(Arlington) CeeDee Lamb started the Cowboys’ home opener without new sidekick Brandin Cooks, who injured his knee in his debut with the Dallas squad a week earlier.
The team’s number one receiver didn’t need much help.
Lamb set up Dak Prescott’s two touchdown passes with long plays, Brandon Aubrey made five field goals and the Cowboys defeated the New York Jets 30-10 on Sunday.
Zach Wilson threw three interceptions in his first start since Aaron Rodgers saw his season end due to an Achilles injury and the Cowboys (2-0) completed the sweep of New York teams.
The Texan team began its season by correcting the Giants, one of its rivals in the Eastern section of the National Association, 40-0, while the Jets (1-1) were coming back from an emotional overtime victory against the Bills of Buffalo, after Rodgers was injured on the fourth play with his new team.
“I like that we’ve done it different ways, it’s nice,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. I feel very good about that. We saw fundamental things on offense, defense and special teams. »
Lamb was at the top of the list.
The fourth-year receiver set a career high with 11 catches, including a 25-yarder that set up Jake Ferguson’s four-yard touchdown run on the Cowboys’ first possession.
Lamb’s other big catch, a 20-yarder, came on a sequence that followed a long 68-yard touchdown run by Garrett Wilson.
Rookie slotback Luke Schoonmaker took the opportunity to score his first career touchdown in the NFL, after a penalty to Brandin Echols which placed the Cowboys on the Jets’ line of one.
Prescott targeted Lamb so hard, 13 times in all, that it was almost too much. Sauce Gardner stepped in front of one of the Cowboys quarterback’s passes and could have had an interception returned for a touchdown before halftime, but the ball slipped through his hands.
“I know what I can do and I know the things I’m good at,” Lamb said. The show is not over. I prove to myself and I prove to my teammates that I am one of the best. »
Zach Wilson’s bomb to Garrett Wilson brought the Jets to within three points of the Cowboys in the second quarter. He then amassed 36 yards on the ground and his team added three points before halftime.
However, with the exception of Garrett Wilson’s touchdown, the Jets only amassed 147 yards, in addition to committing four turnovers in the second half.
The home team had possession for more than 42 minutes and made 83 offensive plays compared to 46 for the Jets.
“We saw almost 90 plays today and you’re going to run out of gas at some point,” observed Jets head coach Robert Saleh. We just didn’t give ourselves a chance defensively to get off the field and a chance for our offense to establish some rhythm. »
Prescott finished 31 of 38 passes for 255 yards. Tony Pollard had 72 yards rushing. Zach Wilson finished the game with 12 of 27 completions for 170 yards.