Tag: Dallas Cowboys vs New England Patriots

Look: Cowboys CB DaRon Bland scores 2nd Pick-6 in 4 games

The Cowboys D/ST scores their second touchdown of the first half to turn the game into a laugher.

The Dallas Cowboys’ defense is on one yet again. The club still can’t figure out how to score in the red zone but for the third time in four games, the defense and special teams are making it a non-issue yet again.

After Dallas had to settle for their second short field goal of the game to take a 20-3 lead, the Patriots tried to score before halftime to try and get a two-fer situation going. Nope. Mac Jones tried to throw across the field for the second time, but this time second-year corner DaRon Bland was waiting.

Bland jumped in front of Kendrick Bourne and raced down the right sideline untouched for a 54-yard score.

It was Bland’s second score in just four weeks, as he had a Pick-6 off a tipped ball in the season opener against New York. Bland has started just nine games coming into Week 4 and now has seven career interceptions.

Cowboys edge Micah Parsons leaves game with leg injury

The Cowboys’ top player is dealing with a leg injury with the team up big in the first half.

Note: Parsons returned to the game later in the second quarter. 

The Cowboys are rolling in their game against New England, but not everything is going according to plan. All-Pro defender Micah Parsons has left the game with a leg injury. Parsons, rushing from the interior, had his leg clipped once he got into the backfield and was hobbled. He stayed off to the sideline for a few plays as the training staff retaped his ankle but returned to the game.

His return was short lived, however as he had to hop off to the sideline after just one play on the subsequent drive. Parsons then went into the medical tent for further evaluation.

Look: Cowboys D/ST goes crazy with cover, scoop, score, fake XP conversion

Special teams and defense alternated big plays and have given Dallas a sizeable cushion in the first half.

Dallas in Week 4 is simply a different team than they were in their befuddling Week 3 loss. After the offense had a ridiculously bad third series that didn’t produce anything of value, the club punted the ball away. Second-year wideout Jalen Tolbert made an incredible kick coverage play, getting downfield and pinning the Patriots deep in their own territory with a sure tackle.

The defense was inspired, as veteran DE Dante Fowler was able to chase QB Mac Jones down from behind and strip the ball from him. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch quickly located the ball, scooped it up and went into the end zone for the score.

But the team wasn’t done. On the extra point attempt, New England sent all 11 players for the block. Bones Fassel’s troops were ready though, and Bryan Anger took the snap, stood up and found Chauncey Golston for the two-point conversion.

The scores put Dallas up 18-3 midway through the second quarter.

WATCH: Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb catches beautiful toss for 1st TD of ’23

Dallas gets the first touchdown of the Week 4 matchup as Lamb gets himself to paydirt.

The drought is over. Dallas has a true No. 1 in CeeDee Lamb but they have not been able to get him into the end zone to this point in the season. That all changed on the Cowboys’ second drive of Week 4. After another red-zone fizzle out on their first drive where a dropped TD by rookie TE Luke Schoonmaker led to a Brandon Aubrey field goal, the club capitalized on their next possession.

Dak Prescott continued to deal with ease and then from right outside the red zone Dallas struck. It was a 20-yard touchdown but technically a little longer, keeping it from breaking the red-zone slumps. Regardless, it was a beautiful play that puts Dallas up 10-3 as the first quarter comes to an end.

Cowboys-Patriots inactives: Tyron Smith out, Zack Martin back in Week 4

The Cowboys get two of their three offensive linemen back for the Week 4 matchup, while New England’s starting CB is out again. | From @cdburnett7

The Dallas Cowboys struggled up front last week with the absence of starting offensive linemen Zack Martin and Tyler Biadasz, but the cavalry has arrived for a home matchup with the New England Patriots.

Both are making their return after a week’s absence, and Martin’s availability is synonymous with the Cowboys’ success over the years. When the future Hall of Famer is out, it tends to make a shockwave. The bad news is Tyron Smith will miss the contest after dressing in Arizona. It’s lower body injuries for the trio, and their status moving forward is key.

Dallas is also missing tight end Peyton Hendershot for Ezekiel Elliott’s return to Dallas as a Patriot. New England is shorthanded as well, without starting guard Cole Strange and cornerback Jonathan Jones. Cowboys-Patriots kicks off at 3:25 p.m., televised on FOX.

TV coverage maps, how to stream Cowboys-Patriots, plus 10 top prop bets

If you’re in red, you get to move ahead. If you’re in blue, here’s what you’ll need to do. If you’re not in debt, here are some solid bets. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys finally get their opportunity to right the ship after a tough, embarrassing performance against the Arizona Cardinals. Favored by almost two touchdowns, the Cowboys lost by double-digits, bringing the 2023 hype train to a screeching halt.

Will they be able to get back on track at home against the New England Patriots? Ezekiel Elliott returns home to Dallas coming off his most productive outing of his New England career and gets to square off against a Dallas defense that was gashed on the ground a week earlier. The Cowboys play much faster on their home surface though, so a bounce back performance is expected. Want to catch all of the action? Here’s how, along with our favorite bets for the contest.

55-man roster, Week 4 elevations reveal Cowboys moves at LB, OL

A look at the three roster moves the team made on Saturday in preparation for their Week 4 showdown with Bill Belichick’s Patriots. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys had several decisions to make as preparation for their Week 4 matchup with the New England Patriots progressed. Dallas spent Week 3 with a depleted offensive line, a culmination of the short season’s biggest health issue. Dallas gambled with their intial 53-man roster in 2023, carrying just one center on their roster and therefore used up Brock Hoffman’s three elevations in the season’s first three weeks. Hoffman had to start in Week 3 with Tyler Biadasz out, and therefore to be active again, had to be brought up to the main roster.

