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Patriots Roster Breakdown: Defense, Specialists, and Special Teams

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Earlier, we reviewed the Patriots’ offensive roster. Now, it’s time to see how the Patriots’ roster looks on defense, with expectations and nuggets for each player. The Patriots are set to have a very athletic and young defense that will be relied on to win games throughout the season. The offense should be much improved, but the defense should be one of the best in the league.

Patriots Roster Breakdown: Defense

Photo Credit: Carly Mackler/Getty Images

Defensive Line

Christian Barmore

There might not be a more critical piece to the defense than Christian Barmore. Barmore has shown his ability — when he has been able to stay on the field. He has top-end ability to push the interior of the pocket and can win quickly at the point of attack. Pairing his interior pressure with elite edge rushers such as Josh Uche and Matt Judon would launch this defense into a new stratosphere. That newfound height for this defense will depend on Barmore’s ability to stay on the field.

Keion White

The Patriots’ second-round pick, Keion White, was all business on draft day, and has continued that attitude throughout his short Patriots tenure. In his preseason debut, he was all over the field and figures to play a significant portion of snaps this season. White was initially thought to be a situational role player, but may have forced himself into a more prominent role with his dominant display throughout the summer. White figures to be a bit of a tweener, playing inside on passing downs and on the edge in early downs. He may put up flashy numbers without any of the expected flashy show.

Deatrich Wise Jr.

Deatrich Wise, a defensive captain, enters his seventh year with the team. He has improved every year in his career, with 2022 bringing a career high in sacks and tackles. However, more than half of those sacks came in a single game against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Wise again figures to be a prominent piece of the New England defense and should rarely leave the field.

Davon Godchaux

If Barmore is the quick interior penetrator, then Davon Godchaux is the anchor in the middle. Entering his third year with the team, Godchaux projects to play on early downs, primarily as a run stuffer. He has shown some ability to rush the passer and would be best served in a rotation on the interior.

Lawrence Guy

Lawrence Guy initially stayed away from team activities this summer before reporting for training camp, due to reported discontent over his contract. Guy still has two years left on his contract and could be a potential candidate to be moved at the trade deadline, depending on needs elsewhere on the roster. Before we get to that point, he will provide a level, veteran presence for the entire defense, who plays hard and goes about things the “Patriot Way.”

Daniel Ekuale

Daniel Ekuale is a depth piece on the defensive line who has shown flashes in the previous two seasons with New England. With the team moving on from Carl Davis, Ekuale should see an uptick in snaps. He may put together a sneaky good season for those watching closely.

Sam Roberts

Roberts enters his second year with the team after being selected in the sixth round out of Northwest Missouri State. He had flashes of good and bad throughout the preseason and survived the dreaded roster bubble. Roberts projects to be a frequent gameday inactive, but plays with a high motor if he gets the chance.

Edge

Matt Judon

The household name on the Patriots’ defense after Devin McCourty’s retirement, and for good reason. Judon has 28 sacks in his two seasons in New England and will look to add to that total in 2023. The pass rush stalwart should again be amongst the league leaders in sacks, and will benefit from a healthy Barmore and a dominant pass-rush partner in Uche. Judon will need to stop his late season disappearing act if the Patriots want to make a postseason push.

Josh Uche

Josh Uche finally realized his potential in year three after being highlighted as a potential star in his other two seasons. The undersized linebacker out of Michigan is responsible for coordinating the Patriots pass rush on the field. Uche plays with great speed, and has paired it with a tenacious bull rush to complete his game. Uche is entering a contract season and will look to put together a season that gets him premier pass rush money in the offseason.

Anfernee Jennings

Anfernee Jennings caught a lot of eyes with his all-out play in the preseason finale. Throwing up mid-play and still making the tackle will do that for you. Jennings has struggled to get on the field since being a third-round pick out of Alabama in 2020. If Uche and Judon are the Patriots’ edge pass rushers, Jennings is the edge setter in the run game. He provides a strong anchor and should not often lose contain — if he isn’t guessing during the play. Jennings may find himself a frequent spot on the gameday inactive list simply due to the numbers and abilities elsewhere.

