Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Patriots defeat Cowboys in the November Rain - 11/25/19

Episode Date: November 25, 2019

The New England Patriots defeated the Dallas Cowboys 13-9 on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Host Mike D’Abate recaps the action from the rain-soaked, windy matchup in Foxboro, and, to kick off Thanksgiving Week, he hands out his Cards of Thanks to those players that stood out above the rest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all you Foxborough faithful and welcome to your giving thanks for a Victory Monday episode of Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, analysis, and the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. This episode is brought to you in part by Away. Away creates thoughtful products designed to change how you see the world. For $20 off a suitcase, visit awaytravel.com slash locked on and use promo code locked on during checkout. If you're listening on the go and you can't visit away right now,

you can find this and all other offers from Locked On sponsors at lockedonpodcast.com slash offers. My name is Mike DeBate and I am your host of Locked On Patriots, which of course is a part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC, and be sure to follow Locked On Patriots on Twitter at LO underscore Patriots. So never mind the darkness, we still can't find a way,

because nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain. And folks, I chose to open today's podcast with that verse from Guns N' Roses' 1992 hit for two reasons. First, I love that song. I'll take any opportunity in November that I can to mention it. And second, it actually fits pretty well into yesterday's matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots. And that cold November rain fell abundantly in Foxborough yesterday afternoon and evening, but it was still not enough to keep this Patriots defense from getting key stops and turnovers when they were most needed. Pat's defense held the Cowboys' top-ranked offense without a touchdown for the first time this season. As New England beat Dallas 13-9, it was the Patriots' 18th straight regular season victory at home.

Now, the Pats were without two key receivers after Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett were ruled out with injuries. Of course, we all know Sanu has been battling the ankle issue. Sanu actually showed dramatic improvement. He was running around well on Sunday. He even looked at one point that there was a possibility that he could give it a go, but the Patriots wisely held him out of this game, allowing him that opportunity to rest up, and he will be needed as the Patriots start to enter their stretch run to close out 2019. Also, Philip Dorsett, not cleared by the league's concussion protocol, so he was not able to go in this one. Again, like Sanu, the Patriots need

Dorsett healthy for the stretch run, so it was tough able to go in this one again like Sanu the Patriots need Dorsett healthy for the stretch run so it was tough not seeing either one of those receivers in the lineup against the Cowboys yesterday but ultimately it ended up working to the Patriots advantage Tom Brady made the most of what he had and he tossed the first quarter touchdown pass to rookie Nikhil Harry had a couple of very nice completions to wide receiver Julian Edelman, and one in particular that stood out to me was a 32-yard pass to Jacoby Myers, and this really helped so many of us to see exactly how much of a contributor both Harry and Myers can be to this offense. So many are so quick to dismiss the skill level of this wide receiving core, and do they lack that big name? Yes, other than Julian Edelman. However, there is a lot of talent

here, and what Sunday's performance showed me was that these guys will not only get better, but there's also enough here to sustain a lengthy playoff run, but I will get to that in just a little bit. The best way to describe the action on the field for both teams was probably sloppy. Tom Brady finished 17 of 37 for 190 yards. Julian Edelman did catch eight passes for 93 yards receiving. However, it took a little bit of time for these two teams to find their footing, and the weather was a big factor in that. As they were ready to close out the first quarter,

New England got help from a special team's play to set up Nikhil Harry's touchdown. Matthew Slater, the captain, always in the right place at the right time, blocked Chris Jones' punt on the Dallas 30, Nate Ebner recovered on the 12, and then two plays later, Brady hit Harry in the front of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. That was the first touchdown catch of Harry's career, and the first of what New England fans hope will be many, and boy did he show off his athleticism and body control on that. Excellent catch for Nikhil, and it gave the Pats a 7-0 lead. In the ensuing drive, Dak Prescott was intercepted by Stephon Gilmore,

and the Patriots took over on the Dallas 29. They were in great field position to be able to take a 14-0 lead at that point. However, they quickly went 3-0 out, and they settled for a 44-yard field goal by Nick Folk. That made it 10-0 Patriots. Dallas struggled to move the ball for most of the game. Ezekiel Elliott did rush 21 times, and he had 86 yards. But the Cowboys were just 2 of 13 on third down. To me, that statistic really describes why they were not able to give the Patriots a

game in this one. The score was so close for much of this game, but it never really felt like it. Some of that was due to the weather, but most of it was in large part to the Patriots' defense. Dak Prescott finished 19 of 33 for 212 yards in an interception. Amari Cooper, their most prolific wide-receiving target, was held without a catch for the first time as a member of the Cowboys. One of the big reasons why?

