This will be our Seattle game from last year

[Idgit]

Short of taking the ball away, a lot, I don't see how we win this game. Even if we get another solid performance at QB, I don't see how their QB isn't better given how we've played defense the last few weeks. And I question whether Weeden can continue to have solid performances. At some point, he's going to revert to making stupid decisions again, and it's going to cost us. If it's going to happen, happening against New England seems like a reasonable place for it to happen.

It's the NFL, though, so you never know. The game should be a really interesting one, though, if I can swallow that feeling of impending dread enough to enjoy watching what the coaches are planning on both sides of the ball.

 

[Tass]

I'm taking Dallas and the under.

I took the Patriots...that way I win no matter what.

(Well, if Dallas loses by 8.5 or less I guess I lose twice)

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Short of taking the ball away, a lot, I don't see how we win this game. Even if we get another solid performance at QB, I don't see how their QB isn't better given how we've played defense the last few weeks. And I question whether Weeden can continue to have solid performances. At some point, he's going to revert to making stupid decisions again, and it's going to cost us. If it's going to happen, happening against New England seems like a reasonable place for it to happen.

It's the NFL, though, so you never know. The game should be a really interesting one, though, if I can swallow that feeling of impending dread enough to enjoy watching what the coaches are planning on both sides of the ball.

The defense will have three impact players who were missing at the end of the Saints game – Hardy, McClain, and Lee. The only impact player who has yet to return is Randy Gregory. However, even without Gregory, they have the tools to mount a consistent pass rush just rushing four.

I don't expect the Cowboys will win, but if this defense is worth anything this year, it has no business being shredded, I don't care who is lining up across from them.

 

[tyke1doe]

With Brandon Weeden at quarterback?

 

[djmajestik]

I have the same feeling, I haven't been sold on the pats in a long time.

Weird, because I had to go all the way back to 2002 to find a year they won less than 10 games.

 

[spook930]

Weird, because I had to go all the way back to 2002 to find a year they won less than 10 games.

Not hard when you get to cheat.

 

[crashintonickdm]

it'll be close but we lose.

 

[RunDMC]

Winning at Seattle wasn't all that hard to foresee considering how dominant the offensive line was early in the season especially in the New Orleans game and really the Cowboys were a hard matchup for Seattle because of that big, powerful OL and as a result they were able to impose their will against the Seahawks. Also having the star power and the spectacular play ability of guys like Romo and Dez. Seattle's offense didn't really have anyone that scared you other than Wilson and Lynch. We were able to contain Wilson and the Seahawks didn't give it to Lynch all that much.

This game is gonna be a much taller task. New England is relatively healthy. The Cowboys are the exact opposite. Getting McClain and Hardy back is huge, but will it be enough to slow down the Pats offensive attack? Not without some turnovers. Then you take into account we're playing with a backup quarterback and how many times has Brady lost to a backup QB? Then there's the fact that right now there are no weapons on the outside. They'll just double Witten and force a pedestrian wide receiving corp to beat us.

With all that said I just have a weird feeling about this game. On paper New England should blow us out of our own home stadium. This game isn't played on paper and crazy things happen every week. If you're gonna beat the Pats it's gonna be on the road. Remember last year they got destroyed by Kansas City and that was a team that didn't have any real weapons other than Jamal Charles and Travis Kelce. Their receivers didn't score a TD all year. They got to Brady and they got interior interior pressure and made him uncomfortable all night. That's Dallas' recipe for success. I would expect for Hardy to play a lot inside next to Crawford especially on obvious passing downs and try to get after him. If we can do that and as Nate Newton says get him off the spot we have a shot. Byron Jones will likely draw the assignment of Rob Gronkowski and it's a tall order, but I think he has the athleticism and frame to give him some issues and I would expect to help him out if he struggles early and down in the red zone.

Offensively I don't see Dallas being able to run the ball. Not with the way the offensive line is performing. Not with the fact that none of these backs seem to be able to hit the hole when there is one and are still hesitating far too much. Murray was a guy who never hesitated. I think we'll see more of Lucky Whitehead both as a returner and a receiver. He at least adds a speed element that the Cowboys desperately need. There's no Darrell Revis on New England anymore so I think we'll see more shots down field like we saw against the Saints. When that happens we can't have the wideouts arm fighting at the line. Just go and get vertical.