Linebacker

Ja’Whaun Bentley

Ja”Whaun Bentley has improved his play every year in the league and has rounded into a do-it-all linebacker. He broke into the league as a downhill run stuffer with the Patriots, but found himself playing a majority of snaps last season. Bentley is a field general in the middle of the field and should put together solid, but not flashy, numbers in 2023.

Jahlani Tavai

Jahlani Tavai may be the best part of the most recent Patricia experiment. After following Patricia to New England from Detroit, Tavai has become a consistent producer on the New England defense, and was awarded a contract extension last year. Tavai will play primarily on the early downs or in bigger personnel packages.

Mack Wilson Sr.

Mack Wilson enters his second year with the Patriots and could be an answer to the influx of athletic quarterbacks in the league. He is an undersized linebacker who shows tremendous play speed and effort. His role should grow as he gets more comfortable in the defense. Mack could find playing time through a QB-spy role against more agile quarterbacks.

Cornerback

Christian Gonzalez

The Patriots first-round pick has been touted as an absolute steal since draft night. Viewed by many as a top ten pick, Gonzalez fell due to positional need elsewhere in the league, as well as concerns about his lack of physicality. Gonzalez has gotten a lot of run with the Patriots’ veterans throughout the summer and should be a game one starter. It’s a disappointment the team didn’t bequeath him with number 24, as he has a superb chance of continuing the Patriots legacy of lockdown corners.  

Jonathan Jones

Jonathan Jones was the Patriots slot corner for a number of years before transitioning to the boundary last season. He put together an overall solid season, but struggled when matched up one-on-one with the league’s premier receivers. Jones returned to New England after turning down more money elsewhere. His health bears watching, as Jones has been dealing a nagging injury throughout the preseason. There is quite a drop off from Jones to the next boundary corner on the New England roster.

Marcus Jones

The do-it-all rookie last year was the most exciting part of Patriots football in 2022. Marcus Jones now returns with a year of experience and an All-Pro season under his belt. Despite his small size, Marcus Jones can lay the wood and is electric when he gets the ball in his hands. The last player before Marcus Jones to have a receiving, punt return, and interception return touchdown in their rookie season? Deion Sanders. Marcus jones should put up another highlight reel season in 2023.

Jack Jones

Jack Jones was a pleasant surprise last year with his aggressive style of play and sticky man coverage tendencies. He proved to have knack for the ball and was expected to start opposite of Gonzalez as a boundary corner. Unfortunately, the off-the-field troubles that plagued him in college continued this offseason, as he was arrested at Logan International airport in possession of multiple firearms. His status is questionable and a suspension is probably looming.

Shaun Wade

Shaun Wade was obtained in a trade from the Ravens two seasons ago. Since then, Wade has been active for a handful of games, but has mostly stayed on the Patriots practice squad. Wade can play in the slot or out wide, but has so far proven to be a depth piece and not a reliable starter.

Safety

Kyle Dugger

Kyle Dugger is one of a few unicorns on New England’s defense. He can hit like a runaway train or cover wide receiver one-on-one. He plays in the box as an extra linebacker or can play deep over the top. Dugger is in line for a significant contract after this season if New England doesn’t sign him before it’s over. Dugger should put together another great campaign in 2023.

Jalen Mills

When Jalen Mills initially signed in New England, the expectation was for him to be used all over the field in a role similar to the one he played in Philadelphia. Instead, injuries and the Stephon Gilmore trade left him being used primarily as a boundary corner. Mills was released this offseason before re-signing with New England with the expectation he’d be used more as a safety after McCourty’s retirement. The veteran got a lot of run in the preseason at his new position and should be a versatile piece of the defense.

Defensive back

Myles Bryant

Patriots’ fans favorite player to hate is sticking around for another season. And not because Belichick enjoys the anger and discontent, but because Bryant is extremely good — in a limited role. His top-end speed and lack of size can be exposed if he is used in extended stretches, but as a package defensive back he is a smart and reliable player.