Stephon Gilmore. And we'll get to him in just a bit. But the Dallas offense was mostly stymied by the Patriots' defense. And look, the Cowboys entered this game averaging 444.6 yards per game on offense and had the league's best passing attack averaging 312.7 yards. But the Cowboys looked out of sorts for most of the first half and again that was in large part to the Patriots defensive effort. They came into this game allowing just 152.6 passing yards. Now the Pats focused on taking away two of Prescott's favorite targets,

Cooper we already mentioned and tight end Jason Witten. Prescott only threw in their direction twice in the first half, the rest of the time throwing those short check down passes to his other receivers. Now Ezekiel Elliott, his running back, did help the Cowboys keep the ball moving, but his long gains were limited as New England stacked the box on 1st and 2nd down. Dallas finally found some traction when they were trailing 13-6 in the 4th quarter. That's when Dak Prescott connected with Randall Cobb for a 59-yard gain, and that got the Cowboys to the New England 25.

All of a sudden, they were in business. But the Cowboys just couldn't seem to push the ball across. The drive stalled on the Patriots' 11-yard line, and they settled for a Brett Mayhart 29-yard field goal but the Patriots had their issues moving the ball as well and Dallas actually had a chance to take the lead late in this game but facing a fourth and 11 on its own 25 with a minute 50 left Dak Prescott's 20-yard completion to Amari Cooper was nullified after an official review and it was indeed the correct call folks if you take a look Cooper never had possession the ball hit the ground came loose and at that point the Patriots then took over on downs drain the clock and they improved to 10 and

1 on the season as for the Cowboys they fall to 6 and 5 but they will return home to face another AFC East opponent the Buffalo Bills and right, Patriots fans are hoping that the Cowboys will return to form and give them some help by defeating the Bills in Dallas this Thursday on Thanksgiving Day. But we're here to talk about the Patriots and their victory over the Dallas Cowboys yesterday, and they showed a great deal of grit and determination in this game. Look folks, weather is always a factor for both teams, but the Patriots seem to rise to the occasion. It's true, the Patriots practice in all kinds of weather, whether it be Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, or really any member of this team. They've seen it all and

they've done it all, but credit to the Patriots coaching staff today. They came in with a great game plan. Even though they were missing some pieces, they didn't cry over spilled milk. They reassembled the team. They remembered that they still had their most reliable wide receiver, solid three-man running back core, and an improved offensive line with the addition of Isaiah Wynn, who was back in action yesterday after a stint on injured reserve. But even though this one looked bleak before the first snap ever took place, the Pats did what they usually do, what they had to do.

And that's why they're 10-1 heading into the month of December. And things don't get any easier from here, folks. They have an 8-20 matchup on Sunday Night Football versus the Sean Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. But before we take leave of yesterday's matchup with the Cowboys, there were some standouts that deserve mentioning. After all, gaining a win on a cold, rain-soaked, and windy afternoon is an accomplishment in and of itself. But who went above and beyond to deserve some gratitude

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And the defense played very well in this game. The special teams continue to be such a strong part of the team's success. But yet the narrative will remain an attack on the offense, specifically quarterback Tom Brady. And I'm not going to try to convince you that Brady had an outstanding or even a stellar performance yesterday. But there are a couple of things to consider here when you take a look at his performance.

