Chances are the New England Patriots, and quarterback Mac Jones, will have to be much more efficient offensively when going up against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Whether that be bettering their own red-zone offense, which ranks 31st in the NFL, or pushing the ball down field to better their 5.1 yards-per-play average, a mediocre performance like the one against the Houston Texans won’t be good enough against the Cowboys.
Dallas, after all, ranks second in both yards and points per game. There aren’t many offenses as multiple as the group led by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
One may wonder whether Jones feels any sort of added pressure given the offensive group on the other sideline.
“Yeah. They have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and you just have to go toe-to-toe and try and just compete and focus on yourself, but they do a great job,” Jones told reporters earlier this week, per a team-provided transcript. “I don’t watch offensive film, but I’ve seen some crossover film, and they move the ball well, and they’ve got great players. We just have to play our game and realize that, like I always say, it’s 11-on-11, and our offense versus their defense, and when we switch, they’ll be going against our defense, so that’s as simple as it needs to be.”
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talked at length about the Dallas offense ahead of the Week 6 matchup. Belichick acknowledged how the group, which had recorded the second-most rushing yards and third-most passing touchdowns, has the playmakers — Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Ezekiel Elliott, etc. — to put pressure on opposing defenses as much as anyone.
“Obviously the skill players are good,” Belichick said. “(Tony) Pollard leads the league in yards per carry, and Zeke’s (Ezekiel Elliott) Zeke. Dak’s (Prescott) Dak. You’ve got a couple of great receivers, but all that being said, (tight end Dalton) Schultz is really the receiving leader, which is pretty remarkable considering the guys that Prescott is throwing to.”
The Patriots are 26th in the league in yards per game and points per game. Their nine turnovers are the fourth most in the league while New England has scored touchdowns on six of their 16 trips to the red area.
The 4-1 Cowboys will travel to the 2-3 Patriots with kick off set for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
