NY Jets offensive grades for Week 2 loss to the Cowboys

Well, that was ugly. Outside of an electric 68-yard touchdown from Zach Wilson to Garrett Wilson, the NY Jets offense was really bad.

The offensive line, particularly Duane Brown, struggled to create any sense of a pocket for Wilson to feel comfortable in and couldn't create any push in the run game.

Once the Jets fell behind 24-10 in the fourth quarter, it created the perfect storm. They had to throw, the Cowboys knew it, they dialed the pressure up off the edge from star Micah Parsons, and Wilson made bad decision after bad decision. It looked eerily similar to last year.

Nonetheless, it was not all terrible, and in particular, Zach Wilson looked pretty darn good in that first half. Below are some offensive grades from the Week 2 loss.

Zach Wilson, QB, NY Jets

The stats are worse than the game, but as all football fans know, the stats don't lie. Wilson finished 12-of-27 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and three terrible interceptions. He also ran five times for 36 yards to lead the Jets in rushing.

I will say this- the first half was promising for Wilson. I took my dog on a walk during halftime and was thinking to myself that it was an A performance for Wilson, all things considered.

At the break, he was 5-of-10 with the long touchdown to Wilson. Plus, he engineered an important two-minute drive to get the game within one score before the half.

That two-minute drive was about as good as it gets for Wilson and the Jets. He was 3-of-5 for 17 yards but importantly ran the ball effectively and decisively.

He picked up 34 yards on the ground, multiple first downs, and got the Jets into scoring range. Had it not been for a tipped pass at the line, it would have resulted in a huge touchdown.

I mean, that Dallas defense is legit. Parsons single-handedly wrecked the entire gameplan for the Jets, constantly creating pressure, forcing a turnover by himself, and forcing the Jets to play behind the sticks the entire second half.

Things took a turn for the worse for Wilson and the Jets once the Cowboys took a 24-10 lead near the end of the third quarter. Wilson felt the pressure, started taking chances, and made some poor decisions.

The first interception was a poor throw for Garrett Wilson, right into the arms of the Cowboys defensive back, who hardly had to move to pick it off.

The second was a jump ball that Wilson stared down and threw way too late, allowing the free safety to come across the entire field and easily pick it off. The final pick was a terrible check-down, thrown way out ahead of Michael Carter and easily intercepted.

For fans, it was all too reminiscent of Wilson's first two years. A promising start was derailed late by poor decision-making once the Jets fell behind. Wilson's confidence completely unraveled, and honestly, I'd be surprised if it didn't impact him next week.

Although it wasn't all bad, it certainly got ugly quickly. This loss wasn't on Wilson at all, but finishing the game with three drives and three interceptions leaves a sour taste in everyone's mouth.

Plain and simple, I saw nothing to believe Wilson can be the quarterback of this team moving forward if they want to make the playoffs. He just isn't ready.

Grade: C-

Dalvin Cook/Breece Hall, RB, NY Jets

I'm grouping these guys together because of the lack of individual opportunities, but it was a really poor performance for the running back room. Collectively, the Jets ran 16 times for 64 yards. Zach Wilson had five carries for 36 yards, Ashtyn Davis picked up four yards on a fake punt, and everyone else had 10 carries for 24 yards.

Individually, Hall ran four times for nine yards, and Cook ran four times for seven yards, including a crucial fumble that turned the tide on the game, putting the Jets in a terrible position.

When Cook fumbled, it was still only 21-10 with seven minutes left in the third quarter. Wilson was still playing well at quarterback, and the Jets weren't far removed from a touchdown drive and last minute of the half-field goal drive.

Neither running back was able to find any running room whatsoever, and although that is equally on the offensive line, Hall's elusiveness from the Bills game was gone, and Cook looked old and hopeless.

The Dalvin Cook signing looks terrible at the moment. Without Rodgers, it's almost as if Cook has quit on the season, realizing the Jets won't win a Super Bowl anymore. This is a guy who has run for over 1,000 yards each of the last five seasons, and so far, on 16 carries, he has amassed 40 yards.

Part of the lack of production was due to the score and game flow. The Jets didn't have many first-half plays and were trailing by double digits the entire second half, but if they are going to win games, these two must be better.