First, keep in mind that Tom was listed on Friday's injury report with an elbow injury. And while some in mind that Tom was listed on Friday's injury report with an elbow injury, and while some originally said that it was mostly the Patriots managing his workload, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network said just prior to the game that it might be a little bit more than that, and that raised some eyebrows without question. NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran finally came in and said that the elbow was okay, Brady ended up going, and he was out there without any question. Now, as always, we'll be keeping a sharp eye to see if Brady's elbow remains on the injury report this week,

but all in all, Brady played, and he played the entire game, and yes, he did indeed struggle, but it's important to remember that he also got very little help in a game where the Patriots desperately needed it. They were without Mohamed Sanu, without Philip Dorsett, and even one of the most consistent men in their offense, James White, had issues with three targets and one reception. That one reception netted him negative six yards. So they weren't getting a whole lot of movement on offense, and when they did, they struggled with drops. Julian Edelman, Nikhil Harry, Jacoby Myers all struggled with

drop passes yesterday, and those do stall offensive momentum. Look, say all you want that rain is an excuse, but anyone that's ever played in conditions like that at any level knows that it's a factor, and a lot of those drops can be related to weather. And it wasn't only one-sided. The Cowboys had difficulties with it too. Amari Cooper, Jason Witten, Randall Cobb all had difficulty holding on to the football. Maybe before we start berating the Patriots offense we take a look and realize that maybe they're not as abysmal as one would have you believe. Are they clicking on all cylinders? No. No one is saying that they are. But with Sanu and Dorsett likely to be back next week

they can build on the good that they saw from guys like Jacoby Myers, Nikhil Harry, and Sonny Michel, and they can move from there. The offensive line was definitely helped by the return of Isaiah Wynn yesterday. Now, he did struggle a little bit. He was beaten a few times by Cowboys defensive end Robert Quinn. He was also whistled for a false start. But his presence at the very least added depth to the Patriots' offensive line, and they looked better equipped yesterday than they have in quite some time. There's still a lot of work to be done on that line,

but Wynn's return is a veritable step in the right direction, and they will continue to improve each week, especially with Dante Skarnecchia working with this group. But as dismal as the weather and the final score were, there were some bright spots in the form of players that stood out in this win. And this being Thanksgiving week, I'd like to take this opportunity to hand out some cards of thanks for this win yesterday.

And I start with the rookie Nakheel Harry. And Harry had a few downs in this game, but the ups outweighed them, especially the one that was worth seven points. With the touchdown reception, Harry became the 75th player to catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady. That extends an NFL record. Vinny Testaverde was second, having thrown a touchdown pass to 70 different touchdown targets.

Now, it was the 15th touchdown pass of the season for Tom Brady. That's a record for a player of his age. Don't forget, Brady's 42. Not sure if you knew that. It's never really publicized. No one really talks about Brady's age. You only hear it every minute of every game that he plays but that being said it was a record for a player after his 42nd birthday so kudos to Tom

on that one but bigger kudos to Nikhil Harry now the rest of the game wasn't so standout for Nikhil Harry Brady did target him three more times they didn't manage another reception Brady did challenge him with some of the targets one one coming near the sideline, the other coming in tight coverage in the red zone. Both of them were dropped, and look, it's definitely frustrating for both Harry and for Brady on this. Making receptions like that only helps to strengthen the chemistry and trust between Brady and his receivers, especially a rookie wide receiver like Harry. That's something that Brady and he are going to have to work on in practice, and they're going to have to improve as the games go on. But the athleticism and body control that Harry showed on that play were impressive, and for that reason, I think he definitely deserves a card of thanks on this one

for giving the Patriots their only touchdown of the game. My next card of thanks goes to Patriots running back Sonny Michel, who really was their most consistent offensive star of the game. Sonny ran with much more power yesterday than we've seen him do all season long. He didn't necessarily have that much of a burst. His longest play was 17 yards, but he was efficient, and that's something that the Patriots' running game has been lacking this season. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry and 85 total yards. Those stats may not leap off the page at anyone, but considering the lack of production the Patriots have been getting at the running back position,

Michel definitely gave them what they needed yesterday. He's faced a lot of criticism this year, but the Patriots badly needed Michel to help the offense on a day that they were without Sanu and Dorsett, and he did that. With Wynn's return helping to solidify the offensive line, Michel should see better opportunities, and I look for the uptick in his productivity to continue. From the offense, we go to special teams, and who better to receive a card of thanks than the captain Matthew Slater? As I stated when I opened the show, Slater always seems to find himself in the right place at the right time, and that isn't happenstance, folks.

