On a weekend where there were five blowout victories of 18 points or more, the Cowboys and Patriots matchup delivered excitement, bad plays, and it ended in disaster if you are a Patriots fan. The Cowboys started with an inexplicably failed 4th down attempt on their 34-yard line. It handed a gift to the Patriots early in the game that led to a touchdown run by Damien Harris. The Cowboys’ offense revved up and dominated the time of possession for the rest of the game. However, the Patriots’ defense made plays in the red zone to limit the damage and force two key turnovers.
The Patriots looked like they were heading for a loss when Mac Jones threw a pick-six interception to Trevon Diggs. However, on the very next play, Mac threw a missile to Kendrick Bourne for an astounding 75-yard touchdown. Despite the score, it left too much time for Dak who led his team to a field goal to force overtime. In overtime, Coach Belichick balked at the chance of going for it on 4th and 3 from near midfield and punted the ball back to the Cowboys. Dak and Cee Dee Lamb delivered the hammer blow with a walk-off 35-yard touchdown catch to crush the rabid home crowd. In this article, we assess the five takeaways from this game from a Patriots perspective.
1. Mac Jones shows resilience under the bright lights- Mac Jones led the Patriots to a good start by leading two touchdown drives and a 14-10 lead at the half. However, the Cowboys dominated the time of possession, and it left Mac with limited opportunities. After trailing 20-14 in the fourth quarter, he marched the team 75 yards down the field for a touchdown to take the lead 21-20. Then, he threw the bad pick-six interception to his former Alabama teammate Diggs. However, after falling behind, he showed tremendous resilience to throw a dart to Bourne for the go-ahead touchdown. He finished the game completing 15 of 21 passes, 229 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He did not lead the team over the line but once again had them in a position to win.
2. Run and Red Zone Defense Shines but Pass Rush Absent-the matchup against the Cowboys’ offense was a difficult test for this defense. However, the Patriots hung in this game because of its run and red zone defense. The Cowboys’ tandem of Pollard and Elliott entered the game with a combined per game average exceeding 150 yards on the ground in their four-game winning streak. The Patriots were able to hold the duo to 110 yards on carries 27 carries. The Patriots played bend but not break defense by forcing an interception and fumble at the goal line to wipe away 14 points. However, they lost the game due to 0 sacks on Prescott and a lack of pressure throughout the game.
3. Credit to the running backs-the Patriots entered the game with a lot of uncertainty with their running backs. Damien Harris was nursing injured ribs, and the entire group had fumbled the football at some point in the young season. However, in this game, they did not fumble the ball, and they outperformed the Cowboys group with 123 yards in total. Harris fought through the pain and ended as the only rusher with over a hundred yards and scored a touchdown.
4. Bourne Identity vs Jonnu Anonymity- Mac Jones deserves some of the credit for the 75-yard touchdown. However, Kendrick Bourne was the star of this play. He delivered a sweet double move and catch that left Diggs and the Cowboy secondary eating his dust. On the other hand, the free other free agent acquisition named Jonnu Smith was anonymous. He finished one catch and 9 yards. I don’t believe Jonnu is to get all the blame because I feel Josh McDaniels simply is not using him in the best manner.
5. Finishing and Coaching Game Endings Better-the Patriots have been competitive in every game. However, they have failed to make the big plays and instead have lost the ball. The players need to dig deep to make a big play on offense or defense in crunch time. Also, I feel the coaching is too conservative. The loss to the Buccaneers and Cowboys could have been victories if the offense converted on fourth down. Instead, we were passive, and it cost us the chance to have a .500 record with 11 games to go.