FOXBOROUGH – In a sensational upset on the road, the Dallas Cowboys outlasted the New England Patriots in overtime, 35-29. Despite several self-inflicted wounds for Dallas including an unprecedented 12 penalties for 115 yards, two turnovers, and a missed field goal attempt, the team rallied. The Cowboys put up their first win in New England since 1987 in stunning fashion, bringing their win total to five—the same number as the rest of the NFC East combined.
Dak Prescott threw for 445 yards, the most ever against a Bill Bellichick team, and three touchdowns. Two came from CeeDee Lamb who finished with 149 yards (16.6 average). Defensively, Randy Gregory’s relentless violence off the edge and Trevon Diggs’ pick six in the fourth quarter spurred the exhilarating road win. The game shift? Prescott’s completion to Lamb on third-and-25 to put the Cowboys in position for Greg Zuerlein’s 49-yard field goal to tie the ballgame with :20 seconds left. Lamb picked up 24 yards on the play that gave Dallas favorable field position and a chance to come out on top.
First Quarter:
A rough start for the Cowboys in Foxborough. Dallas failed to convert on fourth-and-one from their own 34 and the Patriots quickly responded with a score in three plays. After not reaching the end zone in the first quarter in the previous three games, New England took an early 7-0 lead.
Kellen Moore answered. On a seven-play, 75-yard drive, Dak Prescott connected with five different weapons, culminating with a Blake Jarwin touchdown. Josh McDaniels dialed up a successful drive, targeting the Cowboys’ second level by getting running backs and tight ends in space out of the backfield. The four-play, 75-yard drive ended with a Hunter Henry 20-yard touchdown reception.
The Cowboys struggled on the next drive with costly errors. A hands to the face penalty by Tyron Smith wiped out a 45-yard pass (to New England five) from Dak Prescott to Cedrick Wilson, his second penalty of the day and the Cowboys’ fifth. Conversely, the Patriots had none. The Brad Allen officiating crew missed a late hit on Dak Prescott in the first series and another shot at Prescott to conclude the first quarter. He got clobbered in the head and once again no call, drawing frustration from the Cowboys’ sideline.
Second Quarter:
To begin the second quarter, the continued drive ended in a Kyle Dugger interception. Prescott’s pass was intended for Cedrick Wilson, but Dugger tipped the pass to bring Mac Jones and his supporting cast back on the field.
Randy Gregory saved the next possession. He drew a holding penalty that brought back the Patriots’ touchdown and prevented a 21-7 lead. The next play, his lethal get-off brought Mac Jones to the ground. The ball came out and rookie Chauncey Golston recovered. Momentum shifted to Dallas midway through the second. On the offense’s next drive, Dallas could not capitalize with seven points. Prescott’s pass to Wilson in the end zone was incomplete. Jonathan Jones clawed the ball away to knock it out. No. 4 threaded the needle, but Jones came out victorious. The Cowboys had to settle for a field goal, trailing 14-10 with 6:39 in the second.
The next drive for New England ended in a sensational special teams play. After the Patriots failed to convert on third down with Jones’ pass to Jakobi Myers, Cowboys’ linebacker Luke Gifford lunged forward to block the Patriots’ punt– The first blocked punt by the franchise since 2015. Dallas got the ball at New England’s 17-yard line.
However, after an unconventional turn of events, the Cowboys could not cash in. Prescott was ruled short of an apparent touchdown on third down. No. 4 then tried to reach across the goal line for a touchdown on a quarterback keeper. The initial ruling on the field was a touchdown but was reversed. Fumble. Prescott lost control before crossing the plane.
Third Quarter:
To start the second half, Gregory made an impact. On third and two, he fired off the edge like a missile to bring Mac Jones to the ground for his second sack of the day. He was relentless in pressure with a speed-to-power move and violent hit on Jones to force a three-and-out.
The Cowboys’ offense could not return the good fortune. Dallas punted the ball and the defense responded, forcing a Patriots’ punt. Gregory dominated the drive with constant pressure on Jones, collapsing the pocket and nearly registered a third sack. Chauncey Golston was credited with the tackle for loss to force the punt and Jayron Kearse tripped Brandon Bolden to disrupt the play.
Dallas then put up a methodical drive. With big gains to Ezekiel Elliott (18 yards), Noah Brown (27 yards), and Dalton Schultz (20 yards), the Cowboys put up seven. Prescott threw a strike to CeeDee Lamb in the back of the end zone. The toe-drag king hauled in the catch to give Dallas their first lead of the day, 17-14 on the eight-play, 91-yard drive.
Dan Quinn’s unit then forced a punt at the end of the third.
Fourth Quarter:
A 33-yard gain by CeeDee Lamb against the Patriots’ zone coverage put Prescott over 300 yards passing and helped set up Zuerlein’s 45-yard field goal to make it a 20-14 ballgame.
The Patriots took back the lead. In a drive shedding over six minutes off the clock, New England was able to establish the ground game, culminating in a one-yard touchdown run by rookie Rhamondre Stevenson. The Patriots took a 21-20 lead with 6:50 on the clock.
A suspect holding call stalled an otherwise promising drive and Dak Prescott came up short of the first on third down. McCarthy declined to go for it and Greg Zuerlein missed a 51-yard field goal.
Then, the remarkable happened. Trevon Diggs recorded his second pick six of the year and his seventh interception in six games to give the Cowboys a 26-21 lead. He intercepted his former Alabama teammate to give Dallas a chance to seal the win. Rookie Micah Parsons had a stellar block downfield to clear the way for Diggs to reach the end zone.
However, one play later, the Patriots answered with a touchdown of their own. Mac Jones hit Kendrick Bourne on a 75-yard pass. Bourne beat Diggs and Damontae Kazee with a double move and reached the end zone to give New England a 29-26 lead. A poor angle by Kazee led to a New England score.
The Cowboys responded with a field goal. Dak Prescott’s connection with CeeDee Lamb over the middle of the field for 24 yards set up Zuerlein’s 49-yard field goal to tie the game, 29-29. Time expired to send the game into overtime.
The defense got away with no facemask penalty called against Anthony Brown to force the stop. Prescott took the field and led the team to victory in enemy territory. Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb on a 35-yard pass. Lamb walked into the end zone to bring the thrilling game to a close in Foxborough as the Cowboys advanced to 5-1.
On the injury front, Prescott suffered a right calf strain on the final play of the game and will be further evaluated on Monday in Frisco per the Cowboys.