Tweeners

Marte Mapu

If Kyle Shanahan is building a position-less offense in San Francisco, Belichick is doing the same on the defensive side of the ball. Mapu was viewed as a reach in the draft as a tweener linebacker/safety out of Sacramento State. However, Mapu may end up being the steal of the draft. He rarely left the field in training camp, as he played a new position with each wave of substitutions. Mapu has incredible football intelligence and very well may be an every down player for New England.

Jabrill Peppers

The former Michigan star seems to have found his swagger again in New England. As a do-it-all player in college, Peppers found himself in the Heisman conversation. This preseason, the defensive-back-who-primarily-plays-linebacker actually lined up to field punts. He brings versatility and big hit ability to the second and third levels of the defense.

Adrian Phillips

Adrian Phillips was signed as special teams ace, but has grown into a defensive star in New England. He and Peppers offer similar versatility and violence with contact, allowing a confusing rotation of defensive players in the New England secondary. Phillips is a prototype Belichick player who should enjoy another solid season in New England.

Specialists

Kicker

Chase Ryland

The Patriots chose to keep the rookie out of Maryland over trusted veteran Nick Folk, which should be all we need to know about how they view his potential. Ryland features a big leg that may intermittently lapse in accuracy. He should have a solid rookie season before putting it all together in year two.

Punter

Bryce Baringer

If the Patriots’ thirty yard punts drove you crazy last year, Belichick agreed with you. Bryce Baringer, a rookie, features an absolute cannon of a leg that should bring special teams back to “weapon” status in New England.

Special Teams

Chris Board

The Patriots were exposed on multiple levels on special teams last year. Chris Board was signed in the offseason to help remedy that issue. The special teams ace gained national attention in Detroit last year, and should be a core piece of the special teams turn around in New England.

Joe Cardona

The Navy long snapper was injured last year and finished the season on injured reserve. Cardona beat out competition this offseason to retain his role on the team. We shouldn’t hear his name often, due to his mistake-free style of play.

Brenden Schooler

Brenden Schooler enters his second year in the league after being an absolute stud on special teams as an undrafted rookie. He should continue to build his reputation as one of the best in the league, and hopefully learned not to try to get in Belichick’s good graces with grandiose gestures….

Matthew Slater

Realistically, this is the future Hall of Famer’s final season. Slater will continue to be the penultimate professional on and off the field.

Ameer Speed

Slater’s potential replacement is officially listed at corner, but spent training camp on the Slater practice plan: special teams, special teams, special teams. His name boasts his most noticeable attribute. He should be the gunner opposite of Slater and will prove to be hard to out-kick.

Patriots Stay Hot Against Falcons

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Patriots vs Falcons
Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

It wasn’t sleek. Or shiny. Or really that sexy. But if you’re complaining about the Patriots’ 25-0 drubbing of the Falcons on Thursday Night Football, you were probably the kid that complained they didn’t get enough presents on Christmas. Don’t be that kid.

While it may not get many points in the style category it certainly beats a “pretty loss.” The Patriots handled their business on a short week against the Falcons an unfamiliar opponent. And if you think New England should have beat them by more, just look at the results from Sunday and appreciate the W.

The Bills got dominated by the underdog Colts. The best team in the conference, the Titans, lost to the worst team in the conference, the Texans. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: a win is a win is a win. Doesn’t need style points.

Patriots vs Falcons Recap

Here are 14 observations from the Thursday Night Shutout.

1.) Kyle Van Noy was the lead story. He’s been coming along slowly throughout the season before erupting against the Falcons. He had 8 total tackles, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss, and one interception return for a touchdown. On a defense full of playmakers, one of the original boogeymen is rounding into form. Bad news for 31 other offenses.

2.) The Pats had 12 QB hits on Matt Ryan, a season high. That pressure goes a long way in explaining the team’s recent success on third downs. The Falcons were 2-11 on third down. The Browns were 1-11 a week before. Games are won on third down and the Patriots defense has been dominating opponents on the money down in recent weeks.

Over the last four games, the defense has pressured opposing QB’s on 48.5% of their drop-backs. Ryan was pressured on 59.4% of his drop-backs against the Pats.