All in all it's really gonna take a perfect storm. The defense has to create some turnovers which they haven't done this season. Having Hardy back should increase those chances, but guys have to catch the ball. Can't have any more dropped picks. We have to take care of the ball ourselves. No penalties. Hopefully Whitehead gives us a spark both in the pass and return game. We're gonna need to win the field position battle. Can't give the Patriots any short fields. I mean who knows? Maybe Hardy just has one of those games in his first game back and is just unblockable and is in Brady's face all game and putting him on the ground and the Cowboys are able to take away the connection with Gronkowski. Edelman is a concern, but Mo should be able to handle him. Amendola can cause Carr problems because of his shiftiness and quickness. Patton may be a better matchup in that regard.

 

[CATCH17]

From what I have watched this Pats D can be run on. If we can show some sort of life in the down field passing game we can have some success offensively.

Atlanta can be ran on as well..

Problem is when you repeatedly let another NFL team no when and where we will run with no threat of a pass you get negative results.

 

[Vtwin]

I can usually always find something to give me hope of a victory against any given team.

That ain't happening this week. The only way I see it being close is if Marinelli takes a lot of risks and guesses right on all of them.

The segment of Pat's nation I regularly deal with holds Jerry Jones responsible as one of the ring leaders of the deflategate clusterfoo. Hopefully the Pats don't have that additional motivation driving them.

I am interested to see how our O-line does.

I think the Pats can neutralize any pass rush we might come up with the quick throw to the wideout. They do that a lot. Have to take some risks and get it right.

 

[DejectedFan1996]

say what you want abouht a Garrett coached team, and there is plenty of material out there, rarely do his teams get blown out.

Giants 2011, Seattle 2012, bears 2012, Washington 2012, San Diego 2013, Bears 2013, 49ers 2014, Eagles 2014 all say hello.

 

[LandryFan]

From what I have watched this Pats D can be run on. If we can show some sort of life in the down field passing game we can have some success offensively.

And from what I've watched, unfortunately, we can't run very well. This may be a case of a resistible object meeting a movable force...

 

[LandryFan]

Short of taking the ball away, a lot, I don't see how we win this game. Even if we get another solid performance at QB, I don't see how their QB isn't better given how we've played defense the last few weeks. And I question whether Weeden can continue to have solid performances. At some point, he's going to revert to making stupid decisions again, and it's going to cost us. If it's going to happen, happening against New England seems like a reasonable place for it to happen.

It's the NFL, though, so you never know. The game should be a really interesting one, though, if I can swallow that feeling of impending dread enough to enjoy watching what the coaches are planning on both sides of the ball.

The only hope I hold is if Tony Dungy comes out and gives Dallas zero chance of beating the cheaters.

 

[landroverking]

Wishful thinking by the OP. Hope dreams come true. But the boys will have to be like plus five in turnovers.

 

[8FOR!3]

The way I see it is Brandon Weeden has to look like an all pro. In order for this to happen, T-Will, Beasley, Butler, etc. have to step up big time. Bc right now we have a backup QB throwing to pedestrian wide receivers with a pedestrian running game in the mix. It still makes me wonder how people blame Weeden. Last week he was the only bright spot in my eyes.

 

[KJJ]

This game feels a lot more like the Denver game in week 5 of the 2013 season. The Cowboys were a shaky 2-2 and the high powered Broncos were coming to Dallas 4-0. Denver looked unstoppable and the game had blowout written all over but the Cowboys battled them to the very end. This season the Cowboys are a shaky 2-2 while NE is coming to Dallas 3-0 and put up 51 points in their last game. The Cowboys odds are much worse in this game than they were against Denver because Romo and Dez are out. Hanging in with the Pats is going a monumental task. As for the Seattle game last season the Cowboys were riding a 4 game win streak into Seattle and were playing some great football. Although most of us didn't think the Cowboys would win we thought they could give Seattle all they could handle.

 

[KJJ]

I wrote in another thread yesterday this game does have that "upset" feeling but the deck is stacked against us. However I just don't see it not the way this team has played the past two weeks.

Without Romo, Dez, a solid running game and a good defense I don't see how the Cowboys can stay in this one. If they were fielding the players they had on the field last season along with Hardy this would be a ball game. If the Cowboys by some miracle pull this game off it would have to go in the top 5 greatest upsets in the history of the franchise based on how undermanned the team is.

 

[DFWJC]

I guess if we're looking for a silver lining, our three best defensive players (Lee, Hardy, McClain) were out last week and all will most likely be back this week.
That's significant.

 

[KJJ]

In 2010 a 3-8 Cowboys team playing with Jon Kitna went to Indy and upset a Peyton Manning led Colts team. However the Colts had lost 3 of their last 4 games but still that was a very unexpected win for the Cowboys. It took 4 turnovers to win that game.

 

[Craig]

I have the same feeling, I haven't been sold on the pats in a long time.

Really? What do they need to do to sell you?