FRISCO, Texas – The 4-1 Dallas Cowboys will head Northeast to take on the New England Patriots in Foxborough. The Cowboys have a two-game lead in the NFC East and will strive to continue their win streak on Sunday. Dallas is the last undefeated team against the spread and have scored 35 or more points in three consecutive games. The team has cemented a run of dominance in recent weeks and Week 6 presents a statement game. Here are some storylines ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
Dual Backfield: Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick holds a reputation for taking away what a team does best and forcing an opponent to win “left-handed.” For the Cowboys currently, that is the running game. Dallas has gashed defenses with their one-two punch, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Over the last month in impressive fashion, Dallas has totaled 804 yards on the ground through four games. Defenses have had zero answers for Pollard’s dynamic ability in space and Elliott’s downhill power. On the stat sheet, New England may have the fifth ranked run defense in the league, but that has been against a suspect early-season sample. Both premier backs they faced were Leonard Fournette (138 yards) and Alvin Kamara (118 yards), who were clearly effective. At some point, an opponent is going to try and stop this Cowboys’ sensational rushing attack. Belichick will likely make that his primary focus but by intentionally loading the box, that provides favorable matchups for Dallas’ receivers. Right guard Zack Martin vocalized the team’s approach, “Kellen [Moore] has said from the beginning that we’re an offense that aggressively takes what a defense gives us, so I think we will be ready for whatever they throw out there.”
Aerial Attack: Since throwing 58 times in Week 1, Prescott’s attempts have gone down with the emergence of the run game. As history reveals, the Cowboys’ greatest recipe for success is with the run game intact – as this season testifies to. In year six, Prescott is playing the best football of his career. His pre-snap reads and mastery of defenses is at an elite level in 2021. The Mississippi State product has been blitzed on 39.7% of his dropbacks, the highest rate in the league. In facing the blitz, Prescott is averaging 8.1 yards per pass attempt – a testament of QB1’s growth. New England has not been a heavy-blitz team, a result of the team’s two-gap front. In those instances, players sit and hold the line of scrimmage then react, as opposed to a penetrating one-gap. Given Belichick’s tendencies, there will be a dose of both. Prescott has only thrown the ball 26.8 times per game the last four weeks and that number will likely increase as the Patriots game plan to stop the run. That will provide more targets for Dallas’ wideouts and receiving tight end, Dalton Schultz.
Dan Quinn’s Unit: Patriots’ rookie quarterback Mac Jones is naturally releasing the ball quick. New England’s passing game is based on an attack over the middle of the field, and screens and hitch routes along the perimeter. With shots over the middle of the field, Dallas’ safety play will be critical. With New England’s space game, linebackers will play a key role in containing the flats. Jones does not take many shots downfield, which helps mitigate an opponent’s pass rush. Rattling the young quarterback in the pocket and getting him off his spot will play a pivotal role in freeing things up for the second and third levels of the defense. Dallas currently has the longest active streak in the NFL with multiple takeaways, forcing two-or-more turnovers in night straight games dating back to the 2020 season. Despite the takeaways, teams have thrown the ball at the second-highest rate against the Cowboys. Although, that statistical component is misleading considering teams have had to come from behind passing the football and have not been able to establish the run against Quinn’s defense early on.
Injury Updates: Starting safety Damontae Kazee is expected to play Sunday against the Patriots. He sustained a hip injury against the Giants in Week 5 that flared up on Tuesday morning. Kazee worked with the rehab group on Thursday but confirmed he feels “good now.” “I’ve just got to take it one day at a time.” In addition, cornerback Trevon Diggs (ankle) did not practice for the second straight day and worked on resistance chords with trainer Britt Brown. He did not seem concerned about his status for Sunday’s meeting. On the opposite side of the ball, starting left tackle Tyron Smith was added to the injury report on Thursday with a neck injury and was a limited participant on Thursday.
