The Cowboys will take on the Jets in their home opener at AT&T Stadium, looking for their first 2-0 start since 2019. Here's what the staff writers had to say about Sunday's game against the AFC opponent.
Patrik Walker: Get ready for a back-alley brawl between the Cowboys and the Jets, despite the absence of Aaron Rodgers. It's easy to believe the Cowboys will mentally turn down a bit when faced with Zach Wilson, but that's not the energy in the building and especially not in the locker room. Micah Parsons and all of Dan Quinn's weapons want to outshine the Jets defense, and if they can stop Breece Hall (who's nursing a knee injury) and Dalvin Cook, they'll have a chance to repeat what they did against the Giants. The game will ultimately come down to Dak Prescott and the offense, who'll need to get cooking against a dominant Jets' defense; and I believe they can and will, but not easily. 24-6, Cowboys
Nick Eatman: The injury to Aaron Rodgers doesn't change the excitement of this game at all for me. This is one reason why I never put too much emphasis on the schedule when it comes out. It's still Week 2 and the matchup isn't what we initially expected. But then again, who cares? The Jets would've been a tough opponent for the Cowboys last year because of their defense and that hasn't changed. I think the Cowboys will have some issues moving the ball at times, but that won't be a reason to be alarmed about the offense. It'll be that type of game but I'm expecting Tony Pollard to get some runs on the edge and perhaps get close to his first 100-yard game of the season. The tight ends will redeem themselves because this is the type of defense that should allow for them to catch the ball. I think the Jets will be tougher than the Giants for sure, but I like the Cowboys to win, 24-13.
Kyle Youmans: Last week was an outlier. 40-0 was historic and doesn't happen often, so to expect something similar just one week later would be unrealistic. However, a similar style of game could be in store with the Jets. Much like the Giants, the Jets want to establish their ground game early. Especially without Aaron Rodgers. And much like they did in Week 1, it's up to the Cowboys defense to set the tone. I believe they'll do so, making things tough early and coasting out to a lead in the first half. New York won't go away easily, making it tighter in the second, but I'll take the Cowboys win it 31-17 to open the home schedule.
Nick Harris: With Aaron Rodgers out of the equation and Zach Wilson being inserted back in to command the offense, there will be some growing pains for the third-year signal-caller, and that will start with a tough outing against the Dallas defensive line. I see similar success for the pass rush unit after last week's dominance in New York resulted in seven sacks for the group. Offensively, I see some struggles happening early before Dak Prescott turns it up in the second half to carry the team across the finish line for a low-scoring home opener win, 20-13.
Mickey Spagnola: This will not be as easy as many might expect now that the Jets don't have Aaron Rodgers and must go with their former first round draft choice Zach Wilson at quarterback. This one will come down to how well the Cowboys offensive line plays and if the defense can slow down the Jets running attack. But if the Cowboys can get off to a quick start, cause the Jets to play catchup, thus making Wilson more vulnerable in the pocket throwing the ball against the Cowboys supercharged pass rush, think the Cowboys can hang on to win this one pulling away late, 26-16. And remember, any win is a good win.
