An 80% third-down conversion rate (8 of 10) and two kickoff-return touchdowns gave the Cowboys a numbers-backed path to a 45-22 win over the Jaguars in Preseason Week 3. Dallas also gained 483 yards, combining 306 through the air with 177 on the ground, and built a 28-0 lead before Jacksonville got on the board.

The first score came on the opening kickoff: John Stanley returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. Dallas needed only one more scoring drive to make it 14-0, as William Freeman connected with Joseph Kearns for a 41-yard touchdown. Kearns finished with 84 receiving yards and a score. Walter Nelson’s short rushing touchdown made it 21-0 late in the first quarter, and Justin Jackson added a 3-yard touchdown run in the second.

Jackson’s impact went beyond that carry. He finished with 60 rushing yards and added a 75-yard receiving touchdown, helping Dallas turn a Jacksonville score into a quick answer. After the Jaguars got a 29-yard field goal, they recovered a Stanley fumble to set up Walter Brandon’s 54-yard field goal. The Cowboys still took a 31-6 lead into halftime after Gerald Seymour made a 35-yard field goal with six seconds remaining.

The Jaguars narrowed the margin to 31-13 on Steven Hughes’ 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. On the next scoring play, Donald Hendricks found Jackson for 75 yards, restoring the Cowboys’ 25-point advantage. Dallas completed 19 of 26 passes for 306 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Freeman accounted for 217 passing yards and a touchdown.

Jacksonville finished with 313 yards: 264 passing and 49 rushing. Its 25 completions on 37 attempts produced one passing touchdown, while the Jaguars converted 6 of 16 third downs. Steven Ludwig’s 30-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter made it 38-19, but Dallas answered on the ensuing kickoff. Leonard Clark returned it 107 yards for a touchdown, pushing the lead to 45-19. Brandon’s 50-yard field goal supplied the final points.

For Richard Yoder’s Cowboys, the margin was built on explosive plays and down-to-down efficiency: two return touchdowns, 8-for-10 on third down and three sacks. Jacksonville had two fumble recoveries, but Dallas’ early scoring burst and immediate response after the Jaguars’ third-quarter touchdown kept the preseason result firmly in the visitors’ hands.