3.) It’s a poorly kept secret that here at Around the Block Sports we’ve had a bit of a crush on Christian Barmore. He continued to be disruptive despite a quiet stat line (1 tackle for a loss). If you want teaching tape on what interior pressure does to an opponents’ passing game, watch Barmore against the Falcons.

4.) Staying with the big fellas up front, Carl Davis had himself a great game. He re-established the line of scrimmage in the Falcons backfield multiple times, including the critical fourth-down stop sequence in the third quarter.

5.) The Pats’ use of “big nickel” is a big reason for their defensive success and ability to match up with opposing offenses. In a typical nickel defense, a third corner enters the game, for the Pats they’ve been putting a third safety on the field. Devin McCourty has played 92.3% of defensive snaps this season, Adrian Phillips 81.5%, and Kyle Dugger 80.9%.

A big reason this defensive personnel package has found success is the hybrid ability of all three players. Phillips played primarily linebacker for the Pats last year. Add in Dugger’s train wreck level collisions and you aren’t losing a lot of physicality with the extra DB on the field. Not only does Dugger hit hard, but he shut down Kyle Pitts one on one in multiple instances Thursday night.

6.) The Browns scored 4:55 into the first quarter of their game against the Pats. Since then, opposing offenses have had 19 possessions with zero points. In that same time, the Pats have scored 70 unanswered points.

7.) The red zone defense is another reason this team has found success. They are allowing touchdowns on 48.3% of opponents’ trips into the red area. Last year they surrendered touchdowns on 65.3% of opponents’ trips, good for 28th in the league in red-zone defense. The Pats have 9 red zone stops this year, good for tops in the league.

8.) Going into the game, the theory was the Pats may revert to their roots in man coverage as the Falcons had struggled against it more than they had against zone. The Pats didn’t care. They played zone on all but 6 defensive snaps against the Falcons. It might have caught the Falcons by surprise as all three quarterbacks on their roster threw an interception.

It was the first time three quarterbacks on the same team each had thrown an interception in a single game since 2000. Current Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh was one of the offending parties for that Chargers team.

9.) Receiving stats since October 24: JC Jackson- 4 INTs, 91 yards, 1 touchdown. Odell Beckham Jr.- 3 catches, 24 yards.

10.) Belichick’s love for special teams had a palpable effect on the game. The Falcons’ average starting field position was their own 21-yard line. The Pats’ average starting field position was their own 33-yard line. A significant advantage in hidden yardage for the Patriots.

11.) Mac Jones is completing 83.7% of his passes over the last two games. Jones now has seven games on the season where he has a completion percentage north of 70%. No other QB has more than four.

And before we start screaming to the masses that Mac is a dink and dunk QB, his yards per attempt is greater than Patrick Mahomes’ or Justin Herbert’s.

12.) Despite his accuracy and usual good decision-making, he did struggle to identify multiple Falcons’ defensive looks on Thursday night. The Falcons were able to fool him with multiple defensive back blitzes. His interception may have been a case of misreading a post-snap coverage roll as well.

13.) The good news for the Pats having sustained success as the weather turns colder is their pair of absolute bruisers at running back. Damien Harris played 25 snaps while rookie Rhamondre Stevenson got 22. Stevenson had more touches than Harris, 13 to 11. Not a lot of defenses will enjoy seeing this team in the frigid northeast later this season.

Especially behind massive Trent Brown and human wrecking ball Shaq Mason. 104 of the Patriots’ 134 rushing yards against the Falcons came behind that destructive duo.

14.) The Patriots played the Bucs on a Thursday Night in 2017. The Buccaneers kicker missed three field-goal attempts that night and wouldn’t play in the NFL for two full years after being released the next day. That same kicker is now 25 of 27 on-field goals this year including going 4 for 4 Thursday night against the Falcons. Incredible comeback for Nick Folk.

Patriots Beat Panthers to Get Back in Playoff Picture

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Patriots beat panthers
Charlotte, NC – November 7: Patriots DB J.C.Jackson (27) walks on air as he crosses the goal line as he returns a third quarter interception of a pass from Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold (14) for a touchdown. The New England Patriots visited the Carolina Panthers for a regular season NFL football game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC on Nov. 7, 2021. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The Patriots beat the Panthers and best pal Sam Darnold on Sunday to get to 5-4 and climb back into the AFC Playoff picture. The victory got them above .500 for the first time this season, and the first time since Week 3 last year.

