'I'm Part of the Problem!' Can Dallas Cowboys' Secondary Dominate vs. Patriots Weakness?
For better or worse, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is a mirror to his surroundings. Quality play from his supporting cast could net New England a playoff berth as it did in 2021. Continued mediocrity, on the other hand, results in a Patriots offense that consistently ranks in the bottom half of football.
The Dallas Cowboys will host New England on Sunday, welcoming back running back Ezekiel Elliott and presenting cornerback Stephon Gilmore with an opportunity to get revenge on his former employer.
Going up against a defense led by head coach Bill Belichick is never optimal, and thus Dallas’ defense may be tasked with winning "America's Team'' yet another game. Frankly, they have more than enough talent to do so.
Yes, the Cowboys struggled defensively against the Arizona Cardinals, falling 28-16. The penalties hurt and cornerback DaRon Bland struggled a bit in his return to the boundary. It was a season-worst game for essentially the entire defense. ... and there is plenty of blame to go around.
“For the first (time) since I’ve been here,” safety Jayron Kearse said, “I feel like I was part of the problem, and not a problem-solver.”
Against New England’s receivers, though, there is plenty of room to rebound. ... plenty of ways for Dallas' defense to "problem-solve.''
Receivers Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and DeVante Parker have yet to establish themselves as one of the league’s better trios. Bourne, the best of the bunch, has been the only one to make much of an impact downfield and after the catch. It’s not surprising he has seven more targets than the next highest Patriot, tight end Hunter Henry.
DaRon Bland celebrating with safety Malik Hooker against the New York Giants.
© Ed Mulholland, USA TODAY
Generally speaking, it isn’t ideal for a team’s second, third, and fourth leading receivers to not be receivers. Additionally, per NextGenStats, Bourne is the only receiver of the aforementioned three to have a positive average yards after the catch above expectation.
Gilmore, Bland, and recently-recovered Jourdan Lewis should be licking their chops. Even without star Trevon Diggs, Dallas can compete along the perimeter. A bounce-back performance from the pass rush wouldn’t hurt, either.
Kearse, who struggled mightily against the Cardinals, put it simply.
“We hope they turn that tape on and think that’s the same thing they’re getting,” he said. “They’re not getting anything close to that.”
He speaks for not only the secondary but the defense as a whole. They’re expected to return to form, even against a savvy, Belichick-led team.
As frequently as Arizona is discussed in tanking conversations, their options at receiver are at least respectable. Between Parker, who has struggled to separate, Smith-Schuster, who hasn’t lived up to his contract, and a mostly uninspiring New England offense, the stage is set for Micah Parsons and the Dallas front and Kearse and the Dallas secondary to dominate defensively for the third time in four games.
