A pair of undefeated teams have a chance to start the NFL regular season at 2-0 for the first time since 2015, as the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Jets on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
The Cowboys are coming off a near-flawless performance in week one, shutting out the New York Giants 40-0, while the Jets overcame the odds against the Buffalo Bills on the first Monday Night Football edition this year, winning 22-16 in overtime.
Match preview
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The opening weekend of the regular season could not have gone much better for Mike McCarthy and his Cowboys, who jumped out to a 16-0 lead after one quarter and never looked back, beginning the campaign with a 1-0 mark for the first time since 2017.
Fresh off a campaign where they registered the third-most team sacks in the regular season (54), the Cowboys D caused all sorts of fits to the Giants offensive line, with seven sacks on Daniel Jones and a QB pressure rating of 62.9%, while holding the New York pivot to a low rating of 32.4.
On the opposite side, the offensive line did give their two-time Pro Bowl QB plenty of time in the pocket, without a single sack allowed in week one, in what was the biggest regular-season victory for this team since Boxing Day 2021 (56-14 over the Washington Commanders).
While the offence only had 143 yards through the air versus the G-Men, they moved the ball efficiently on the ground, with Dallas racking up 122 rushing yards, and they were aided by a strong secondary, which produced a pair of interceptions.
Dallas head into this contest on an eight-game winning streak at home in the regular season, while they have scored the opening touchdown in nine of their previous 10 outings played on Sunday.
They have not lost to an AFC opponent in the regular season since they were beaten 36-33 in overtime by the Las Vegas Raiders in November 2021.
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After an off-season full of hype around the Meadowlands, the Jets' opening quarter must have felt like a bad dream on Monday as four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers was carted on his fourth offensive snap of the game.
It was as bad a start as head coach Robert Saleh could have imagined, but his team eventually dug in and utilised their most substantial attributes to come back, namely their defence, who picked off Bills pivot Josh Allen three times and also sacked him on five occasions to capture their first opening game victory since 2018 (48-17 versus the Detroit Lions).
That defensive performance should not come as a big surprise, seeing as this team gave up the fewest yards per game in the AFC last season (311.1), while only allowing 4.6 yards per play on Monday night.
They may not have been spectacular through the air without Rodgers, but the Jets got themselves back in that game thanks to a consistently strong ground game, finishing with 172 rushing yards.
The offence may not have been outstanding, but they did manage to find the end zone on Monday, ending a run of 15 successive quarters without a major score in the regular season dating back to December 2022.
New York have scored the opening touchdown in each of their last four contests versus NFC East clubs, though they have not won a regular season encounter against that division since 2019 (34-17 victory over the Washington Commanders).
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Team News
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Donovan Wilson might not be available for Dallas on Sunday as he is dealing with a calf strain, Tyron Smith is probable, despite a sore ankle, Tyler Smith will be questionable because of a problem in his hamstring, while Brandin Cooks should be available even with his minor knee injury.
Dak Prescott completed only 14 of his 24 passes against the Giants for 143 yards, with his favourite target being CeeDee Lamb, who had four catches for 77 yards, while Tony Pollard ran for 70 yards and two scores on 14 carries.
Defensively, Dallas were outstanding in week one, with Dorance Armstrong and Osa Odighizuwa picking up two sacks each, Markquese Bell and Leighton Vander Esch each recorded six tackles, DaRon Bland had an interception and Stephon Gilmore put forth a memorable debut for the Cowboys, with three passes defended on eight targets, to go along with a pick, while allowing a QB rating of just 12.5 against him.
Rodgers will not return this season as the Jets pivot ruptured his Achilles tendon in the early stages of their game on Monday, Duane Brown was limited at practice this week with a sore shoulder, while Mekhi Becton is dealing with a knee injury.
Zach Wilson had an 81.4 rating in relief of Rodgers, throwing for 140 yards, one interception and a TD toss to Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard caught two passes for 46 yards to lead the Jets, while Breece Hall looked well-rested after missing a good portion of 2022 through injury, carrying the ball 10 times for 127 yards.
Jordan Whitehead had the second-most catches for New York in their season opener as he picked off Josh Allen three times on Monday, earning a $250,000 (£201,190) bonus as a result, Quinton Jefferson led them with a pair of sacks, DJ Reed had more tackles than anyone (10), while Xavier Gipson made a statement in his professional debut, as the undrafted rookie had a 65-yard punt return touchdown in overtime to give the Jets the victory.
Head To Head
Sunday will only be the 13th time these two teams meet, with the Cowboys holding a 7-5 edge overall, though the Jets have won the previous three encounters, including the last one in 2019 when Le'Veon Bell ran for a touchdown in the opening quarter, while Sam Darnold hit Robbie Anderson and Ryan Griffin for second quarter scores, enabling them to squeak out a 24-22 win when Dallas missed a two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter.
America's Team last beat the Jets in 2007 at the old Texas Stadium when Tony Romo threw touchdown passes to Terrell Owens and Jason Witten respectively, while Terence Newman ran for one himself and Marion Barber had a pick-six in a comfortable 34-3 victory.
The only time these two teams faced each other at AT&T Stadium, it was the Jets who came away with a 19-16 win thanks to a late field goal from Randy Bullock, while Ryan Fitzpatrick found Eric Decker for a three-yard score and Bilal Powell had a 12-yard rushing touchdown in the opening quarter.
We say: Dallas Cowboys 17-14 New York Jets
These may be two of the best defensive units in the NFL, but without Rodgers behind centre, it is hard to imagine a quarterback like Wilson, who was tossed aside last year, could outduel a QB with the proven pedigree and big-game experience of Prescott.
Joel Lefevre
