The New England Patriots snuck out a 15-10 win last week against the New York Jets, but this week, they’ll have their hands full with one of the top teams in the NFL coming off a shocking loss.
The Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a bounce-back game after getting upset by the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. It’ll be a battle of elite defenses with both offenses trying to get back on track.
Buy Patriots TicketsIf the Patriots wish to improve to 2-2 on the season, they’ll need a few things to go right for them in this game. These are the keys to victory to the game for the Patriots and Cowboys matchup:
Run the ball, control the game.
The Patriots improved their run game, but it is nowhere near up to speed for where this offense needs to be, especially if they plan on sticking to the Bill O’Brien playbook of run first, set up the pass and utilize skill players with short area throws for yards after the catch.
The run game was supposed to be the bread and butter of this team, and although Mac Jones and the passing game looks improved, it is not efficient due to the current one-dimensional feel of the offense in the first three weeks.
This week, the Patriots will need to run more effectively and become a less predictable offense to control the game. Ezekiel Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson are more than capable running backs, and they should have a bounce back week if the offensive line can finally start playing as a cohesive unit again.
Contain CeeDee Lamb
Christian Gonzalez is your Defensive Rookie of the Month for September, and he earned it through his impressive coverage skills against the likes of Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Garrett Wilson.
He now has yet another tough task against the Cowboys in Ceedee Lamb. Stopping Lamb is easier said than done, but with Gonzalez gaining trust from his teammates and coaches, the Patriots could leave him on an island more in this game.
He is a special talent, and the Patriots finally have someone they can use on an island again. It’s 10-on-10 football whenever Gonzalez is on the field. Finally, the Patriots have some elite talent on their overall roster outside of Matthew Judon.
Efficient drives and capitalize on mistakes
If the Patriots defense is as legit as they have been thus far, they should cause some turnovers against Dak Prescott this week. They’ll need to if they want to win this game.
The Cowboys are never out of it with Prescott and the weapons they have, but the Patriots will have plenty of opportunities to give their defense some rest and generate points.
They need to do a much better job of converting punts and turnovers into at least three points, along with extending drives. If the Patriots want to win any games moving forward, they’ll need to be much more efficient on offensive drives.
