Winners and losers from Patriots’ defensive win over Cowboys

The defense was brilliant. The offense, however, put together was erratic.

Winner: Stephon Gilmore, CB

We saw the Stephon Gilmore effect: Amari Cooper finished with zero catches on two targets. He almost recorded his first reception until 43:37 minutes into the game, but the catch got wiped by a Cowboys’ penalty.

Cooper had 88.6 yards per game with seven touchdowns heading into Week 12. And yet Gilmore almost wiped away Cooper, one of the NFL’s best receivers. In fact, Gilmore had almost as many receptions as Cooper, with one interception in the first half.

Loser: N’Keal Harry, WR

The Patriots’ rookie wideout managed his first touchdown with the Patriots, which made him the 75th player to catch a Tom Brady touchdown. That was the good. The rest of the game, however, was less impressive. Brady targeted Harry three more times, and they didn’t manage another linkup. Brady tossed him challenging targets, with one coming near the sideline and another coming with tight coverage in the red zone. But Harry dropped both balls. They’re the kinds of plays that would’ve helped Harry earn Brady’s trust. Let’s take a look at his touchdown.

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