The New York Jets are back at MetLife Stadium in Week 5 as they host Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys.
The Jets (0-4) will be looking for their first win of the season after losing to the Miami Dolphins 27-21 in Week 4. The Cowboys (1-2-1) are coming off a marathon game against the Green Bay Packers that ended in a 40-40 tie.
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Dallas comes into Week 5 very banged up with receiver CeeDee Lamb still out with an ankle injury, offensive linemen Tyler Guyton out with a concussion and offensive lineman Tyler Booker with an ankle injury. The Jets will be without Michael Carter II, but will have recently acquired cornerback Jarvis Brownlee available for Sunday’s game.
Here are Jets Wire’s three keys to victory for the Jets against the Cowboys:
Don’t Get Away From The Run Game
Sep 29, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) rushes the ball against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Dallas has the worst defense in the league allowing over 420 yards a game and allowing an average of over 123 yards per game on the ground.  Breece Hall and Justin Fields combined for 162 yards rushing last week against the Miami Dolphins as well as a touchdown from Fields. Braelon Allen suffered a sprained MCL returning a kickoff in Monday night’s loss and he’ll miss 8-12 weeks. Isaiah Davis will see a bigger workload on Sunday, but Hall figures to get the majority of the carries. The Jets recently signed former Bears running back Khalil Herbert and he could see some action as well this weekend.
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One thing Tanner Engstrand has done very well is stay committed to the running game, which is the team’s strength. The Jets have rushed for close to 200 yards as a team in two of their four games this season. With the Jets defense a major weakness right now, running the ball efficiently opens up the passing game for Fields and allows them to control the tempo of the game to keep Dak Prescott off the field as much as possible.
Continue Feeding The Tight Ends
Sep 29, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (85) makes a catch against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
In their quest to find a complimentary receiver opposite Garrett Wilson, the Jets finally decided to get the tight ends more involved in the offense last week.  Second-round pick Mason Taylor had his best game as a Jet with five catches for 63 yards and averaged over 13 yards a reception.  While Jeremy Ruckert had only one target last week, it still went for 23 yards.  Until the Jets can get more production out of Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard or rookie Arian Smith, Justin Fields may have to rely more on Taylor and Ruckert as secondary options in the passing game.
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While Dallas has yet to give up a touchdown to a tight end this season, they’ve been vulnerable against the position.  Packers tight end Tucker Kraft almost had two touchdowns last week but got stopped at the one yard line both times. In four games, opposing tight ends have 18 catches for 175 yards and are averaging over 11 yards per reception against the Cowboys defense. It’s been a long time since the Jets incorporated the tight end more into their offense and it was refreshing to see both Taylor and Ruckert getting chances.  Tanner Engstrand should continue to utilize them as much as he can to free up Garrett Wilson.
Force Turnovers
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 17: Deuce Vaughn #42 of the Dallas Cowboys is upended by Sauce Gardner #1 of the New York Jets at AT&T Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Is it too much to ask for the Jets defense to force turnovers? They’re now the only team in the league that does not have a takeaway this season and are a league worst -7 turnover differential. While Dak Prescott can throw the ball as good as any quarterback in the league, he is prone to making mistakes. He has three interceptions in four games this season as well as one fumble.
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It’ll all start up front as the Jets defensive line has to get pressure on Prescott and make him uncomfortable. Jermaine Johnson will be a game-time decision on Sunday as he tries to make his way back from an ankle injury. With CeeDee Lamb out, Sauce Gardner will most likely cover George Pickens for the majority of the game. If any player is due for an interception, it’s Sauce. He hasn’t had one since last December against the Jaguars.
As a team, Dallas has turned the ball over six times in their first four games. If the Jets want to get a win, they need to start forcing turnovers because, as we all know, the team that wins the turnover battle more times than not wins the game.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: 3 keys to victory for the Jets vs. the Cowboys in Week 5