NFL
By: Greg Rector
Dallas Cowboys 4-1 vs New England Patriots 2-3 4:25 PM
After taking care of business against another divisional opponent, the Dallas Cowboys are on a roll. The 44 to 20 victory over the Giants wasn’t the prettiest game, but in the end, the Cowboys overwhelmed another foe. The slow start and early shooting themselves in the foot from the early interception to a few other miscues were forgotten once the Cowboys started to do what’s been working. Another game over 200 yards rushing, and the defense making key plays helped turn this one into a blowout.
There’s a whole 2 generations out there who haven’t seen the Dallas Cowboys beat the New England Patriots in Foxboro, MA. Granted they don’t often travel there as the non-conference games are staggered by the league. November 15th, 1987 was the last Cowboys road win against the Patriots. Steve Grogan was the Patriots quarterback, while Danny White led the Cowboys to an overtime win. That’s a whole lot of rosters in between. Any win against the Patriots would be nice. The Cowboys are on a 6 game losing streak versus New England overall. In the last 5 games of course some guy named Brady was at the helm of the Patriots attack. In this game there will be no Brady, however the guy I call the “Evil Genius,” Bill Belichek is still roaming the Patriots sideline, so expect a battle. Here’s how I see this game.
Cowboys Offense vs Patriots Defense
This will be the battleground for this game. Can the 5th ranked offense of the Cowboys keep cooking against the 5th ranked Patriots defense? The Patriots have been hard to run against, although they haven’t met up with an offensive line like the Cowboys. Terence Steele and Zach Martin have been blowing holes open for Elliott and Pollard routinely. Martin’s presence and effectiveness are just so obvious. In week one he wasn’t there and we all know what that did to the running game against Tampa, it was non-existent. Since week two, however, the Cowboys have the 2nd most rushing yards in the league. If the Cowboys win this battle up front, then the recipe that has led to 4 straight wins should remain the same, pound the ball with Elliott, sprinkle in Pollard as the more explosive back, and watch a defense have to commit to stopping the run, which then allows Dak Prescott to find his receivers in man to man coverage, where they’ve been exposing secondaries for big plays. We know Belichek generally takes away what an opponent does best. Well if you do take the ground game away it requires leaving the passing game open to a quarterback and a group of receivers who are in sync. The Patriots played so hard against the Buccaneers and kept that high-powered offense off-balance, I expect the same effort will happen on Sunday. If the Cowboys are to get the elusive win in Foxboro, they must win the battle in the trenches, everything else is secondary. The Cowboys must wear down the Patriots defenders. Patriots have given up the 15th most rushing yards so some teams have moved the ball on the ground. They have been tougher against the pass and that’s a combination of pressure especially from Matt Judon off the edge and an aggressive group in the secondary. A still healthy left tackle in Tyron Smith will be in for a fight with Judon all game long. The Patriots can cover because they get that pressure from their defensive line. If they need to bring added pressure however then Prescott has them where he wants them. Kellen Moore will need to match wits with the “Evil Genius,” and I would expect to see a wrinkle or two out of the Cowboy’s offense.
Patriots Offense vs Cowboys Defense
Against the Giants the Cowboys had linebacker Keanu Neal return and the guy I said might be the absolute biggest steal of this past draft 4th round pick linebacker Jabril Cox, who was impactful in his first game with meaningful snaps. Sorry Giants fans your quarterback lowered his head on the goal-line stop by Cox, nothing dirty about that hit. The new Green Bay Packer Jaylon Smith was not missed. The Cowboys added more interceptions as Trevon Diggs grabbed his league-leading 6th interception and Anthony Brown had a pick 6. Once again the run defense was stout and they barely prevented giving up 300 yards through the air. This is my one focus for the Patriots game. Limit passing yards given up. The interceptions by the corners have been sweet to see, although getting forced fumbles by the linebackers or the safties would really be a welcome sight. The defense is going to be tested simply because Mac Jones is unflappable for New England. I said he was the quarterback in this draft class that went to the best possible spot for him. He’s poised and doesn’t get rattled. The Patriots use a 4 man group of running backs and their passing game is focused on their tight ends. They don’t have much talent in their receiving corps and generally use Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry to keep drives alive and especially in the red zone. What they’ve yet to face is a defense that has as much speed as this Cowboys defense has displayed. Smith and Henry will see plenty of Neal, Parsons, and Cox in coverage. Limiting what the Patriots’ tight ends do will make it a long afternoon for Jones. Minus the explosive threat from the wide receivers, I expect to see the Cowboys bring plenty of pressure to Jones. I don’t remember the last time I could say this, but there were no injuries reported by Dallas after the Giants game. This means continuity and for a defense that is a huge bonus. Everyone knows their roles, they know if they do their job the guy next to him is doing theirs as well. With the Smith saga closing and Cox who was so highly rated in pass coverage getting meaningful playing time, I would hope the passing yards against drop even further.
Intangibles and Prediction
Getting away from home and all the hype, the praise, and adoration within Cowboys Nation, and from the media (Yes even that yappy clown on First Take) is just what the doctor ordered. This should prevent what I had feared in the Giants game from happening again. The slow start is something the Cowboys absolutely need to learn to avoid. They have already put the division race to bed basically. Now it’s time to focus on the details. You can’t have that type of start later on in the year versus the Rams, Buccaneers, Cardinals, or the Packers. Those teams will make you pay for mistakes. Be ready for a fight. We all know that Belichek will have his guys ready for a 60-minute battle. The Cowboys must be ready to do the same. Yes, they are 4 and 1, but outside of the week one loss to Tampa, they’ve truly not played a full game. You will see a Patriots team that isn’t fancy, they aren’t ultra-talented but man will they fight. That’s what the Cowboys must do as well on Sunday, FIGHT. Go into their house and make it clear you are the better football team. Fail to do so and then the bye week will be a long one with all the critics saying they’re over-hyped, and a mirage. Go out and prove you don’t need the friendly confines of AT&T Stadium, the adoration, and the spectacle. Go out and prove you can simply play better football than your opponent. Smash-mouth football is headed your way, prove you can dish that out as well as take it. Then you can enjoy the bye week, heal up from the wounds incurred after six weeks and get ready for the rest of the season. The Cowboys are the better team and the way they’ve played there’s no reason other than beating themselves that they shouldn’t win their 5th in a row. I will say Dallas 30 Patriots 17.
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As always you can find me on Twitter @GregCowboys
