Gamebreakers: The Cowboys’ dominance against the Patriots

Gamebreakers: The Cowboys’ dominance against the Patriots



TXRISCO, FLS The majority of the free world was curious about the Dallas Cowboys’ response to their humiliating defeat to the Arizona Cardinals the previous week. The Cowboys thoroughly destroyed Belichick’s team at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, providing them with a resounding victory over him and the New England Patriots.

The defense put up yet another strong performance, and the special teams also contributed to the lopsided victory, which finally forced Belichick to wave the white flag and substitute Bailey Zappe for Mac Jones in the game.

Similar to Weeks 1 and 2, it was another team effort from Dallas, but these 10 impact players opened up a very, very enormous can of whoo-—you get the idea.

DaRon Bland, CB: Bland will be hotter than a Hоt Dave’s slider, regardless of the slot, boundary, or parking lot where the hоt dog seller is located. After recording a pick-six to begin the season in Week 1, he was moved to the outside following Trevon Diggs’ ACL tear prior to Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 4, he made Mac Jones the latest victim of his skills when he caught his second pick-six of the year late in the second quarter, leading the Cowboys to a 28-3 lead in a Dallas victory that was ultimately decided by a whisker. However, not before he picked up his second interception of the game on a fourth-and-two play after halftime.

QB Dak Prescott: A two-time Pro Bowler, Prescott entered the locker room with a mission against Bill Belichick and the Patriots. He skillfully led the Cowboys down the field to a potential touchdown on the first drive, but Luke Schoonmaker, a rookie tight end, dropped the ball. With the defense and special teams playing well, Prescott recovered with a 20-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb to give the Cowboys a 10-3 lead. Prescott had another excellent day against Belichick.

What can I sаy, CeeDee Lamb, WR? WR1 put on another outstanding performance, as he recovered from the Patriots game by catching the previously mentioned 20-yard touchdown pass from Prescott, ending the Cowboys wide receivers’ season-long drought of not having scored a touchdown. He continued to make timely catches and demonstrated his toughness once more following the catch.

WR Michael Gallup: That settles any doubts about Gallup’s role in the “Texas Coast” offense for the second time in as many weeks. Another impact play, this one with sure hands and yards after the catch, came after his greatest game of the season. It’s obvious that the Cowboys have figured out how to incorporate Gallup more, and he’s not throwing away the chances. He has demonstrated that he is fully recovered from his ruptured ACL, both physically and psychologically.

Leighton Vander Esch, LB: On Sunday, the wolf hunter was looking for Patriots. When it came to containing Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott (on his return to AT&T Stadium), Vander Esch excelled in run support. To further compound the оffensive harm to the Patriots, Vander Esch recorded his first defensive touchdown of the season with a scoop-and-score after Dante Fowler forced a turnover. Esch ended the afternoon leading the club in tackles.

Dante Fowler, DE: Without Fowler, who is carrying over his stellar 2022 season into 2023, there would have been no fumble to recover from. In the second quarter, the seasoned defensive end skillfully swiped at the ball to force it to the ground while simultaneously exploding off the edge to track down a running Mac Jones. It was Fowler who set it up in a “Dwayne Wade to Lebron James” kind of way, but Vander Esch would do the rest.

TE Jake Ferguson: Ferguson is really establishing himself as Dallas’ top tight end as the weeks go by. Ferguson is gaining a lot of momentum, but Peyton Hendershot was sidelined with an ankle ιnjury, and Luke Schoonmaker is still getting his feet under him as an NFL player. By halftime, the second-year player and former fourth-round pick had accumulated 73 receiving yards on six catches (100% catch rate on targets). Prescott appears to have discovered a new source of security at tight end.

WR Jalen Tolbert: A wide receiver usually doesn’t make this list as a special team member, but Tolbert did, and therefore he is on it. The Cowboys’ opening drive resulted in an 18-yard reception from the second-year wide receiver, but Fowler’s tag team effort with Vander Esch halted the drive with a two-yard loss due to his tackle on Bryan Anger’s 55-yard punt. He’s figuring out how to influence 2023 games, and the Cowboys are thrilled to see it.

Bryan Anger, P: Is there any love for the punter? Anger is widely acknowledged as possibly the greatest punter in the NFL, but against the Patriots, more than just his leg was on display. Following Vander Esch’s touchdown, Anger faked a field goal attempt and passed the ball to defensive lineman Chauncey Golston, who successfully converted it into the end zone to give Dallas an 18-3 lead.

Neville Gallimore, defensive end: The tape will clearly demonstrate how effective Gallimore was against the Patriots’ оffensive line, even if the stat line doesn’t sаy it. When he wasn’t making the tackle personally, he was directing traffic to make plays go against their natural flow and into the arms of numerous teammates who were eager to receive them. Gallimore demonstrated why the Cowboys were unwilling to let him go during the offseason, particularly in light of his impressive camp performance.

Special recognition goes to Hunter Luepke, FB: I’m having a great time fitting the rookie fullback onto this list after pleading with the Cowboys to use Luepke in short yardage and watching them execute it, and successfully, against the Patriots on Sunday. In the fourth quarter, on a third-and-three, Luepke accepted Prescott’s handoff and bowled himself straight into the end zone, scoring the league’s first-ever touchdown and putting the last nail in the Patriots’ coffin.