Going into this one, I mentioned that Cook and Hall should both have big games, as the Dallas Cowboys have a poor run defense. Teams ran for over 120 yards per game last year against the Cowboys, and the Giants, despite losing 40-0 last week, ran for over 100 yards as well.

The fact that neither Cook nor Hall could get anything going whatsoever is probably the biggest takeaway from this game for me, and one that must be fixed quickly if the Jets want to have a shot at the playoffs this year.

Grade: D

Duane Brown, OT, NY Jets

I must say that as a former quarterback and football offensive coordinator myself, the gameplan to leave Duane Brown on an island with Micah Parsons all game was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen.

I firmly believe that Micah Parsons is the best football player on Earth right now. He lines up everywhere, dominates every position, and single-handedly wrecks every offense he plays against. But that doesn't mean you don't even try.

Parsons lined up on the right edge against Duane Brown most of the game and created pressure after pressure after pressure. In the first half, Wilson did a really nice job of stepping up and stepping out, but only for so long did that work.

Parsons finished with four tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Almost all of that was done against Duane Brown.

To be clear, the horrific game upfront was not just on Brown. The entire offensive line struggled, particularly Brown and Laken Tomlinson. But Brown has to be better.

Again, and I know I sound like a record player, for the Jets to win games this year, they must run the ball well and protect Zach Wilson long enough for him to deliver the ball for easy completions. They stand no chance when Wilson is running for his own life, and the running backs total 24 rushing yards.

Grade: F

Laken Tomlinson, OG, NY Jets

What the heck happened to this guy, man? Laken Tomlinson, a Pro-Bowler from 2021 when he played for San Francisco, looks like he forgot how to play football during his time with the Jets.

Tomlinson graded out as the 48th best offensive guard (PFF) out of 64 qualifiers last year and 22nd out of 31 qualified at left guard. He's been even worse this year through two games.

This is a guy making over $13 million a year, who was a Pro-Bowler just two years ago and was expected to solidify the offensive line for Aaron Rodgers.

He seems lost in pass protection, completely unable to communicate and adjust to blitzes and stunts on the defensive line. Granted, stunts and blitzes are really hard to pick up and also are really hard to diagnose whose fault it was. But it constantly seems on film that it's Tomlinson who is chasing a free rusher or who fails to pick up the stunt properly.

For me, it's very simple. Tomlinson either figures it out or gets benched. The Jets have both Wes Schweitzer and Joe Tippmann on the bench, ready to play. Both looked pretty good in the preseason.

If the Jets are going to be a serious team this year or the next, Tomlinson has to get back to his 2021 form. Otherwise, he needs to be benched, allow Tippmann to get the reps, and then cut him after this year. He has been that bad.

Grade: F-

Garrett Wilson, WR, NY Jets

Let's end this post on a high note. Garrett Wilson had a good game, and the Jets absolutely have to find ways to get him the football more moving forward.

After a slow start that found the Jets behind 10-0, Zach Wilson found Garrett Wilson on a crossing route that Wilson took to the endzone for a 68-yard score. It electrified the team, sparked hope in Wilson, and gave life to the defense.

Wilson would finish with eight targets but only two catches for 83 yards and the touchdown mentioned before. He did drop a pass that looked like could be another big play after the game was out of reach late. In fact, that type of play, a bubble screen with blockers in front, is exactly what the Jets need to do more of.

Two of Zach Wilson's interceptions were throws in the direction of Garrett Wilson. One was a really bad throw across his body that was easily intercepted, but the other was a deep throw that Zach stared down too long. Nonetheless, Garrett torched Trevon Diggs on the play, getting over five yards of separation before the safety jumped in front.

Another of the missed targets was also a beautiful route that left Diggs in the dust, but Wilson had his arm hit as he threw, or else it would have been a second touchdown for the pair. Another target was called for pass interference, also late in the game.

The point in saying all of this was although he only caught two passes, good things happen when Garrett Wilson gets the ball. His stat line easily could have been more like five catches for 120 yards and two scores, but it just did not pan out right.

Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel Hackett needs to do a better job of moving Wilson around the formations, creating favorable matchups and easy catches. He's an electrifying talent, one of the best in the NFL. However, Aaron Rodgers is no longer here to throw perfect back-shoulder fades, play in, and play out.

Wilson's eight targets were encouraging, as was his ability to get open today. He needs to do more of that if the Jets are going to make the playoffs.

Grade: B