FinLogic FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Center|Prescott has 2 TDs, Wilson 3 picks in 1st start after Rodgers injury as Cowboys beat Jets 30-10

ARLINGTON,FinLogic FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Center Texas (AP) — CeeDee Lamb went into the home opener for the Cowboys without new sidekick Brandin Cooks, who injured a knee in his Dallas debut a week earlier.

The team’s No. 1 receiver didn’t need a lot of help.

Lamb set up both of Dak Prescott’s touchdown passes with big plays, Brandon Aubrey kicked five field goals in the 28-year-old rookie’s home debut, and the Cowboys beat the New York Jets 30-10 on Sunday.

Zach Wilson threw three interceptions in his first start since Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles tendon injury as the Cowboys (2-0) finished a season-opening sweep of the New York teams.

Dallas opened with a 40-0 rout of the NFC East rival Giants, while the Jets (1-1) were coming off an emotional overtime win over Buffalo after Rodgers was injured on the fourth snap of his New York debut.

“I like how we’ve done it in different ways, so that’s good,” Dallas owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. “I do feel very good about that. I think we’ve seen a lot of the fundamentals of our team, special teams, offense, defense, certain things that we’ve put in. We’re trying, we’re using them.”

Lamb was high on the list this time.

The fourth-year receiver tied a career high with 11 catches, including a 25-yarder over Tony Adams that set up tight end Jake Ferguson’s 4-yard TD grab on the first possession after Dallas took the ball on the coin flip instead of deferring.

The next big one was a 20-yarder on a drive that answered Garrett Wilson’s 68-yard touchdown catch, when Lamb hung on despite landing on a shoulder after getting upended by Adams, who injured a hamstring on the play and didn’t return.

Rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker’s first career touchdown followed from the 1 after Brandin Echols was called for pass interference in the end zone.

Prescott targeted Lamb so much — 13 times, two shy of his career high — it was almost one too many. Sauce Gardner stepped in front of one of the throws and would have had a pick-6 to put the Jets in front before halftime but the ball slipped through his hands.

“I know what I’m capable of doing and the things I’m pretty good at it,” said Lamb, whose longest catch — a 31-yarder — set up the first field goal from Aubrey. “The show isn’t over. I’m still going week in and week out. I’m proving it to myself and proving it to my guy that I’m one of the best.”

Zach Wilson’s long TD toss to Garrett Wilson got the Jets within three points in the second quarter, and the QB ran for 36 yards on a drive to a field goal for an eight-point halftime deficit.

But New York had just 147 yards outside the long TD, and four second-half turnovers left little doubt for Dallas, which had the ball for more than 42 minutes and ran 83 plays to 46 for the Jets.

“We saw almost 90 of them today, and you’re going to run of gas,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “We just didn’t give ourselves a chance defensively to get off the field and give our offense a chance to get any kind of rhythm going.”

Wilson, who was sacked three times a week after Dallas dropped the Giants’ Daniel Jones seven times, was picked off by Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker and Trevon Diggs.

Dalvin Cook lost a fumble when Micah Parsons, who had two sacks, ripped the ball out of his arms just before Cook was tackled. Parsons got up and ran to the end zone, but was ruled down on review.

“We’re off to an outstanding start,” coach Mike McCarthy said of a defense that has led the NFL in takeaways the past two seasons and was among the league leaders in sacks a year ago. “The pressure and the takeaways are at an incredible level after two games.”

Prescott was 31 of 38 for 255 yards and Tony Pollard had 72 yards rushing. Wilson finished 12 of 27 for 170 yards.

SETTLING IN

Aubrey had a 55-yarder among his five field goals and hasn’t missed on 13 kicks since botching his first-ever NFL try on an extra point against the Giants. That miss was notable since Aubrey has the job in part because Brett Maher missed four consecutive PATs in a wild-card win at Tampa Bay last season. Aubrey has been unflappable since then.

SIDELINED COACH

Dallas defensive assistant Sharrif Floyd was taken off the field in the second half over medical concerns. He went down on the sideline and was attended to before going to the medical tent. From there, Floyd was escorted to the locker room.

INJURIES

Cowboys: LG Chuma Edoga, who has started in place of Tyler Smith in both games as Smith recovers from a hamstring injury, left in the second half with an elbow issue. He was replaced by undrafted rookie T.J. Bass. ... RG Zack Martin injured an ankle when Pollard ran into the back of him on a carry.

UP NEXT

Jets: The second AFC East rival in the first three weeks with a visit from New England next Sunday.

Cowboys: At Arizona next Sunday.

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