Let's talk Patriots

[IceStar-D7]

Belichick is the ultimate test for our defense and offense. He pretty much shut Brady down and should of won that game. If Dak and the offense can go into New England and put a 40 Burger or even 35 points on them I'll be impressed. I look for Belichick to try and run the ball down our defensive throats to mainly control clock and keep Dak and the offense off the field. Our run defense has to be ready. This is one game I wish Wilson was in. We need somebody to put some wood on the Patriot runners. But I guarantee Belichick will attack us with the run. But watch it be just the opposite

 

[john van brocklin]

Mac Jones is game manager, 5 TDs with 5 interceptions so far. Their offense is ranked near the bottom but the defense is top 10. It appears they relying mostly on their D and the rookie as game manager to wins games.

26th in scoring
5th in points allowed

29th offensive turnovers
11th defensive turnovers

The bottom line, we should win this game pretty easily.







https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nwe/2021.htm

Lets beat the Patriots !

 

[sean10mm]

The 2021 Patriots aren't the old Patriots.

1. Their offensive line play has been terrible all year, even before the injury wave hit they were getting blown off the ball on run plays and giving up free kill shots at Jones in the pass game. The Texans gave them a reprieve on that front because they're god-awful, but the Cowboys should be able to dominate the Patriots OL. They're also not playing particularly smart; there are a couple plays every game where they just get bass-ackwards against teams running stunts. This is quietly the biggest story of the year for this team - an OL that was expected to be good has been a season-threatening disaster.
2. Their receiving weapons are expensive but mediocre. The running backs would be OK if they weren't all fumblers. It won't take a crazy complex game plan to beat them, they just need their guys to know their role and not give the Pats any freebies.
3. Mac Jones is better than his stat line suggests, he's been getting blasted even on quick hitter passes and several of his picks were either tipped to the other team or the result of just getting annihilated while throwing. He's not throwing deep, but that's mostly a function of awful pass protection and weak outside weapons. He's usually good for 1 or 2 rookie blunders but he's ahead of the rookie learning curve to the point where, if anything, it's the veterans on the team that look like the dumb ones.
4. Just in general, this has been a sloppy, soft, undisciplined team all year. Belichick (so far) has just not been able to make this look like a "real" Patriots team like we're used to. Mac Jones has potential but this is a team where the veterans are self-sabotaging more than the rookie is, and that's just a bad place to be.

If the Cowboys can just play to their level - not over-achieve, just play a solid 4 quarters - they should blow this Patriots team out of the building. The mystique is dead with Brady gone, they over-achieved hard against Tampa Bay and Brady had to throw in a downpour and they still lost. Then they barely squeaked by a dire Texans team.

 

[Denim Chicken]

I see the Patriots playing their safeties deep and making the Cowboys nickel and dime their way down the field. I think Belichick will gear their defense toward stopping the passing game, and let the Cowboys run. His goal will be to shorten the game, and limit the amount of possessions where the Cowboys can score.

The Cowboys will likely win, but they will also have their lowest scoring output of the season and the other teams will have a roadmap to how to slow this team down.

I'm not sure about that. Seems their defense has had the most trouble with slants and the underneath, YAC stuff. They play more man coverage than any team in the league. Just need to recognize the pressure and where the rush is coming from (Dak is great at this). Downfield should be open.

I think Dak has one of his higher output games.

Dak Prescott leads the NFL with 7 passing TDs (108.3 passer rating) in blitz passing situations this season.

From the Bucs game:

The backbone of Belichick’s game plan was man coverage, with some disguised pressures mixed in. The Patriots often toggled between sending a fifth rusher and dropping one or two players into a short zone over the middle behind a four-man rush.

 

[Clove]

In the 90s, the Cowboys put the fear of god in teams, and the Cowboys won before they ever played 1 snap. That's how this Cowboys team needs to conduct themselves. We are the force, and we're coming for you.

 

[Clove]

One key to victory in my mind. If the Cowboys can neutralize their pass rush, we win.

 

[Romo_To_Dez]

The Patriots have a six-game win streak against the Cowboys. In those games, the Cowboys have a grand total of three offensive touchdowns—all Tony Romo passes. They’ve been held without touchdowns in four of the contests, including the last one, and to less than 14 points in five of them. Belichick has shut them down.

