After Aaron Rodgers suffered a debilitating Achilles injury, the New York Jets’ chances of winning their upcoming game dwindled. What was poised to be an exhilarating showdown between the Jets and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2 turned into a rather lackluster affair due to Rodgers’ injury early in his Jets tenure.
The Jets’ starting quarterback, Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was unavailable. Interestingly, the third overall pick from that same draft, Cowboys’ quarterback Trey Lance, graced the field on Sunday.
The Cowboys made a clean sweep of New York in the first two weeks of the season, first taking down the Giants and then the Jets.
In their clash, the Cowboys defeated Zach Wilson’s Jets by a significant margin, 30-10, and it was far from a thrilling contest. Jets fans can’t help but wonder how different things would be if “Aaron” had avoided his Achilles injury.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Chargers fans (yes, they do exist) ponder whether Kellen Moore’s offense needs to score a whopping 100 points per game for their team to secure a victory.
One of the many offseason changes made by the Cowboys was head coach Mike McCarthy taking the reins as the primary playcaller, ousting Moore. This move was seen as both necessary and logical.
Moore had been part of the Cowboys’ staff since 2018, and his offensive strategies were starting to feel stale, reminiscent of Scott Linehan and Jason Garrett’s approaches. It was mutually beneficial for both parties to part ways.
In the first two weeks under McCarthy’s play-calling, the Cowboys’ offense displayed a noticeable shift, resembling McCarthy’s tenure as head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 2006 to mid-2018.
This era was marked by quarterbacks like Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, the use of multiple versatile running backs, the incorporation of fullbacks, the utilization of running backs in the passing game, versatile offensive linemen, and a focus on one A-list wide receiver. The result? Quicker ball release from the quarterback.
While it’s still early days, it’s too soon to determine if McCarthy’s play-calling will make a substantial difference for the team come January. The Cowboys’ offensive line has dealt with injuries, and their execution against both New York teams has been inconsistent, falling somewhere between good and great.
Cowboys guard Zack Martin acknowledged that they had done some positive things but fell short of scoring more touchdowns, particularly in Week 2 when they had multiple opportunities. Even though they managed to score 30 points, they could have easily exceeded 40 or even 50 with better execution and play-calling.
In Week 2, the Cowboys’ defense made the Jets look like a mirror image of the Giants. The Jets’ offensive struggles were evident, as they barely held onto the ball for 18 minutes, resorting to desperate plays throughout the game.
Back in Los Angeles, Kellen Moore’s Chargers were scoring plenty of points but struggling to secure wins, despite having one of the NFL’s brightest young quarterbacks in Justin Herbert. Moore’s Chargers had scored an impressive 58 points in their first two games, but their defense was a glaring weakness.
As Moore departed from the Cowboys, fans hoped that the head coach’s takeover of play-calling duties would resolve their offensive issues. Cowboys, tight end Jake Ferguson noted a stronger connection and a new approach to the offense, indicating that the change was not necessarily negative.
This fresh approach holds promise, but there is still room for improvement in the Cowboys’ offensive performance.
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