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Every game from here on out for the New York Jets (8-5) is a must-win game as they battle for a wild card spot. They will take on the Dallas Cowboys, who have struggled mightily over the last few weeks, but would love to play the role of spoiler.
This will be the 11th meeting all-time between these two storied franchises, and the first since Sept. 11, 2011. The Jets were favored in that meeting, and they are certainly favored now. But in 2011, the Jets relyed on a fourth quarter punt block returned for a touchdown by Isiah Trufant to help the win. Will a special teams play influence the outcome of this matchup?
Here are three keys to the game for both the Jets and the Cowboys.
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1. Chip pass rushers with tight ends at line of scrimmage
The Cowboys may not force turnovers on defense, but their pass rush has come on of late. DeMarcus Lawrence has five sacks in his last five games, while Greg Hardy is a force to be reckoned with on the other side. In order to protect Ryan Fitzpatrick the way they have all season, the Jets will need to use Jeff Cumberland and their tight ends to chip Dallas' pass rushers at the line of scrimmage.
2. Force Matt Cassel to beat you by stopping the run
The Cowboys have the league's third-worst scoring offense in the league and have thrown just 12 touchdown passes this season -- fourth-worst. They haven't showed the ability to move the ball through the air, so the Jets have to stop Darren McFadden, Robert Turbin and the rushing attack to make Matt Cassel beat them. The Jets likely need to score just 21-plus points in order to win this one, something that's very possible.
3. Use multiple backs to keep Chris Ivory fresh
The Jets are coming down the stretch with just three games remaining, and although they aren't certain to make the playoffs, they need to keep Chris Ivory fresh in the coming weeks. Bilal Powell and Stevan Ridley are talented backs and have the ability to spell Ivory throughout the game. If the Jets jump out to an early lead, leaning on Powell and Ridley would be smart.
1. Target Jason Witten early and often
The Jets defense has allowed just 89 rushing yards to running backs over the last three weeks. Matt Cassel has had a difficult time as is throwing the ball to Dez Bryant, and now he's got to find him while he has Darrelle Revis covering him. So getting the ball to Byant and Darren McFadden may be difficult and ineffective. But the Jets have allowed 157 yards to tight ends over the last two weeks, and Jason Witten can be a safety net for the insecure Cassel.
2. Pick a poison, and take it away
Offensively, the Jets have been stellar all year. Both Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker have had outstanding years, as Ryan Fitzpatrick has found each often. And Chris Ivory has the ability to power his way to major yardage. But if the Cowboys defense can manage to stop either the running game or passing game, and the offense becomes more predictable, they have a better chance at keeping this a game.
3. Block for Lucky Whitehead
Should the Cowboys force a punt, Lucky Whitehead has an opportunity to make a play. The Jets have allowed 13.3 yards per punt return this season. That's the third-highest average this year. And if the Cowboys offense struggles to generate offense, Whitehead has an opportunity to give the Cowboys good field position, or even put some points on the board, each time he touches the ball.