Will make it all that more interesting to see if Kellen Moore can successfully counter Belichick.

 

[Scotman]

BB is 63-76 in his career without Tom Brady.

Tom Brady without BB has a Superbowl ring. The Patriots are 2 and 3 this year.

The Cowboys need to clean up their mistakes and we win this game easily. That said, the next game is always the most important game of the year. If you want to keep building, you win this game.

 

[Bob-Lillys-War]

Garrett Jr. a.k.a. Little Kellen will get destroyed ?

thoughts ?

 

[rags]

No Brady. No worries.

 

[Flamma]

Belichick is the ultimate test for our defense and offense. He pretty much shut Brady down and should of won that game. If Dak and the offense can go into New England and put a 40 Burger or even 35 points on them I'll be impressed. I look for Belichick to try and run the ball down our defensive throats to mainly control clock and keep Dak and the offense off the field. Our run defense has to be ready. This is one game I wish Wilson was in. We need somebody to put some wood on the Patriot runners. But I guarantee Belichick will attack us with the run. But watch it be just the opposite

That's what worries me. Mac Jones also played great that game. At one point completing 19 passes in a row. But overall I don't think the Patriots are that good. I think Dallas can outmatch them. I just hope it doesn't come down to a last second FG to win or lose.

 

[TheHerd]

The Patriots run defense is worst than the Giants was before Sunday...this alone is room for serious concern for BB.

The Pats throw to the flats and deep in breaking routes..thank goodness DAL has fast LBs now to cover those flats and CBs have too guard Gallup in training camp who runs that square in really good.

Not gonna lie, mud stomping the Pats would be sweet. Cowboys by 17.

Flares to WRs and RBs often go for big yardage against our D. And the Pats defense is excellent against the pass and BB will figure out how to slow our running game down.

I expect a very hard game and I really think this one is a litmus test. Everyone is talking the Boys up as a serious contender now. This is exactly where the past versions of the Cowboys came out flat and lose a game they should win.

This is the game that will convince me they are different, or confirm we are the same team we've been for 25 years

 

[Chuck 54]

Diggs is not an elite, shut down corner, but he’s very good, and he’s creating takeovers, which is what the Cowboys want him to do. He does get beaten and he does miss tackles….duh. While we often have a lack of respect for pro bowlers, I like to see what other players and coaches feel about guys.

We like Diggs. He is exactly what we need so far, but let’s not go overboard. He’s not going to the HOF…..yet.

 

[RaZon]

Second week in a row where I can't get up for the game simply because there is no doubt about the outcome. We got this no problem at all.

 

[DUO_CORE]

66 deg and sunny w/15mph winds gusting to 21.

 

[Hoov]

Cowboys are clearly the better team overall.

Most likely The Patriots strategy will be to limit big plays even if they give up chunks on the ground and play good enough red zone defense to force field goals instead of TD.

on offense I would expect they will protect the young QB by running a lot of short high percentage passing options with some motion or misdirection to get guys open and move down the field and hope to win a 24-23 type game.

 

[Wolfpack]

Cowboys are clearly the better team overall.

Most likely The Patriots strategy will be to limit big plays even if they give up chunks on the ground and play good enough red zone defense to force field goals instead of TD.

on offense I would expect they will protect the young QB by running a lot of short high percentage passing options with some motion or misdirection to get guys open and move down the field and hope to win a 24-23 type game.

Agree. But you could also roll the dice and play press and bring all your backers, hoping to get the runner or force a audible to a quick throw.

 

[Hoov]

Agree. But you could also roll the dice and play press and bring all your backers, hoping to get the runner or force a audible to a quick throw.

Yes. They may. But going on what I have seen them do over the years if my memory serves correct I have seen them not get overly worried about losing the battle in the run game if they can trade that to shut down the passing game.

 

[Wolfpack]

Yes. They may. But going on what I have seen them do over the years if my memory serves correct I have seen them not get overly worried about losing the battle in the run game if they can trade that to shut down the passing game.

That’s one the things I love about football, the chess match. Hoping KM is sleeping on the office couch all week ha.

 

[Twin928]

Sorry folks diggs stresk will end bcuz no way bellichek has Mac Jones throwing diggs way at all