Blue Star Recap: Jets 27, Cowboys 24

The Jason Garrett-era Dallas Cowboys got off to an auspicious start on Sunday night, but they couldn’t do enough to hold off the New York Jets, falling to the home team 27-24.

Dallas opened up the scoring on their opening drive, with a three yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Dez Bryant. Dan Bailey added a 34-yard field goal early in the second quarter to extend Dallas’s early lead to 10-0.

Dallas’ defense got off to a quick start as well, forcing the Jets’ offense into a three-and-out on their first drive, and keeping the home team off the scoreboard until the waning moments of the first half.

With just 37 seconds remaining until intermission, Mark Sanchez hit Dustin Keller for a four-yard touchdown pass to draw the score to 10-7, Dallas at half.

The second half featured plenty of more promise from Dallas. Romo hit Miles Austin on a 37-yard touchdown connection to open the books on the second half, a play that saw Austin jostling the ball away from Jets’ corner Antonio Cromartie.

Former Cowboy Nick Folk answered with a 34-yard field goal for the Jets, to bring the score to 17-10.

With the fourth quarter less than a minute old, things were still looking up for Dallas. Linebacker Sean Lee intercepted Sanchez, and returned the ball to the Jets’ one-yard line on what was initially called a touchdown. The score was overruled on replay, but Felix Jones ran it in from a yard out a play later to once again extend the Dallas lead, this time to 24-10.

Then, Dallas started to lose their grasp on the game.

On the Jets’ ensuing drive, Sanchez hit Plaxico Burress for a 26-yard touchdown pass, to narrow the Cowboys’ lead to a touchdown.

After Romo and Sanchez exchanged lost fumbles, Dallas found themselves punting following a three-and-out (complete with two penalties--one a false start, one a delay of game). Mat McBriar’s punt attempt was blocked by Joe McKnight and returned by Isaiah Trufant for the game-tying touchdown.

After Dallas’s ensuing drive was stopped, the Cowboys’ defense stepped up, forcing the Jets to punt with the game tied and a little over a minute remaining on the game clock. But on their first play from scrimmage, Romo was intercepted by Darrelle Revis, a turnover that would eventually set up Folk’s 50-yard game-winning field goal.

So, despite some high points (and certainly plenty of low points), the Cowboys are 0-1 after falling to the Jets, 27-24, on Sunday night.