The team has been firmly on the rise for the last three weeks and maybe even in heartbreaking losses to the Cowboys and Bucs but now are getting the results that matter. The good news for this team; if defense still wins championships then we’ll be seeing them play meaningful football in January. The bad news for them; the offense is still showing signs of needing to figure some things out with rookie Mac Jones at the certain of too many mistakes.

As I’ve said here before, a win is a win is a win and as long as that is the result on Sunday’s the Pats will continue to buy time to tinker with their formula. If they can get it figured out, there won’t be many teams wanting to see Belichick’s team come playoff time. And with a couple AFC front runners stumbling on Sunday (looking at Buffalo, Las Vegas, and Cincinnati) the division and conference are suddenly wide open.

Enough about the future and time for 15 observations from the game against the Panthers.

Matt Judon Has Another Great Game

Matt Judon signed a four year $54.5 million contract in the offseason that had many wondering if the Pats had overpaid. 9 games into his Patriots career and not only is he making that contract look like an absolute steal but he is making his case for the best free agent addition of Bill Belichick’s career. Judon is filling up the stat sheet and when he’s not, he’s impacting the play in other ways. He is the newest Patriot to receive “Gronk rules’-where the refs are essentially blind to most penalties against you.

Judon added 4 more tackles, 1 sack, and 1 tackle on Sunday, bringing his season totals to 36 tackles, 9 sacks, and 10 tackles for a loss. He has 40 QB pressures on the season and an incredible 17.2% pressure rate. He has single handedly changed the New England defense.

Pass Coverage

The pressure that Judon is consistently bringing is changing the Patriots into a successful zone coverage team. The Patriots have historically been a man coverage team under Belichick. On Sunday the Pats ran 8 cover-1 coverage snaps compared to 32 cover-3 calls and 10 cover-2 calls. Despite running more zone the Pats were effective in pressuring Darnold, affecting the ex-Jet on 51.4% of his drop-backs. That’s a recipe for success.

Jamie Collins Makes His Presence Felt

Despite only playing 16 snaps Jamie Collins again had himself a productive game collecting 3 tackles, a forced fumble, and an absolutely ridiculous interception. That kind of performance isn’t sustainable for a full snap count but he has to be close to getting more than a part time gig at this point. Collins intercepted the ball 0.17 seconds after release, the quickest interception since 2016.

Another Big Day for J.C. Jackson

J.C. Jackson switched his Instagram handle to Mr. INT and if that isn’t the CB1 energy you want there’s a team in New York that wears green and is taking fan applications. Jackson added 2 more picks on Sunday including his first career pick six-despite playing only 38 of 59 defensive snaps as he recovered from his bout with strep throat. Jackson now has 22 interceptions since 2019, most in the NFL. In a contract year he is becoming a bona fide lockdown corner.

Scoring Offense and Defense

The Patriots are now one of four teams in the NFL to rank in the top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Pats have the number 10 scoring offense and number 4 scoring defense, joining the Bills (#4 offense, #1 defense), Cardinals (#2 offense, #3 defense), and Rams (#5 offense, #10 defense). Good company to keep.

Mac Jones Joins the C

Mac Jones joined Andrew Luck and Dak Prescott as the only rookie QB’s in league history to have 5+ wins, 10+ TD passes, and 2,000+ passing yards in their first 9 starts. More good company to keep.

Mac Jones Concern

For the first 8 weeks Mac made a living making sure he wasn’t the reason the team lost. Last Sunday against the Chargers he graded out as a net neutral, not hurting the team but not elevating them either. Unfortunately against the Panthers he was liability. The coaching staff agreed as Mac had a career low 18 passing attempts. The Panthers defense is no joke but the slowing momentum from Mac brings concerns that opposing coaches staff are figuring something out about the rook.

Mac was making headlines on Monday for his play on the lost fumble. Some among the Panthers have called him a dirty player and are calling for a suspension. Mac will probably be fined. The play in question isn’t great for Mac but also not as bad as people want you to believe. Take a look for yourself.