That happened on Saturday, with Hoffman filling the void created when the club released second-year linebacker Devin Harper. That move left only three linebackers on the team’s roster, with one of those being edge rusher Micah Parsons. So along with signing Hoffman, the team decided to use one of their two elevations on linebacker Malik Jefferson. The other elevation was tight end Sean McKeon, which is likely related to the late-week injury suffered by second-year man Peyton Hendershot.  Here’s a breakdown, by position and player, of all 55 men eligible for Sunday’s game-day roster.

Quarterbacks (3)
Running Backs (4)
Wideouts (6)
Tight Ends (4)
Offensive Tackles (3)
Offensive Guards (4)
Centers (2)

Defensive Ends (5)
Defensive Tackles (5)
Linebacker (4)
Cornerbacks (5)
Safeties (6)

Special Teams (4)

3 key matchups in pivotal Cowboys-Patriots Week 4 battle

When the Cowboys host the Patriots in Week 4 the winner will likely come down to who wins these three unlikely matchups, says @ReidDHanson.

The Cowboys return home in Week 4, licking their wounds and looking for vengeance. An embarrassing loss to Arizona has both humbled and focused the Dallas franchise. Much like the Cardinals, New England isn’t exactly bubbling over with star power. But also similar to the Cardinals, New England is a foe who can’t be taken lightly because they have more than enough talent to ruin anyone’s day.

In Week 3, the importance of stopping James Conner and Joshua Dobbs on the ground was highlighted. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, those two keys to the game were something Dallas was unable to convert. In Week 4, three new keys arrive for the 1-2 Patriots. Here’s a look at where are the matchups to watch and who has the ability to turn the balance of the game.

Cowboys-Patriots Advanced Stats: Just how toxic is the Dallas offense?

The Cowboys surely plummeted down the rankings after their abysmal performance in Week 3, right? Not so fast. Here’s the numbers you need to know for Week 4. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Everyone loves a big play, unless it’s happening against their favorite team. Big plays are what gets fans out of their seats, whether in stadium or at home on the couch watching the big screen. Through the first two weeks of the season, Dallas had dominated their opponents in the big play, better known as toxic plays around these parts. The Cowboys were turning their opponents over at an alarming rate, the run game was doing their job and despite not many deep passes, yards after the catch by WR CeeDee Lamb were moving the chains in chunks.

That will need to return against the New England Patriots in order for the club to get back in the win column. In our latest Advanced Stats Notebook, we look at where each of the teams ranks in terms of big plays produced and given up, along with the highly important efficiency metric of EPA, the opponent-adjusted context of DVOA and the overall view of the passing game and how well each stops their opponents.

Here’s why Tony Pollard leading the NFL in this category is a bad thing

If the Cowboys want to maintain Tony Pollard’s effectiveness later into the season, they need to significantly change his usage rates. | From @ReidDHanson

When the Cowboys decided to part ways with their longtime bell cow, Ezekeil Elliott, over the offseason, they likely did so with excitement and a little trepidation. For seven years Elliott served as a workhorse for Dallas at the running back position. His effectiveness had dwindled in later years, giving way to up-and-comer Tony Pollard, but Elliott was steady and reliable year after year for the Cowboys.

Outside of his suspension in 2017, Elliott never missed more than two games in a season. He offered a level of durability rare for a RB in today’s NFL. So, when the Cowboys moved on from Elliott and made Pollard their true RB1 in 2023, they probably weren’t concerned about Pollard’s effectiveness. It was the durability that was the question. Has the club thrown caution to the wind? They have been letting him touch the rock at an alarming rate through three games.

Even dating back to his college days at Memphis, it’s been a shared workload for Pollard. He’d never eclipsed 200 carries in a single season or ever approached the levels of usage common for a lead back in the NFL.

Pollard’s 193 carries in 2022 marked a career high, but they only ranked the 6-foot-1, 209-pound RB, 23rd the NFL. It was clear he’d have to pick up the slack left by Elliott in 2023, but unreasonable to think he could take on the entire workload.

Pollard was effective because he was explosive and efficient. Bogging him down with a heavy workload would threaten to diminish his best qualities. Some degree of workload management was expected for Pollard in his first season as the undisputed RB1.

Yet, just three weeks into the new season and Pollard is already leading the entire league in rushing attempts and overall touches. The 26-year-old, who’s never even held a full-time gig at RB, is now carrying the heaviest workload in the NFL.

It’s safe to say there’s concern regarding Pollard’s usage. If trends continue, he’ll finish the season with 351 carries and 68 receptions. Those are numbers Elliott in his absolute prime never touched. They’re gluttonous and frankly, unsustainable.

Repercussions may not be seen immediately, but if things continue, they are almost unavoidable down the road. The Cowboys have to find opportunities for other players. They cannot continue down the road they’re traveling because it’s shortsighted and potentially disastrous for both player and team.

Growing the passing game will help. The Texas Coast offense is designed to take shots downfield but also live on a steady diet of short, high-percentage passes. Mike McCarthy doesn’t need to put it all on his RB depth to relieve Pollard, he can use his various pass-catchers to help as well.

If the Cowboys want their RB1 to be effective late in the season and into the postseason, they need to change the way they’re using Pollard.

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