The New England Patriots head to Dallas to face one of the better defenses in the NFL and an offense that is explosive when they are playing at their peak.
The Cowboys are fresh off of a terrible loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 and will look to take out their frustrations on a Patriots team that is still looking to find their offensive footing out of the gate.
If the Patriots hope to have any success in getting their offense going, it will involve stopping all-world pass-rusher Micah Parsons. That is no easy feat, as Parsons is one of the game’s premier players, who is blessed with the sort of talent that can’t be taught.
Parsons was mentioned in the same breath as Lawrence Taylor by Patriots coach Bill Belichick. That alone shows how much respect the Patriots have for him. Respect and pleasentries are great for the media portion of the week, but with the game approaching on Sunday, the Patriots will need to throw everything they’ve got.
The best way to slow down Parsons is having him on your team. Simply put, he is a player that can wreak havoc from anywhere on the field. The Cowboys do a great job of lining up all over the formation, and the Patriots will need to get creative in stopping him.
Look for second year player Verderian Lowe, who started last week at right tackle, to get more reps and be tasked with facing Parsons by the Cowboys’ design.
The Patriots will need to utilize Ezekiel Elliott as a pass protector, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some more 21 personnel with Ty Montgomery in the backfield next to Elliott. Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker would be on the outside, and Henry would work in as the inline tight end.
The reason for this is the Patriots can shade either Montgomery or Elliott as blitz pickup for whichever side Parsons is on, and the other will check/release to the flat, potentially opening up the middle of the field for Mac Jones to throw to Parker, Bourne or Henry.
Parsons is an above average run defender as well. So look for the Patriots to use some heavier three tight end packages again to offset and keep the Cowboys’ rush on their toes. Pharaoh Brown may get some more looks in that structure with Henry and Mike Gesicki, but the Patriots will need to be effective running the ball.
This week, the Patriots will be challenged with a near impossible task, but limiting Parsons’ ability to take over the game single-handedly is the real task for an upset to even be conceivable.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]