jets. Breece Hall ran for over 100 yards on only 14 attempts, over eight yards per carry. New York had a yardage advantage per rush than they did per pass reception, and that must improve with Rico Dowdle returning to Dallas, coming off an over 200-yard rushing game with a nine-yard-per-attempt average.
If the Cowboys can stop the Panthers from running the ball efficiently, Dallas will have an excellent chance of containing their offense overall.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 3 things Cowboys must fix from Jets game before facing Panthers
Category: Football
