Notebook: Woeful Mac Jones, Worrisome Injuries Litter New England Patriots Loss to Dallas Cowboys

The New England Patriots suffered a disheartening 38-3 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys; creating more questions for a team in dire need of answers.

For the second straight season, the New England Patriots find themselves at 1-3, with questions surrounding the franchise’s future at the quarterback position. 

The Pats suffered a demoralizing 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Week 4 — the 35 point differential being the largest margin of deficit experienced by Bill Belichick as a head coach in the NFL. 

While the majority of Pats fans will be content to lay the entirety of the blame at the doorstep of quarterback Mac Jones — who mustered only 12 catches for 150 yards with two costly interceptions and one equally expensive fumble — the team was thoroughly dominated by a clearly superior Cowboys squad, which was well-prepared to capitalize on the Patriots’ deficiencies. 

In contrast, New England appeared unprepared and overmatched in all three of the game’s phases. As such, they will enter their Week 5 contest against the New Orleans Saints (2-2) with more questions than answers. 

On that account, here are four postgame [and then some] observations from the Patriots Week 4 loss to the Cowboys:

Mac Made Mistakes … Inexcusable Ones

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 on Sunday, as the 25-year-old was responsible for three calamitous turnovers, as well as a failed quarterback sneak which led to a turnover on downs early in the second quarter. 

On New England’s next offensive drive, Jones scrambled out of the pocket while exposing a poorly-protected football to a a strip-sack by Cowboys’ defensive end Dante Fowler. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch recovered the fumble for a quick touchdown. With less than one minute remaining in the first half, Jones inexplicably sailed a late pass across the field for intended for receiver Kendrick Bourne. Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland read the miscue and secured the pick-six for 46 yards. Bland snagged a second interception on a pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster in man-to-man early in the third quarter, as well. 

Jones played one more series after that before he was replaced by Bailey Zappe.He finished the day with a dismal 39.9 passer rating. However, Patriots coach Bill Belichick insisted that Jones was only pulled beacause there was “no point in leaving him in the game.” In that vein, 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. 

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) and running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) warm up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY

Zeke Gets Only Six Carries

Following the showing of an emotional video tribute from his former team just prior to kickoff, Elliott appeared poised to log significant playing time against the Cowboys on Sunday. The veteran running back earned the Pats first two carries on their second series, gaining 13 of his 16 yards. Elliott looked fresh and motivated to put on a show for the crowed which unabashedly cheered him for seven seasons. 

Unfortunately for Elliott and New England, so was Dallas’ defense. With turnovers and failed offensive stands dominating both teams’ time on the gridiron, the Patriots faced a two-touchdown deficit when the beloved ex-Cowboy had the chance to make his presence felt. While Elliott’s lack of productivity was hardly his fault, the 28-year old showed enough shift and speed to be considered for a heavier workload in Week 5 and beyond. 

Onwenu Leads O-Line Regression 

On the heels of an encouraging performance against the New York Jets in Week 3, the Patriots entered their matchup against Dallas 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 three damaging penalties. The Michigan product was whistled for two false starts and a holding penalty which negated a first-down earning gain for 12 yards. While the unit collectively underwhelmed in both pass protection and run blocking, Onwenu’s uncharacteristic penalties contributed to New England’s woes on offense. 

Gonzalez Injury Changed Defensive Game Plan 

Through the first three weeks of his rookie campaign, Gonzalez more than held his own against a gauntlet of elite receivers — establishing himself as the Pats undisputed top cornerback. In fact, his impressive play allowed the Pats to employ their preferred man coverage/single-high safety defense, in which the lockdown corner [Gonzalez] covering their opponent’s top receiver. Against the Cowboys, Gonzalez was spending the majority of his time matched with Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb until the rookie suffered a second-quarter shoulder injury.  

With Gonzalez out of the lineup, New England was forced to change its defensive strategy — a point which Bill Belichick corroborated when speaking with reporters after the game. Pats corners Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade shifted to the outside, while the team deployed three-safety groupings. When defending the Cowboys’ three-receiver looks, versatile defensive back Jalen Mills spent time in the slot. 

Ultimately, Gonzalez’s absence allowed Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott greater ease with which to  complete his passed. Prescott finished the day going 28 of 34 throws for 261 yards and one touchdown against a secondary that not only was without its star rookie, but also lacking injured Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones. 

Up Next: 

The Patriots return home for the first time since their Week 2 loss to the Miami Dolphins (Sept. 17) to host the New Orleans Saints, who also lost their Week 4 matchup 26-9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kickoff for Week 5 is set for 1 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium.