Cowboys 2025 opponent preview: X-factors for the New York Jets

If Dallas can contain these players, they should easily ground the Jets. 

The New York Jets had a forgettable 2024 season. After a 2-3 start, head coach Robert Saleh was fired after only five games. New York attempted to make the best of the situation and appease Aaron Rodgers by making a midseason trade for Davante Adams. Ultimately, the team never recovered from their turmoil and finished 5-12 on the season.

After hiring Aaron Glenn as their new coach and informing the Rodgers that they were moving in a different direction, New York looks to start fresh once more. The Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40M contract to be their starting quarterback.

Despite the talent on their roster, the Jets still appear to be an enigmatic group. One should expect the Cowboys should roll the Jets in their Week 5 matchup. Yet, here are the opponents who could unexpectedly even the playing field for the Jets.

Braelon Allen

On paper, the New York Jets had one of the most talented offensive rosters in the NFL. Unfortunately, they couldn’t put it together, and one of their promising prospects got put on the back burner. Breece Hall is one of the most explosive and efficient runners at the position. However, the Jets missed an opportunity to utilize a one-two punch of Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. Last year, the Jets had a run/pass ratio of 63 percent passing plays versus 37 percent run plays. Hall had 209 carries versus only 57 for Braelon Allen. That should certainly change this season, with the Jets sure to emphasize the running game more after signing Justin Fields to be their starting quarterback.

Allen is a powerful downhill runner with a sturdy build. He also has soft hands as a receiver out of the backfield with good lateral quickness and nimble feet on his jump cuts for a player of his size. New York could look to wear the Cowboys down by having them defend the lateral run game with Fields and Hall early in the game and then look to grind the game out with Allen between the tackles in the later stages. It’s paramount that the Cowboys limit Allen’s (and Fields) by forcing the Jets to be one-dimensional early.

Mason Taylor

For Jets rookie TE Mason Taylor, football is the family business. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and nephew of another Hall of Famer, Zach Thomas, Taylor has the skills of a player wise beyond his years. Though technically not officially signed to his rookie contract, Taylor has dazzled at OTAs and minicamps. Taylor has great hands and makes tough catches on passes away from his body. He is undeterred by oncoming defenders and looks unfazed at the catch point.

Once he catches the ball, there’s very little wasted movement, and he gets upfield quickly. He’s smoother than he is fast, and that also creates a problem because he can run a more varied array of routes to get open. If Taylor emerges as a rookie, he could become the go-to guy for Fields on underneath throws. Taylor could also become a red zone threat for the Jets in his first season. However, he still needs to refine his blocking.

Will McDonald IV

Although the Jets had a disappointing season, Will McDonald quietly emerged as one of their defense’s most consistent players. In 2024, his production spiked from three sacks as a rookie to 10.5 in his second season. McDonald has a terrific get-off from the line of scrimmage from the snap and uses his long arms well to keep offensive tackles’ hands off him. He’s also very agile and has great balance when turning the edge to close in on the quarterback.

McDonald has plenty of quickness to beat interior linemen across their when rushing from the inside. He also has a great arsenal of moves to get around the offensive tackle. With that said, McDonald has some work to do as a run defender and can be exposed in that area of his game. If he is lined up against Terence Steele, that works in favor of the Cowboys. However, Dallas may want to have a running back or tight end chip McDonald on the way out for a pass fee times to offer Steele some help just in case.