Offensive Line Excels

The Pats settled on a Wynn-Karras-Andrew-Mason-Onwenu offensive line for the first time against the Jets three weeks ago. Since then the starting five are third in pressure rate allowed (22.4%) and second in pass-blocking efficiency. They’ve also had their three best rushing outputs since installing this combo with a season best 151 yards on Sunday against a stiff Panthers defense.

Christian Barmore Has Another Great Game

If you’ve been reading along this season, you know we’re big fans of Christian Barmore. The rookie had another solid outing Sunday with 3 hurries, 2 run stuffs, and 2 batted passes. He ranks first among rookies in QB hurries and batted passes. His 23 pressures are nothing to sneeze at as his playing time has been increasing over the last few weeks. Barmore is consistently disruptive with his rare combination of size, power, and explosiveness. How he feel to 38 is a mystery but the Pats are very happy to be the benefactors.

Historically Good EPA

The Pats were historically bad in early down situations on defense last year. In 2020 the early down defense allowed 0.13 EPA (expected points added), good for 29th in the league. It’s extremely tough to win in this league if opposing offenses consistently find themselves in third and short situations. They have turned it around this year allowing -0.04 (!!!!) EPA on early downs. This largely has to do with Ja’Whaun Bentley returning to his normal role since Hightower’s return. He has been one of the better run stuffing linebackers in the league through 9 weeks this season. Add in do-it-all safeties Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger playing in the box in nickel and dime defenses and the Pats have a very real recipe for success.

Myles Bryant Steps Up

Myles Bryant has done an exceptional job filling in for slot corner Jonathan Jones. He was involved in two more big hits on Sunday, a week after laying the wood on Keenan Allen for a big stop at a pivotal moment. He is starting to turn some heads around the league.

Former Patriot, Stephon Gilmore, Dominates

Stephon Gilmore played well against his former team, basically being responsible for all of Carolina’s points. His coverage on Jakobi Meyers forced Mac to hold the ball a tick longer on the Burns strip sack before later adding an interception of his own. Jones said after the game he needed to look at the film to see what happened but it appears Meyers was picked by the underneath defender allowing Gilmore a clean break on the ball. Without that contact it looks like Gilmore still would’ve had a pass defensed. He continues to be a top NFL corner.

Stevenson Puts on a Show Before Injury

Rhamondre Stevenson had his best game of his career, totaling 106 all-purpose yards (62 rushing, 44 receiving). Stevenson is a split-legged runner, making it tough for defenders to get a clean shot on him and allowing him to quickly change direction. His open field vision is also starting to show. His 41-yard catch in the second quarter was the spark the offense had been lacking for the first 20 minutes of game action.

Both Stevenson and Damien Harris left the game with injuries. Their status bears watching headed into a physical matchup with Cleveland this weekend.

Season Outlook

With week 9 officially over the Pats hold the final wildcard spot in the AFC playoff picture. Their next six games feature matchups with the Browns, Titans, Bills (x2), and Colts. A big opportunity for them to cement their status as a contender.

New England Patriots vs Dallas Cowboys Preview

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New England Patriots
(Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The New England Patriots’ victory against the Texans was U-G-L-Y. While fans were not impressed, players and coaches were impressed with the team’s effort to fight through adversity. While it wasn’t a dominant effort, these ugly wins sometimes provide momentum. Case in point? 2001, Week 5. Patriots are 1-3 coming into the game and trail by 10 in the fourth quarter. A certain young QB threw his first career touchdown pass before the Pats won the game in overtime, 29-26.

This year? Pats are 1-3 entering week 5, trail by seven entering the fourth quarter, and get the comeback. The league, especially the AFC, is loaded with top-end-talented teams this year; maybe the comeback against Houston gets this team rolling. The Pats have shown to have the talent to lock down the Buccaneers and exhibit incredibly balanced offensive talent; they just need to execute better. If they do, watch out.

