New England Patriots vs. Dallas Cowboys Snaps & Grades: Mac Jones, Offense Fail?

Patriots Country breaks down the numbers and possible meanings behind the Pats’ playing time in New England’s Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

FOXBORO — Following their 38-3 demoralizing loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 at AT&T Stadium, the New England Patriots continue to take stock into their performance on both sides of the ball.

Having turned in a performance littered with negatives, there are plenty of areas in which the Pats will seek improvement. While game-film analysis will be the main focus, a look at playing time may assist the team in helping devise effective strategies moving forward.

Here is a look at the Patriots snap counts, along with a grade for each position grouping.

OFFENSE

On offense, the Pats overall snap count was 55 versus the Cowboys.

NFL Game Summary: New England Patriots vs. Dallas Cowboys 1 Oct. 2023 - Offense Snaps / NFL Copyright © 2023 by The National Football League

Quarterbacks

Though Jones’ skill set is far from being devoid of its detractors, he is seldom careless and confused for the majority of his time on the field. Such was the case against the Cowboys as the 25-year-old was responsible for three calamitous turnovers, as well as a failed quarterback sneak which led to relinquishing the ball on downs early in the second quarter. Eventually, Jones finished the day having completed only 12 passes for 150 yards and a dismal 39.9 passer rating before being replaced by Bailey Zappe with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter. The Pats second-year backup completed only four of nine passes. Jones is expected to resume his starting duties in Week 5. Still, the Alabama product faces a week of observing his errors, learning from them and making the necessary corrections. After all, the inexcusable mistakes cannot and will not be tolerated moving forward.

Grade: F

Running Backs

In theory, New England's running game is expected to be the catalyst for sparking Bill O'Brien's offense by gaining yards on early downs to facilitate play action. However, with the offensive line struggling to block for the run as much as in pass protection, both Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott managed a collective 46 yards on 20 carries; a significant regression from their 139-yard output against the New York Jets in Week 3. Even with the line's struggles, the Patriots rushers must muster more than that to awaken what has the potential to be a formidable running game.

Grade: D

Receivers

DeVante Parker led all Patriots receivers by playing on 45 snaps on offense. However, he caught only 2 passes for 33 yards. Beyond that, the Pats output at the position was disappointing, at best. Kendrick Bourne (29 snaps) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (26 snaps) each totaled less than 35 yards, with Smith-Schuster catching only one pass for 14 yards. Rookie Demario Douglas was limited to two catches for 45 yards, of which 42 came on one reception and the afternoon’s only offensive highlight. Ultimately, no member of New England's receiving corps found the end zone in Week 4— a fact which adequately sums up the group's forgettable performance.

Grade: C-

Offensive Line

After seemingly making some progress in the Pats Week 3 win over the Jets, the Pats unit still looked like a group continuing to find its identity against Dallas. The Pats line struggled to adequately block for the run game, as well as failing to protect the passer. They entered the day with a starting offensive line consisting of Trent Brown at left tackle, Atonio Mafi at left guard, David Andrews at center, Michael Onwenu at right guard and Vederian Lowe at right tackle. Mafi, who got the nod in place of the injured Cole Strange (knee,) did an admirable job of protecting against Dallas’ several stunts and blitzes. However, the unpleasant surprise of the day was Onwenu, who committed two false starts and a holding penalty which negated a first-down earning gain for 12 yards. Overall, the unit collectively underwhelmed in both pass protection and run blocking,

Grade: D-

Tight Ends

Once again, Hunter Henry led all pass-catchers with four catches for 51 yards. The team captain was present for 80 percent of their snaps on offense, providing the sole bright spot on offense. Mike Gesicki caught one pass for 12 yards while Week 3 hero Pharaoh Brown logged only 22 snaps, mostly in blocking duty. Through the season's first three games, the tight ends had been the most consistent and efficient positional group in O'Brien's offense. Still, it was not enough to overcome the shortcomings of a collectively poor offensive showing.

Grade: C

The Patriots even failed a quarterback sneak in a demoralizing loss to the Cowboys / Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSE

On defense, the Pats overall snap count was 70 versus the Cowboys.

NFL Game Summary: New England Patriots vs. Dallas Cowboys 1 Oct. 2023 - Defense Snaps / NFL Copyright © 2023 by The National Football League

Defensive Line

After keeping New York’s run game in check just one week ago, the Pats defensive line surrendered 124 yards to the Cowboys on the ground in this matchup. Defensive lineman Christian Barmore defensive end Deatrich Wise paced the group by playing on 43 snaps (61 percent) on defense. With reserve lineman Daniel Ekuale having been placed on injured reserve, the Pats increased the workload of Keion White (27 snaps) with Sam Roberts chipping in on 19 percent of the Pats defensive plays. While the line did not commit any egregious mistakes, they failed to both facilitate pressure on the passer and stop the run.

Grade: C

Linebackers

Though the linebackers had their struggles, they performed reasonably well in the face of losing their top player in Matthew Judon. Once again leading all players at the position by taking 63 snaps, positional captain Ja'Whaun Bentley earned five total tackles. Jahlani Tavai earned six tackles (two, for loss) with one sack, while Josh Uche also contributed a sack on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. While Prescott’s ability to shed the ball quickly limited their effectiveness, New England’s linebackers were arguably their best unit on the field.

Grade: C+

Cornerbacks

Having entered this contest without the services of Jonathan Jones, New England's corners faced a tall task in attempting to contain Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb. That mission became nearly impossible when the Pats lost rookie Christian Gonzalez to a shoulder injury in the first half. Yet, the Pats mobilized their "next man up" mentality by moving Shaun Wade from the slot to the boundary, while charging veteran Jalen Mills with duties in the slot to defend Dallas’ three-receiver sets. Myles Bryant, aligned for all 70 snaps on defense, and led the group with 10 total tackles. Overall, the Pats corners did the best they could against a dangerous group of Dallas pass-catchers. Still, a handful of missed tackles between Wade and Bryant ultimately doomed their ability to haunt Dallas’ passing game.

Grade: C

Safeties

With the cornerbacks decimated by injury , the Pats safeties did an adequate job of completing their Week 4 assignment of defending the middle of the field against a Cowboys offense capable of using it to their advantage. New England used a three-safety set to provide help to the corners, led by Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger — who played 100 percent (Peppers) and 90 percent (Dugger) of the team's snaps on defense. Dugger led the team with 15 total tackles, while Peppers contributed eight. Overall, the duo is rapidly becoming one of the toughest cover safety tandems in the NFL.

Grade: C

Up Next:

The Patriots will carry a 1-3 record into the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium for their Week 5 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET. 

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