Cowboys vs. Jets preview, prediction: Dak Prescott looks to keep rolling against winless opponent

FRISCO, Texas -- There are plenty of parallels between the Dallas Cowboys' (1-2-1) Week 5 matchup at the New York Jets (0-4), and their 31-14 Week 3 road loss at the Chicago Bears. 

The Cowboys are once again facing a winless team led by a former hotshot Detroit Lions coordinator as head coach -- this time Aaron Glenn -- while defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus matches up with another of his former Bears starting quarterbacks in Justin Fields.

Dallas' offense under new coach Brian Schottenheimer is firing on all cylinders. The Cowboys rank fifth in scoring offense (28.5 points per game), with quarterback Dak Prescott and Co. locked in. But Eberflus knows his defense needs to show improvement after positioning issues, injuries and more have left his unit ranked last in total defense (420.5 yards allowed per game) and second to last in scoring defense (33.0 points per game).

Meanwhile, the Glenn-led Jets are still searching for their first win. They've built an elite rushing attack (144.5 yards per game, third in the NFL) but remain near the bottom of the league in passing (160.3 yards per game, 29th). Given Dallas' defensive struggles with positioning and communication, however, Sunday could provide an opening for Fields and the Jets' air attack to finally take flight.

Where to watch Jets vs. Cowboys live

• When: Sunday, Oct. 5 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
• Where: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
• TV: Fox | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Odds: Cowboys -1.5; O/U 47.5 (via FanDuel Sportsbook)

Cowboys vs. Jets: Need to know

Can Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver George Pickens keep the good times rolling against Jets All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner and Co.? 

Entering Week 5, Prescott leads the NFL in pass attempts (166), pass completions (121) and pass yards (1,119). That's bad news for a Jets defense that has yet to force a turnover this season -- the sixth team in the Super Bowl era without a takeaway through the first four games of the season. Schottenheimer said he expects Gardner to travel with Pickens on Sunday afternoon. 

Glenn's Lions defenses utilized man coverage at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL (32.2%) during his time as defensive coordinator. Through four weeks in 2025, New York is in the top 10 in man coverage rate (31%). Pickens' seven contested catches entering Week 5 ranked third-most in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, behind Ricky Pearsall and Puka Nacua.

"I most definitely get excited when I see man coverage because it's one on one," Pickens said Thursday. "They definitely play a few zones, every team does. Definitely excited to see man."

Pickens produced 100 yards receiving in both career matchups against the Jets while on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4 of the 2022 season (six catches for 102 yards on eight targets) and in Week 7 of the 2024 season (five catches for 111 yards and a touchdown on nine targets). 

However, when going directly against Gardner, Pickens has struggled with just one catch for 12 yards on five targets. Gardner shadowed the Steelers' DK Metcalf (one catch for 11 yards on four targets) in Week 1, the Bills' Keon Coleman (one catch for seven yards on one target) in Week 2 and the Buccaneers' Mike Evans (two catches for 22 yards on four targets) in Week 3 this season. A Pickens-Gardner face-off will happen. 

"I went against him for a few years. ... More rangy. We're the same size. It's just going to be a good matchup," Pickens said.

It's also worth noting Dallas will be down at least three offensive line starters: left tackle Tyler Guyton (concussion protocol), right guard Tyler Booker (ankle) and center Cooper Beebe (ankle). Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith's (knee) Week 5 status is also up in the air; he is officially questionable after not practicing during the week. Fortunately for the Cowboys, the Jets have the third-weakest pass rush in the NFL with a quarterback pressure rate of just 28.6%. 

Dak Prescott is throwing more than ever, and George Pickens is thriving as the Cowboys' big-play threat

Garrett Podell

Will Dallas' defensive performance against another scrambling QB like Justin Fields be any different than it was vs. Jalen Hurts? 

The Cowboys are gearing up to face the most mobile quarterback they've faced since Week 1 when they squared off against Super Bowl LIV MVP Jalen Hurts. Facing Fields in New York on Sunday will stretch Dallas' defensive discipline. 

"I think No. 1, he presents a number of problems, just based on the skill set, the athleticism, arm strength, arm talent, the ability to improvise," Schottenheimer said. "I don't know if you saw the game last week, the long touchdown run he had on kind of the broken play, a scramble. But the good news for us is no one knows him around the league probably better than Matt [Eberflus], being with him for two years. It'll be a fun chess match, him vs. Justin."  

Fields is only the third player in NFL history with at least 450 yards passing (471), 175 yards rushing (178) and no interceptions through three games played, joining 2022 Michael Vick and 2020 Lamar Jackson, per CBS Sports Research.  

Dallas hopes improved awareness against a scrambling quarterback like Fields can prevent him from duplicating what Hurts did on the ground in a 24-20 Week 1 victory. Hurts scrambled nine times for 63 yards and two touchdowns after Dallas' secondary locked up Hurts' receivers down the field. Hurts' 63 yards off scrambles in the season opener are the fourth-highest of his career and his most in a game since the 2022 season. 

"We learned some things from that game in terms of containing a quarterback that can take off and run. We've adjusted a little bit from that," Eberflus said. "You're always going to go back and look at that. You're going to face those guys a lot now. During the course of the year, you're going to face those guys almost three-quarters of the time. You have to have a good plan for that. This guy here is a special athlete."

Cowboys vs. Jets prediction

The saving grace for the Cowboys is that New York's Fields-led aerial attack is the fourth-worst in the league in terms of passing yards per game (160.3). That's a massive deal for a Dallas defense that has made every quarterback it's played since Week 2 look like a superstar through the air. The Cowboys have a chance to race ahead early with Prescott humming, which would allow them to then pound New York with running back Javonte Williams to drain the clock. 

Prediction: Cowboys 27, Jets 21