They’ll get their first chance to do so this Sunday against a very talented Dallas Cowboys team. Everybody knows the Cowboys tout an extremely talented core of offensive players, but their defense has been stealing headlines throughout the season. While it’s an extremely improved group over last year, their passing defense is surviving on takeaways. New England fans will appreciate that effort but know the dangers in playing that sort of game.

The only difference? Dallas has been truly elite in taking the ball away. Weird stat for this one? The Cowboys won the first seven matchups between these two teams before the Pats ripped off six straight of their own: historical standings head-to-head? 7-6, Cowboys. We’ll dive more into this in the breakdown below. So, without further ado and continuing the “who has the advantage when…” format, the breakdown!

The New England Patriots’ Passing Attack

Two shocking stats about Mac Jones and the Patriots passing game; Mac Jones has more 20+ yard completions than Patrick Mahomes this season and according to PFF, Mac only had two turnover-worthy plays against Houston. That second stat certainly felt like a lot more.

Jones hasn’t been an unstoppable downfield thrower, but he has become an opportunistic downfield shot guy and as long as he stays smart with the ball, the Pats’ offense is in good hands. The biggest complaint is McDaniels conservative playcalling once the Patriots enter the red zone. After his dime of a touchdown throw to Henry on Sunday, hopefully, Mac has shown enough to stop the three consecutive screen calls.

The Cowboys have given up yards in the passing game, ranking 31st in the league in passing yards allowed. However, their ability to get the takeaway is incredible. They have an incredible ten (!!) interceptions through their first five games. CB Trevon Diggs has six of the ten interceptions. It would be wise for Mac to look elsewhere in the passing game.

The good news? Diggs does not often travel into the slot meaning security blankets Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Henry should draw favorable matchups. The Cowboys often engage their opponents in high-scoring affairs and part of that is the plethora of yards they let up through the air.

Advantage: New England Patriots (as long as Mac avoids Diggs on the outside)

The New England Patriots’ Run Game

For how loose the Cowboys are against the pass, they are equally stingy against the runs. The Cowboys feature the fifth-best rushing defense while the Pats boast the sixth-worst rushing offense. While the Cowboys are allowing 4.2 yards per carry, this is not an area the Pats want to have to rely on to win the game.

The offensive line was a pleasant surprise last week and the return of Shaq Mason and Mike Onwenu hopefully means even more success. Ted Karras did a wonderful job standing in at LG against the Texans and perhaps a shuffle might lead to better results for the Patriots’ offense. Sliding Onwenu out to RT where he starred as a rookie and keeping Karras at LG might be the lineup the Pats need to move the ball on the ground while also being sturdy in pass protection.

The Cowboys feature an active LB corps and a stalwart along the defensive line in Demarcus Lawrence. The Pats had a ton of success of play-action against the Texans and should try to establish the run game if only for this reason. Mac has been fantastic off of play-action throughout the season, continuing that aspect of the game will benefit everyone in the Pats offense.

Advantage: Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys’ Passing Attack

Before the season most fans would’ve been extremely concerned to hear that Jalen Mills was the key to the pass defense while playing CORNER. Mills’ absence was apparent last week as the Texans picked on Joejuan Williams, eventually forcing slot man Jonathan Jones to play to the boundary. Mills’ return this week is going to be a must for the Pats.

Dallas’ talented WR trio of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup is a big test. In the last matchup, Stephon Gilmore erased Cooper while JC Jackson mirrored Gallup. They won’t be able to do that this year with Gilmore gone. The Pats should utilize a similar game plan as they did against the Bucs with “cat” coverage across the board. Jackson should draw Cooper, Jones on Lamb, while Mills’ return asks him to cover Gallup. It should be a battle on the outside all game long.

Safety Devin McCourty had an extremely rough game against the Texans and a return to the norm for him will go a long way towards the Pats defense having success on Sunday. The safeties will be involved in limiting the suddenly productive Dalton Schultz at tight end. He has become a security blanket for Prescott, seeing seven or more targets in the last three weeks, hauling in six in each of those contests.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has been fantastic in his return from a brutal ankle injury last year. To have success against him, the Pats must get pressure while also maintaining containment-something they have struggled with this season. Matt Judon continues to be a force on the outside, leading the league in tackles for loss (8), second in sacks (6.5), and sixth in QB hits (10). He’ll need to be at his best for the Pats to be disruptive here.

