Here are the winners and losers from the New England Patriots’ 13-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
Winner: Jamie Collins, LB
The linebacker was all over the field, with nine tackles.
There was a striking reminder of his impressive athleticism when he lined up in press coverage on receiver Randall Cobb. Collins was in charge of simply jamming Cobb at the line before dropping into zone coverage, but calling it a “jam” would be an understatement. The linebacker threw the receiver five yards in the wrong direction, which completely disrupted the route. On the stat sheet, Collins won’t get credit for the play — but it was a nice demonstration of how athletic linebackers can contribute in pass coverage.
But of course, his work in the run game was of the utmost importance. Ezekiel Elliott managed 4.1 yards per carry and 86 rushing yards, which is slightly down from his 4.3 yards per carry entering the game. Considering the Patriots defense looked vulnerable against the Ravens, they’ll take that small dip in production from Elliott. Collins also helped out to keep Prescott from scrambling. It was a well-rounded performance for the linebacker.
Loser: Tom Brady, QB
During the third quarter, Brady left the field after a stalled drive, and chucked a ball at the ground on the sideline in frustration.
The Patriots quarterback started last week on a low note, with a sullen postgame press conference on Sunday and a frustrated conversation with WEEI Monday. Brady may not be much happier with his offense’s performance in Week 12. He wasn’t stellar, but he also got very little help in a game where the Patriots were without Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett. Even one of the most consistent men in the offense, James White, had issues with three targets and one reception for -6 yards. Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers all logged at least one drop.
Brady finished 17 of 36 for 190 yards and a touchdown. And the Patriots’ passing attack will need to keep tweaking their plan of attack to get more out of their star quarterback.