Despite a tough defensive performance on behalf of the Dallas Cowboys Sunday afternoon, the New England Patriots stretched their regular-season home winning streak yet another week, beating the Cowboys at Gillette Stadium, 20-16. That’s now 20 in a row.
With Dallas leading late, it was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady connecting with tight end Aaron Hernandez for an 8-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left that put New England up for good.
Here’s what we learned about the Patriots Sunday:
Patriots defense is certainly getting there
First off, the Cowboys really are a strong team. They have all the makings of a playoff contender, even with the two embarrassing losses they earned over the first four weeks of the season. Coming off its bye week, Dallas came prepared. Not the high-scoring affair many expected, but rather a gritty, defensive battle where both marquee quarterbacks were challenged — both finding success only in spurts and in no-huddle formations that eliminated substitutions for the opposing defense.
But that’s because the Dallas defense is no pushover. They are ranked in the top 10 for nearly every category imaginable, if not in the top five.
New England continues to improve itself on defense, something that has been an obvious focus since the start of the season. Like a lot of NFL teams, the Pats have to get by without certain key players lost to injury, but, even after losing defensive captain Jerod Mayo, the Patriots are weathering the storm. Gary Guyton, Brandon Spikes and Rob Ninkovich are just a few of the linebackers who have stepped up and played big in Mayo’s absence, and that’s exactly what Belichick and his staff expect.
Wes Welker would make a good ref
There was only one touchdown scored a by the Pats in the first half — a 5-yard strike from Brady to Welker — and the play was originally called down at the Dallas 1-yard line.
Immediately following Welker’s effort to score with his signature one-arm outstretch, trying to get the ball across the goal line as a defender pushed him down and out, Welker popped up off the ground and began to symbol toward his head coach to throw the red challenge flag.
If that wasn’t enough to get Belichick to throw the flag, the replay certainly was. And Belichick, who has won his last three challenges over the two last games, did just that. The call on the field was overturned and the Patriots were awarded a touchdown.
Pats still go as Brady goes
No, it’s not the first game of his career that Brady turned the ball over a few times and made it tougher for his team. It’s not the first time he went and brought his team back from a deficit to win in the final seconds, either.
For as much as Brady does for his team week in and out, it’s hard to think of many games where he falters and throws multiple interceptions. But it definitely happens. The only loss of the season for the Patriots comes from his four-interception performance versus the Buffalo Bills in Week 3. Granted, two of those picks probably weren’t his fault, they still happened. Plus, the game was still only a field goal of a difference, and Brady marched his team down the field to tie in the final minutes, going 71 yards.
Wait, he is human, right?
While Brady often puts up superstar numbers, when he fails to do so, his team struggles. It’s a big job to handle. Can anybody see third-string rookie Ryan Mallett doing that in 10 years?
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