Rookie DT Christian Barmore is slowly rounding into form, and while his stat line remains quiet, he’s impacting the game elsewhere. He drew two holding penalties last week while facing the second-most double teams in the NFL. Sacks will eventually come for the talented second-rounder. Jamie Collins quickly reacquainted himself to the New England defense getting a sack in one of his three snaps. He should see more action this week.

Advantage: Dallas Cowboys (but not by as much as expected)

The Cowboys Run the Ball

This is where the game will be decided. The Cowboys are second in the NFL in rushing yards (864) while the Patriots are 15th against the run. The Patriots run defense comes as a surprise as they’ve been a sieve against the run thus far. The good news? Dont’a Hightower is rounding into form, playing his best game on Sunday. Hightower had five tackles, including four run stuffs. Hightower rounding into his normal disruptive forms will help immensely in steadying this defense down the stretch.

Thumper Ja’Wuan Bentley’s return will also boost the Pats’ run defense but expect to see some matchup utilization out of the Pats’ linebacking corps. With Elliot and his bruising running style on the field, expect Hightower and Bentley to man the middle. When the Cowboys deploy change of pace back Tony Pollard, Van Noy should draw the card and see some playing time.

The Cowboys no longer have All-Pros all along the offensive line but do have a sturdy group that can do the necessary dirty work. The Patriots’ defensive line doesn’t need to blow up every play but they must slow the offensive linemen from getting upfield. If the d-line can keep the linebackers clean, expect the Pats to be stingy.

They must also be disciplined in staying in their run fits to contain Dak and the designed QB runs and from keeping Dak from pulling it on an option read and skirting around the edge. The Pats won’t be able to completely stop the Cowboys running game but must contain it and limit the damage.

Advantage: Dallas Cowboys

Special Teams

The Cowboys have attempted only four kickoff returns this season, good for second least in the NFL. The Pats should try to take advantage of the lack of experience with a few kickoffs short of the goal line. The same goes for the Cowboys in the punt return game, only attempting five here as well. The Cowboys have struggled in the kicking game going 9/11 in field goals and 17/19 on PAT’s. The Pats would be wise to have the Cowboys going into the open end of the stadium in the fourth quarter in case it comes down to a field goal.

For the Patriots, Nick Folk has been incredibly consistent since joining the Pats last year and has continued to be this year. His four made field goals last week, including two from 50+ earned him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Folk now joins Stephen Gostowski as the only Patriots kickers to make two 50+ field goals in one game. It was also his third time as a Patriot with four made field goals in a game. And in a “brag about your kicker” kind of way, he’s second in the league in points scored.

Belichick’s affection for special teams is well known and the mismatch here might allow for the Pats to steal a possession or get some very important hidden yards.

Advantage: New England Patriots

Coaching

The stuff of legends: Mike McCarthy vs. Bill Belichick. Just kidding. McCarthy was scared to answer questions from Boston Media on Wednesday for fear of Belichick gaining valuable information. While McCarthy isn’t a rookie coach, he has been prone to making rookie decisions. His decision-making process for going for two or going for it on fourth down is not based on analytics or old-school football knowledge but more in a “well why not now?” sort of way. As we saw last week, some coaches can’t help but get out of their own way against Belichick. There should be a couple of situations that fall into this category on Sunday.

Advantage: New England Patriots

Prediction

Despite obvious concerns regarding the New England Patriots, it feels like a “trap game” for Dallas. Essentially, the Pats will do just enough to get an ugly, if not signature win. Mac Jones has been steadily progressing and may be on the verge of putting it all together. Hightower rounding into form with the talent of Judon, Van Noy, and Collins will assist a typical Patriots defense while Belichick shows that the Texans game was a mere blip on the radar (he was honestly extremely proud of the teams’ effort last week, something that hasn’t been making the national media rounds).

A loss on Sunday would drop the Pats to 0-4 at home this season, something that feels unprecedented. The offensive line keeps Mac mostly clean while the defensive game plan reverts to the old bend-but-don’t-break.

Pats win 26-24