The Cowboys will visit the Jets for the first time since 2011 and only the sixth time in the last 40 years. However, it's not like they aren't familiar with MetLife Stadium, the home of the Giants, whom they face every year as division rivals.
So this game won't feel too different, even though there is unfamiliarity with the opponent. The Jets are 0-4 but getting Sam Darnold back in the lineup after he missed three games with mononucleosis. The Cowboys have lost two straight after a 3-0 start.
The DallasCowboys.com staff gives their 'gut feeling' for this Week 6 matchup.
Mickey Spagnola: Not sure why I believe this, but my gut says this won't be easy. No matter the Jets are 0-4. No matter they have the 32-ranked offensive in the NFL and are the 31-ranked scoring team in the NFL. They are due to win one at some point. Plus, the possibility still exists the Cowboys will have to play this game without their two starting offensive tackles, Tyron Smith and La'el Collins not practicing all week, though the Cowboys are holding out hope on Smith, listing him as no better than questionable with two days to go. That makes me queasy. Somehow they just need to win this game, and my gut doesn't care if it's only by one point. When you have lost two consecutive games, winning is the only thing that matters.
Bryan Broaddus: I don't see this as being an easy game. Are the Cowboys a better team on paper? Absolutely. But they're not a better team when they turn the ball over or don't play their run fits or miss chip shot field goals. This has been the issue the past two weeks and something needs to be done about it. To steal a Bill Belichick line: Do Your Job. This week the Cowboys need to do just that and get back to the things this team is capable of doing and that's playing fundamental football. I worry about Le'Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder along with an all-out Gregg Williams blitz. This game will not be a blowout, but the Cowboys will get a much-needed victory 24-17.
David Helman: Outside of the quarterback, I'm not sure if there's a position on a football team that's scarier to lose than the offensive tackle. The Cowboys are clearly a better team than the Jets on paper, but it might be hard to execute a game plan if their No. 3 and No. 4 offensive tackles are forced to start. Of course, we don't know that yet. It's entirely possible Tyron Smith or La'el Collins will play this game. But even if they play, they won't be 100 percent, and it does make you wonder just how pretty this is going to look. Fortunately, I think the talent edge is significant enough to carry the day. The Jets don't employ many good blockers of their own, and I think that should help Dallas do a much better job of limiting the run game. If the Jets can't score points, then the offense doesn't need to do a ton. I don't think this game is going to make anyone feel great, but it'll be enough. I look for Dak Prescott to throw three touchdowns, and the Cowboys will pull away in a 27-13 win.
Rob Phillips: The Cowboys won't, and shouldn't, take the Jets lightly. New York might be 0-4, but there's nothing like getting your most important player (Sam Darnold) back after a month. He should provide a lift and balance out a Jets offense that's been heavily reliant on star running back Le'Veon Bell. The Cowboys' defense has to be prepared for Bell not only as a runner but a receiver in the screen game. Offensively, I just think Dallas is due for a more efficient game. They piled up five plays of 20 yards or more in the first quarter alone against Green Bay but had no points to show for it. That'll flip this week in a Cowboys win.
Nick Eatman: It might be a knock on this team right now, but it's true. The Cowboys most certainly beat up on bad teams and I think that holds true again on Sunday against the Jets. Yes, getting Sam Darnold back will help them, and it should allow weapons such as Le'Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder to make plays. Still, the Cowboys will get back on track on both sides of the ball and win comfortably. I can see big days again for the receivers and look for Blake Jarwin to make some plays – he likes this stadium. I've got the Cowboys with five sacks, two interceptions on defense – and let's go with Xavier Woods with one of them. Give me the Cowboys in what might feel like a home game, winning 28-13.
