On paper, the Jets’ Week 6 match with the Cowboys looks like a nightmare for the offense. The Cowboys have a formidable pass defense with excellent cornerbacks and feature a menacing front seven that includes DeMarcus Lawrence, Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.
However, Sam Darnold will return for his first game since Week 1, and his presence should rejuvenate the Jets’ downtrodden offense. Le’Veon Bell is excited to play with Darnold again and the entire team should see a boost in both morale and production now that their starting quarterback is back. Things won’t be easy, but there’s hope once again for the Jets despite their 0-4 record.
Here are four keys to the Jets offense heading into Week 5.
Feed Le’Veon Bell
Bell is still one of the most dynamic players in the league despite his effectiveness and usage on the Jets this season, and he should be able to gash the Cowboys defense on the ground and through the air.
The Cowboys have allowed 48 missed tackles on the season, and Bell was one of only six running backs to break at least 20 tackles heading into Week 4. Just a week ago, Packers running back Aaron Jones roasted the Cowboys for 182 total yards and four rushing touchdowns in Week 5 after forcing 16 missed tackles. If there was ever a time for Bell to break out, it’s this week. It will also take pressure off Darnold in his first game back from mono.
Win the time possession battle
The Jets will need to maintain prolonged offensive drives to stay competitive in this game. Not only do the Jets need to get down the field to put themselves in scoring position, but longer drives will also give them an advantage in field position and keep the potent Cowboys offense off the field.
In both games the Cowboys lost this season, the opposing offenses held a 14-minute time of possession advantage over Dallas. The Jets aren’t great at building long drives (they rank 31st in plays run and 32nd in yards per play), but the return of Darnold may improve the offense. With Darnold under center in Week 1, the Jets ran 10 more plays than they averaged without him, which also led to their highest-scoring game of the season.
Protect Darnold
The Jets can’t afford to lose Darnold any more this season for any reason, which means the offensive line needs to play its best game against the Cowboys. New York gave up 10 sacks in Week 5 to a poor Philadelphia pass rush and it played a huge role in the team’s blowout. With Darnold returning to action after missing weeks of practicing, it’s even more important to keep him upright.
The good news is the Cowboys only blitz on 17.6 percent of dropbacks. The bad news is that despite that, Dallas still ranks fourth in quarterback hits with 18. Maybe this means more multiple tight ends on the line to help block or maybe it means a new offensive line configuration. Whatever the case may be, Darnold’s security is the most important part of this game.
Keep passing attempts shorter
Dallas’ secondary is elite, especially when it comes to deep shots. They’ve allowed the 10th fewest passing yards and the eighth-fewest air yards in the league. However, the Cowboys have given up the seventh-most completions and 11th-most yards after the catch. Darnold should have the most success through the air by targeting receivers in the slot or out of the backfield instead of downfield.
It worked against the Bills in Week 1 and it plays to the strength of the Jets offense given their porous offensive line and use of Jamison Crowder and Bell. Passing short isn’t a sexy gameplan, but it’s the best the Jets can do with the players they have.
