The New England Patriots will square off with the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots survived a potential upset in Week 5 versus the Houston Texans, overcoming a 22-9 deficit in the third quarter. New England improved to 2-3 on the season with Mac Jones as their starting quarterback.
As for the Cowboys, they have won four consecutive games following a narrow loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. Dallas’ latest win was a 24-point victory of the New York Giants in Week 5. While Dallas is favored to beat New England on Sunday, here are five reasons why the Patriots could pull off the upset over the Cowboys in Week 6.
You Can Air It Out Against The Cowboys
The defense of the Cowboys has looked much better this season than it did last season. Dan Quinn replaced Mike Nolan as the team’s defensive coordinator and Trevon Diggs has turned into a Pro Bowl level cornerback.
Despite the success Dallas has had on defense, they are still giving up the most passing yards per game this season. Even though Jones has been inconsistent this season, as long as he can play mistake-free football, the Patriots could stay within striking distance of the Cowboys.
New England’s Defense Can Force Pressure On Dak Prescott
Regardless of what their personnel is, the Patriots always find ways to force pressure under Bill Belichick. The addition of Matt Judon has paid dividends this season. New England’s defense has accumulated 13 sacks, which is tied for the seventh-most in the NFL.
The offensive line of the Cowboys has given up nine sacks this season, tying them for the eighth-fewest in the league. While Dak Prescott is a quarterback that performs well under duress, the Patriots may be able to force him into a couple of mistakes.
The Patriots Have A Solid Run Defense
Besides the dynamic aerial attack that the Cowboys have, the rushing duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard has been tough to contain. Dallas owns the second-best rushing attack in the NFL right now, averaging 172.8 rushing yards per game.
While the Patriots are allowing 111 rushing yards per game, they are holding teams to only 3.8 yards per attempt (tied for the sixth-lowest mark in the NFL). If New England’s defense can keep Elliott and Pollard in check on the ground, they could be in a position to make it a competitive game against Dallas.
New England Is The Home Team
It’s always nice being the home team in any given week as having a home crowd can be beneficial. The Patriots were the road team last week in their narrow win over the Texans. Also, New England is 0-3 at home this season, so playing at Gillette Stadium hasn’t been an advantage just yet.
That being said, the Patriots would prefer to play the Cowboys at home rather than having to travel to take on Dallas. While New England has yet to have success at home this season, they will be facing a Dallas team that had to travel to the East coast this week.
Mike McCarthy
Simply put, I don’t think Mike McCarthy is a good head coach in the NFL. Given the current structure of the Cowboys, McCarthy’s role is to make ultimate decisions on field goals and other moments in games. Up to this point, he’s been dismal in making those decisions. Kellen Moore has done a wonderful job calling the offense and Quinn has put his stamp on the defense.
If Sunday’s game is a close one in the fourth quarter, McCarthy could make a questionable decision that leads to a Patriots victory.
