Further Review: Why Dallas Lost & What’s Next?
Here's quick recap as to why the Cowboys lost to the Patriots, who didn't play well, the bright spots, the key moments that affected the game and what's next for this team.
Nemesis: The Cowboys' secondary battled against Julian Edelman all game, but the Patriots' do-it-all receiver did make some key plays. He drew a pass interference penalty on the Pats' field goal drive in the fourth quarter. Just before the Cowboys' final full drive down 13-9, he caught a 23-yard pass into Dallas territory, flipping field position even though the Pats would punt four plays later.
Player of the Game: Jaylon Smith - It's hard to find one guy who stood out from a game like this but it has to start with the defense. Jaylon Smith led the team with nine tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage. Playing without Leighton Vander Esch (neck), Smith carried the load at the linebacker position and the entire unit, flying around and continuing to give the Cowboys a chance to come back.
Unsung Hero: The Cowboys' defense consistently made plays in the backfield Sunday, producing seven tackles for loss. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins provided two, plus a third-quarter sack on Tom Brady that forced a Patriots punt. Quietly, the fourth-year tackle has already tied his career high for sacks in a season (4).
Need More From: It has to be Amari Cooper. The Cowboys' leading receiver and one of the NFL's top pass-catchers was shut out Sunday without a catch. He did have a big reception over the middle in the third quarter that was wiped out by a penalty. And of course, his diving attempt on fourth down late in the game was initially ruled a catch but overturned by the replay booth, giving the ball back to the Patriots for good.
Don't Forget: Talk about a coaching move that worked to perfection. Late in the third quarter, Bill Belichick decided not to send a returner back to field a punt and instead rush all 11 players at the Cowboys. Flustered by the new look, the punt team didn't get the ball off in time at first and lost five yards. Then, they tried to change their blocking scheme and were flagged for illegal motion before the snap, which negated a Chris Jones punt that was downed at the 18. So on the next try, the Patriots were able to field it and get to the 38. The 20 yards of extra yards propelled the Patriots to kick another field goal.
Turning Point: It's usually tough to pinpoint a clear momentum shift in the first quarter. But the Patriots' punt block led to an early 7-0 lead, and it felt like the Cowboys were in catch-up mode the rest of the day – even in a game with 22 combined points. "We know they're a rush team. They've blocked a lot of punts the past couple of years," safety Jeff Heath said. "We knew they were going to bring pressure. So obviously that was a really bad play, bad mistake on our part and really had a big impact on the outcome of the game."
Stat of the Game: In a sloppy, soggy game, the Cowboys just couldn't sustain enough drives. The Patriots entered the game with the league's best third down defense, allowing conversions only 19.3 percent of the time. The Cowboys' offense ranked first in the league at 50.2 percent. Sunday, they were 2 of 13 (15.4 percent).
Remember Me?: The Cowboys drafted Nick Folk 12 years ago and he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2007. Since leaving the Cowboys in 2009, he has been quite the journeyman, playing for four teams, including the Patriots, who signed him earlier this year. His two field goals were obviously important in the four-point win, but his pair of missed kicks kept the Cowboys within striking distance.
Milestone: Defensive end Robert Quinn continued his sack-per-game pace Sunday. His strip/sack on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, nearly a critical takeaway, gave Quinn 9.5 sacks in 9 appearances this year. That total leads the defense, and it's tied for the sixth most ever by a Cowboys defender through the first 11 games of a season.
Injury Watch: Starting safety Jeff Heath continues to battle through injuries to both shoulders. He aggravated his left shoulder in third quarter when he delivered a hit on Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers, forcing an incompletion and a punt. "It's just something that I'm going to have to deal with for the rest of the season, and luckily I was able to finish the game," he said. "I don't think I hurt them any worse to where I won't be able to go on Thursday (against Buffalo)."
Trending Downward: The Cowboys just can't seem to figure out these first quarters. Just when it seemed like they were going to get rid of this ugly trend, they get a punt blocked and then allow a touchdown to go down 7-0 late in the first. An interception on the next series led to a field goal and the Cowboys found themselves down 10-0. That proved to be enough of a lead for the Patriots to cling to. So far this year, the Cowboys have been outscored 69-40 in the first quarter this year, but have a 255-151 edge in the final three quarters.
Building Blocks: Something to build on from this game has to start with the defense. And even though it was a run-oriented game, give the defense credit for practically living in the backfield with a total of nine stops behind the line of scrimmage. The Cowboys had two sacks and a whopping seven tackles for loss, proving the defense can be catalytic. Now if only it can generate some turnovers as well.
