By Shara Taylor
The New York Jets defeated the Dallas Cowboys 24 to 22 in an upset victory and a much-needed win Sunday at Met Life Stadium.
It was a mighty return for quarterback Sam Darnold, who had not played in a game since the home opener. Darnold, with the help of the Jets’ defense led the team to their first victory of the season. “Anytime you win, it’s a lot better feeling than losing,” said first year head coach Adam Gase.
Coach Gase announced to media September 12th that Darnold would not play because of mononucleosis. Gase said he wasn’t surprised with Darnold’s success Sunday. “He had a good week of practice last week,” Gase said.
Darnold threw 23 completed passes of 32 attempts for 338 yards and had one interception. “We were starving for a win and to come out here and do it in the fashion that we did, the defense getting a huge stop on the two-point conversion, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Darnold said.
The clutch performance of safety Jamal Adams prevented a two-point conversion with 43 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter, forcing an incomplete pass.
“I was really proud of those guys doing what they do in practice and making it happen in the game,” Darnold said. “I thought those guys did a great job,” Gase said. “You try to contain 21 (Ezekiel Elliott) as much as possible. You can see, you have three or four guys hitting him and he doesn’t go down. He’s a tough matchup in the passing game whether you’re in zone or man.”
Cornerback Brian Poole led defense with a total of eight tackles and one assist, followed by Adams with seven tackles and two assists. Defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, whom the Jets selected third in the 2019 NFL draft, had 1 tackle and 5 assists. “The whole defense executed very well,” Williams said. “We all communicated every time the play was called.”
“Today I thought I was very energetic, being able to move around and play inside and outside,” said defensive lineman Kyle Phillips. “I think is one of my biggest values on the team, just being able to move around and play different spots. So I think today was a really good day. We got the win so I’m excited.”
Darnold said on Monday that the team must to continue to work. “So you got to continue to grind, we know that after a good win, you’ve got to come right back in here because we got a tough one Monday Night against the Pats (Patriots),” he said.
The Jets host the Patriots next Monday night and come into MetLife Stadium undefeated.
Recent Comments