Prepared for Prescott? Jets D Needs to 'Buckle in' Indeed
When the Jets hired head coach Aaron Glenn this offseason, his message to Jets fans was to “buckle in” to get ready for what was coming. The head coach should have the same message for his defense this Sunday as they prepare to take on Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.
Now in his tenth pro season, Prescott is completing a career high 73.9% of his passes in head coach Brian Shcottenheimer’s offense. Over his past two starts, that number is an even more impressive at 77.5%. So what does that mean for a struggling Jets secondary? Strap up and be ready to play.
Here’s a look at the key matchups for Tomorrow’s game.
CB Sauce Gardner vs WR George Pickens:
Pickens has been the Cowboy’s most productive wide receiver this season, hauling in 21 balls for 300 yards and and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Gardner has been inconsistent at best after a dominant week 1 showing against the Steelers. The All-Pro cornerback has drawn multiple flags and Pickens plays a physical brand of football.
WR Garrett Wilson vs CB Trevon Diggs:
Diggs hasn’t been his usual self in the early going this year, having allowed six catches for over 130 yards and 3 touchdowns on eight targets. If he’s not at the top of his game, the Jets should look to exploit it and saturate Wilson with targets.
Edge Will McDonald vs Nate Thomas:
The Cowboys are hurting on the offensive line with three starters expected to sit. For Thomas, this will be his first start as a pro after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2024 draft. If the Jets have any hope at all of slowing Prescott down, they’re going to need their star pass rusher to take advantage of this favorable matchup. Same goes for Quinnen Williams who will be facing a pair of backups on the inside.
QB Justin Fields vs LB Jack Sanborn:
The Jets offense is at its best when Justin Fields is making plays with his legs. Be it on a designed run or impromptu, the Cowboys are going to want to contain Fields and Sanborn will be right in middle of it all for Dallas. Expect him to spy Fields and have the responsibility of preventing big plays on the ground.
Prediction:
The Jets haven’t given anyone any reason to believe they’re capable of slowing down any offense, let alone a group that scored forty points last week. The Jets will put up some points themselves, but come up short.
Dallas: 34
Jets: 24
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Makes 1-Word Statement on Dillon Gabriel
After a tumultuous week, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders showed his support for fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel will draw the start in Week 5 for the Browns, who are in London to take on the Minnesota Vikings. The Browns are replacing 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco with Gabriel, which they announced earlier this week.
Sanders — who will remain the emergency, No. 3 quarterback — drew attention for silently mouthing his answers during an interview after Gabriel was named a starter. It generated the wrong type of headlines but it wasn’t supposed to be a shot at Gabriel. Instead, it was Sanders reacting to being called out by former NFL head coach turned ESPN talking head Rex Ryan for “running his mouth.”
To reinforce his support of Gabriel, Sanders took to social media, where he has 2.5 million followers. He posted a picture of himself and Gabriel throwing, tagging his fellow Browns quarterback.
InstagramBrowns QB Shedeur Sanders gave a shoutout to Dillon Gabriel on social media.
“Dawgs,” Sanders wrote as a caption.
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Avoids Drama With Shedeur Sanders
Gabriel is in an interesting situation in Cleveland but hasn’t let the additional spotlight brought by Sanders affect him. Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com asked Gabriel if Sanders’ mime interview had an affect on him.
“None,” Gabriel told cleveland.com. “I don’t want to speak for anyone, but for me it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re a team, we do this together as a unit.’ We can only control what we can control. I don’t want to speak for anyone in particular.”
Gabriel spent six years in college at three different stops and has been in quarterback competitions previously. He’s relying on that experience now and leaning on relationships in the quarterback room.
“I’ve been through a bunch of competitions at every stop,” Gabriel said. “Going back to high school, even into my freshman year at UCF, going into Oklahoma, even at Oregon. I’ve had a bunch of guys I’ve played with that I’m still close to. QB rooms are important to be able to build relationships and feel really good about it, so that’s how I kind of approach and navigate everything.”
Dillon Gabriel Has Support From Browns Veterans
The Browns are searching for a spark on offense, which led them to turn to Gabriel. Cleveland is averaging just 14 points per game and has struggled to produce explosive plays. Gabriel brings a different dimension with his mobility, offering the offense a fresh look compared to Flacco.
He also has the backing of veteran leaders in the locker room, including star pass-rusher Myles Garrett, which should help ease the transition.
“I mean, he just runs the offense like this is his offense and that’s all you can ask for from any quarterback,” Garrett said. “He comes out smile on his face, chest out, gives a call, and it looks like he’s been doing it for years, the way he manages the offense. So I’m looking forward to doing the same thing on Sunday.”
The Browns are looking to stay in the race in the AFC North with a win. Cleveland is a 3.5-point underdog for the matchup against the Vikings.
