Chris Ivory Poised For Monster Game Versus Dallas
By Abraham Gutierrez
When the 8-5 New York Jets travel to Arlington, Texas for a Week 15 clash with the 4-9 Dallas Cowboys, Todd Bowles' squad will enjoy the luxury of having a number of factors in his favor suggesting that Jason Garrett & Co. are in for a very long evening. That's because, statistically, this is a nightmare matchup for the Boys on both sides of the football.
Jets Offense vs. Cowboys Defense Breakdown
On offense, there's no secret as to what type of gameplan the Jets will try and implement in order to extend their win streak to a season-best four games. Much like they've done all year, they like to utilize the running game to setup play-action passes, as well as big-play opportunities downfield.
Destined to have a mammoth game Saturday night is Jets running back Chris Ivory, whose violent style should prove effective against a Cowboys' defense that allows 114 rushing yards per contest. The 27-year-old from Longview, Texas seems to be peaking at the right time after overcoming a mid-season slump.
Ivory comes into Week 15 fresh off his third 100-yard rushing game of the season, racking up 101 yards in a 30-8 win last week against Tennessee. Another indicator that this matchup favors the Jets offense in a major way is the fact that they are 10th in the league in points scored (25.0 ppg), while Dallas' "D" surrenders about 24 points a week, which ranks 16th in the league.
Finally, there's one area that actually favors Dallas over New York in this one, and that is in the passing game. Statistically, the Jets' passing attack ranks 12th in the NFL with 253.5 yards per game, while the Cowboys' pass defense is fourth in the league allowing 221.1 yards per week. Having that said, going up against wide receivers like Brandon Marshall, who's well on his way to his sixth Pro Bowl, and Eric Decker, who's always a threat around the goal line, could prove to be a daunting task.
Marshall is among the best in the league in every category, coming into Week 15 with 89 receptions for 1187 yards and 11 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Decker has also been able to be a major force in this offense. Despite dealing with a number of injuries, the former Bronco has tallied 66 receptions for 875 yards and nine scores.
Cowboys Offense vs. Jets Defense Breakdown
With Tony Romo on the shelf, the matchup between Dallas' offense and New York's defense is the most lopsided aspect of this interconference affair, and should be the determining factor in the final outcome. Defensively, the Jets are among the best resistances in the NFL, while the Cowboys' attack is outright atrocious with out No. 8 under center.
How unevenly matched are these units? How about the fact that Dallas' only bright spot is its running game, which is good enough for 11th place in the league with 118 yards per game. Against any other defense, those numbers would be rather impressive. However, against the Jets' defense, which is the very best in the NFL surrendering a stingy 79 yards per game, it doesn't mean a whole lot.
Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, it's downhill from there, as the remaining three areas of the game play right into the Jets' defense in a major way. Offensively Dallas ranks 28th in total yards (325.6), 29th in passing yards (207.5) and 30th in points scored (17.7). In contrast, New York's defense allows 323.8 yards total (NFL Rank: 5th), 19.7 points per game (NFL Rank: 10th) and 244.9 passing yards per game (NFL Rank: 19th).
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