That is because he is simply that good. His block on a punt with Jonathan Jones then recovered put the Patriots on the 12-yard line. That's where Tom Brady found Nakiel Harry for the Patriots' only touchdown of the game. The special team coverage units as a whole were impressive. Despite the heavy wins in Foxborough, their punt coverage and kick coverage was excellent, and they used that to their advantage to stifle the Dallas Cowboys. After an amazing game in Philadelphia last week that had him earn the honors of special teams player of the week, Jake Bailey struggled a

little bit. He looked a little uneasy kicking into the wind and with the wind. He had three touchbacks in this game, but his final punt was a thing of beauty. That landed at the eight-yard line, so an honorable mention for Bailey as well. This wasn't his best game, but he came up big when needed. Even though my card of thanks officially goes to Matthew Slater, anyone who knows Slater will tell you that he will share that with the rest of the guys on his unit. Based on the way they played on Sunday, that share is very well deserved. And don't worry folks, I also have defensive cards of thanks, and the first one goes to linebacker Jamie Collins, and he was omnipresent yesterday, all over the field with nine total

tackles. And I want to credit Henry McKenna of USA Today's Patriots Wire for nicely articulating an example of Collins' impressive athleticism, which struck me as well, and that was when he lined up in press coverage on Dallas' Randall Cobb. Now Collins was in charge of simply jamming Cobb at the line before dropping into zone coverage, But calling it a jam would be an understatement. Collins threw the receiver five yards in the wrong direction. That completely disrupted the route. On the stat sheet, Collins won't get credit for that play, but it was a true demonstration of how athletic linebackers can contribute in pass coverage, and Collins has been so

solid in doing that all year. So I do want to give Henry some credit on that. Really did like the way he articulated that in his column yesterday, and I definitely agree with his assessment there. But Collins' work in the pass defense is not the only place that he's been prolific. His work in the running game was also so important to the Patriots' success against the Cowboys yesterday. Zeke Elliott managed only 4.1 yards per carry and 86 rushing yards.

Rushing for 86 yards is certainly not an indication that the running back was shut down. Considering Elliott's run prowess, especially when you take a look at some of the backs that have hurt the Patriots throughout this season so far, guys like Frank Gore, Nick Chubb, Mark Ingram, holding Elliott to under 100 yards rushing all of a sudden looks pretty good, and Collins was such a big part of that. He was also instrumental in helping to keep Dak Prescott from scrambling at times, so just a great all-around performance for Collins, who continues to be one of the Patriots' toughest defenders, and someone whose acquisition continues to pay dividends each and every

week. So a well-deserved card of thanks to Jamie Collins, not just for this game, but really for the whole season all year long. And my final card of thanks goes to a defender that just for this game, but really for the whole season all year long. And my final card of thanks goes to a defender that just might end up being the Patriots MVP this year, and that's cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The Dallas Cowboys' most prolific wide receiver is Amari Cooper. He was held to zero catches on two targets. That's because of the coverage that Gilmore provided. Cooper had 88.6 yards per game with seven touchdowns heading into week 12 and yet Gilmore almost completely took him out of the game. One of the NFL's best

receivers became a non-factor because Gilmore's coverage was that good. He had the game's only interception in the first half and his lockdown coverage continues to be one of the biggest reasons why the Patriots continue to remain atop the NFL when it comes to defense. His play has been outstanding, and not only is he making the case for being the best corner in football right now, but I think he's also making a very strong case to be NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. Just a couple of weeks ago during the bye, I awarded him my gold midseason medallion. Today it is again my pleasure to offer him a big card of thanks for his play yesterday against the Dallas Cowboys.

So the Patriots head into the Thanksgiving holiday with a 13-9 victory over the Cowboys, a 10-1 record, and a continued presence at the top of the AFC. And this Sunday night, they will face another tall task entangling with the Houston Texans. And I will be discussing that matchup this week here on Locked on Patriots because like the defending Super Bowl champs, we do not take extended breaks for the holidays. I will be back tomorrow to put the finishing touches on yesterday's victory over the Cowboys

and turn the attention toward the Texans. A true Texas two-step. But don't worry, folks, I'm not going to dance. As always, make sure to join me each and every day on the Locked On Patriots podcast and subscribe to Locked On Patriots via your preferred podcast provider. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots. I thank you so much for listening today and staying locked into Locked On Patriots.

Best wishes and have a great day, everyone.