The Cowboys kick off week two against the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon, but it looks slightly different.
We all thought Aaron Rodgers would be behind center.
Instead, it will be Zach Wilson after a torn Achilles tendon has ended Rodgers's season; with that said, this will be a defensive grind-out game for both teams.
That side of the ball is excellent.
The Cowboys will win this game, but they should not take them lightly. Below are my keys to victory against the Jets on Sunday.
Stick to the Game plan
Do exactly what got you a 40-0 victory last Sunday night.
Play great defense and take care of the football on offense. Say what you want, but they did what they needed to win in a night game with pouring rain.
They ran the football effectively, did not turn it over, and hit a handful of big plays to move up and down the field.
They do this again, even against the Jet's great defense. Dallas has more on offense than what the Jets have to win the game.
Stay away from Penalties
It was a welcome site not to see the Cowboys get flagged up and down the field last week.
They only had five for 35 yards. Yes, you read that right.
The Cowboys did not put themselves behind the sticks or extend drives for the Giants. Those are huge because last year they did it all the time.
Coaching matters, and Mike McCarthy, at least for the first game, ensured they did not hurt themselves.
A huge bonus.
Pressure Zach Wilson
The Jets offensive line is not good.
Wilson will be running for his life if they have any pressure they had last week.
When Wilson is pressured, he throws passes at 25%.
With Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, and DaRon Bland, you are bound to make Wilson make a mistake, and this defense will make him pay.
Say what you want, the Cowboys are not going to lose this game.
They will stick to the same game plan they had last week, make smart plays, not hurt themselves with penalties, and make the life of Wilson hell.
They do all those, and Dallas wins 23-10.
Both defenses are stellar, but the Dallas offense is just to good not to pull away in this game.
Jets will keep it as close as they can, but Dak Prescott won't give the ball away FOUR times like Josh Allen did.
Funny how that works, huh?
The game won't be a walk in the park, but the Cowboys have one of the better teams in all of football.
The Jets defense will be a good test, but with the game at home, and no Aaron Rodgers, and their kicker Greg Zuerlein with a hurt groin, Dallas has all the leverage on their side.
Brandin Cooks and a few others found themselves on the injury report, but no real threat of him not playing.
Tyler Smith also did some more work this week, but his status is still up the air.
Cowboys start the season 2-0.
