What to watch in Sunday’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and Patriots
When the New England Patriots take the field at AT&T Stadium on Sunday they will be a greeted by an angry Dallas Cowboys team still smoldering from last week’s 28-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cowboys did not play up to their potential on offense or defense for a variety of reasons, leaving them embarrassed and frustrated, according to quarterback Dak Prescott.
“Yeah, I was (expletive) off,” Prescott said. “I mean, I’m always (expletive) off. I”m always (expletive) off after a loss. I don’t know if we can rate my different levels of (expletive) off-ness but yeah, it sucks. It really does. You don’t do anything with the idea of losing or thinking you’re going to lose until that last second. It’s not really a reality in your head. We’re (expletive) off.”
Again, Prescott is not alone.
Safety Jayron Kearse is taking personal stock in his disappointing play as part of a defense that came into the game No. 1 in the NFL but allowed the Cardinals to run all over the field with 222 yards on the ground.
“For the first (time) since I’ve been here,” safety Jayron Kearse said. “I feel like I was part of the problem, and not a problem-solver.”
Kearse had a warning for the Patriots if they plan to use the Cardinals game plan for success on Sunday.
“We hope they turn that tape on and think that’s the same thing they’re getting,” he said. “They’re not getting anything close to that.”
There has been substance behind the Cowboys anger in the past.
The team is 9-1 in the last 10 games following a loss under coach Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys have not lost bac-to-back games since 2020 when Prescott missed the final 11 games with a fractured ankle.
What’s the reason for their bounce-back resiliency?
“(Expletive) off,” Prescott said. “You heard it in the locker room. Someone just said it, being (expletive) off. No, it just allows you to focus a little bit more honestly. Nobody likes to lose. Nobody likes to lose, especially in a game that you expect to win. Forget the media or whatever, not you guys, but forget whatever your lines are and whatever you all say. Nobody wants to lose. But we understand how tough it is in this league. Even after a loss, you come in and you reset a little bit, humbled. Humbled a little bit. It just allows you to focus a little bit more. And I think that’s just credit to these guys in this locker room, to these coaches of blocking out the outside noise and understanding what’s really important is just this day right in front of us and preparing there.”
What to watch in Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and Patriots:
Stopping Ezekiel Elliott and run game
After giving up 222 yards rushing against the Cardinals, the Cowboys know how the Patriots plan to attack their defense on Sunday.
They will run right at the Cowboys with former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, who had a season-high 80 yards rushing on 16 carries last week.
“I think it’s like anything. You are what you put on film,” McCarthy said. “I think based on how people tried to attack us in Weeks 1, 2, and 3, from that, we’ll see some similarities as far as concept formation and utilization. Zeke has always been a powerful, strong runner, so we definitely not be surprised if he’s a featured player this week.”
Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons can’t wait to hit Elliott. He knows Elliott is coming after him based on what he has told him in practice the past two seasons.
“You know Zeke. Everything’s gonna be fun too, so you know we kind of miss his presence, his joy he brings to the locker room. So it’s going to be fun going against him.”
“I feel like Zeke’s coming for me because he’s been telling me, he’s like ‘Lucky I’m not out there because I’ll really get you’,” Parsons continued. “If there’s ever a matchup, I’m going to look forward to it, for sure.”
First and foremost, Parsons said the defense is focused on getting back to who they are. They claimed to be of the best units in the NFL after limiting their first two opponents to just 10 points combined and recorded seven turnovers.
They didn’t show that against Cardinals.
“It’s super frustrating, especially when you look at the tape,” Parsons said. “We strive for perfection. We’re striving, we’re striving, we’re pushing for it. You say you want to be this and you say these things. Anyone can say it, but you got to go out there and do it. So when you don’t do it and you don’t play up to the standard, you gotta look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I gotta be better in this phase. I gotta do this in this phase.’ And you gotta go out there and change.
“If we don’t change, we’re just as good as anyone else or we’re not gonna grow, but you look at the face of reality and say, ‘Hey! This is who I am right now. This is who I want to be.’ I go out there and fix it, and you become a better person, player and man. That’s what we gotta do.”
Fixing the Red Zone woes
Line 1 for the Cowboys offense on Sunday is fixing the team’s problems in the red zone.
The Cowboys have scored just three touchdowns on their last 11 trips in the red zone the past two games. They were 1 of 5 in the red zone against the Cardinals is a big reason for the 28-16 setback.
It’s been a talking point all week. McCarthy called it a blinking light that the Cowboys addressed with extra work in practice.
“Clearly, the stat we’re all talking about is the touchdown conversions, the efficiency,” McCarthy said. “We need to clearly be better in that. We have to score more touchdowns.”
Another stat that stands out is that a Cowboys receiver has yet to catch a touchdown pass this season. And for the first time in his career, Prescott has gone three games without throwing a touchdown pass to a receiver.
Receiver CeeDee Lamb has volunteered to be a problem solver in the red zone.
“We got to score it’s no secret,” Lamb said. “We’ve been 3-11 on last two games if I’m not mistaken. Let me touch the rock and we’ll get into the end zone.”
Tony Pollard: Life after Zeke
And on Thursday Tony Pollard rested.
While Sunday’s game is being looked as a homecoming for former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, it would be unwise to overlook the play of running back Tony Pollard.
Not only has Pollard replaced as Elliott as the team’s featured back, he has shockingly become the team’s bell cow in the backfield.
A guy who had never carried the ball more than 22 times in a game before this season, dating back to high school, has had 25 and 23 carries in each of the last two weeks and leads in the entire NFL in carries with 62 for 264 yards through three games.
Add in his 12 receptions and Pollard’s work load is off the charts.
He needed seven games to get 74 touches last season.
What has he proven in life after Elliott?
“It means I can handle it,” Pollard said. “I mean, I’m feeling great right now. I’m not have a problem with anything nagging me (injury-wise). I’m ready to go. Whatever they call, I’ve got.”
“I’m the same guy. I’ve been the same guy since I came in Day One,” Pollard said. “I just look at it as on the field, my opportunities have increased. But I’m the same guy.”
But there is no question that Cowboys are mindful of Pollard’s work load, which is why McCarthy rested him on Thursday.
But on Sunday?
McCarthy said the focus is on winning the game, not limiting Pollard’s carries.
Are Cowboys worried about Will Grier, Zeke Elliott spilling secrets
Bill Belichick ain’t slick.
He already had former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott on the roster.
And then this week he added former Cowboys quarterback Will Grier to the team.
Elliott was with the Cowboys for the the previous seven seasons. Grier was with the Cowboys the last three seasons before being released on final cuts last month.
Belichick has been known to come up with creative ways to get info on the opposing team.
The Cowboys know he is picking the brains of Elliott and Grier.
“We’re very aware of Will’s understanding of our current offense, Zeke’s understanding of the old offense,” McCarthy said. “But more importantly, their understanding of their former teammates. We’ve definitely talked about that this week.
Elliott knows the Cowboys personnel. He routinely sat in on quarterback meetings through his career. Grier knows the new offense installed by McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
“I’m excited to see Will, but I’m sure he’s being interrogated,” Schottenheimer said. “It’ll be a lot of late nights with the defensive coaching staff.”
What the Patriots are doing is nothing new. But the Cowboys will change some of their hand signals and do something to give the Patriots a false positive.
“Those are things we monitor every week, but obviously Will and Zeke know where the bones are buried,” Schottenheimer said. “Those are things you talk about. We certainly have more than one hand signal for most of our core concepts, and sometimes you can use it to your advantage. Everybody does it.
“You get a player that’s played somewhere, you bring them in to talk about different things, and you’re very selective about how much you put into it.”
