The 6-4 Dallas Cowboys will travel to Foxborough, Mass., to take on the 9-1 New England Patriots this week for their 11th game of the season. Both teams are coming off wins last week and will look to make it back-to-back this Sunday. The Patriots are 6.5-point favorites at home in this matchup.
Up And Down
The Cowboys have had a roller-coaster of a season. After starting out 3-0, they are now just 6-4 but still in the mix for the NFC East as they fight with the Eagles for the top of the division. Dallas is coming off a win over the Detroit Lions on the road and will travel again this week to a tough away game in Foxborough.
Having a good season and leading the Cowboys has been quarterback Dak Prescott, who has thrown for 3,221 yards this season along with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has put together some very impressive games this year, but he will have to limit the turnovers against the Patriots’ tough defense if the Cowboys are going to have any chance in this one.
Ezekiel Elliott is back with the team this year and leading them once again on the ground. He has compiled 833 yards and seven touchdowns this season on 194 carries. It’s no secret that the Cowboys are better off when Zeke is getting his touches, so it will be interesting to see what Dallas can come up with to help him be effective this week.
The Cowboys have been averaging 28.6 points per game while allowing 19.7 points on defense. They have also been averaging 131 yards on the ground each game, which will play a big part in keeping Tom Brady and the Patriots offense off the field Sunday.
Still The One
Once again, the Patriots are sitting at the top of the league with just one loss this season. This is one of the best Patriots teams we have seen defensively, and it’s led to them holding teams to just 10.8 points per game.
They are led again on offense by future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, 42, who has thrown for 2,752 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions this year. Although he is not putting up his biggest numbers, the Patriots defense has stepped up a lot this season and taken some of the pressure off his shoulders.
After rotating wide receivers in and out early in the season, the Patriots’ leading receiver has been Brady’s go-to target, Julian Edelman. Edelman has 68 receptions this season for 716 yards and four touchdowns. With both Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett listed as questionable this week, Edelman will be relied on a lot against Dallas.
The Patriots are very similar to Dallas and have been putting up 28.7 points per game while allowing just 10.8. They are racking up about 100 fewer yards per game with a 372 average, but they are also only allowing 275 yards per game.
The Patriots’ only loss this season came against the Baltimore Ravens, and their other games have not even come close. While Dallas is a strong team, they do not seem to be on the Ravens’ level, which makes this an interesting matchup for both teams.
What to Expect
While the Patriots have been criticized for not having a tough enough schedule this year, they have handled the games they have played with ease, except for the Baltimore game. If this game was in Dallas, I could see them covering the 6.5-point spread, but I think the Patriots will take this game by closer to 10 points.
The Pats defense has been too good this season, and when the Dallas offense starts to struggle, the whole team seems to fall apart. Until Dallas shows it can win big games, I will take Tom Brady and New England.
