Lewis, Edelman Juke Patriots Past Cowboys

Greg Hardy got his wish. Kinda.

The New England Patriots' "Scorched Earth" tour resumed on Sunday after a week off, a week that also saw Hardy return to practice following a four-game suspension and the Dallas Cowboys' defensive end wasted little time in adding his name to a long list of people who piss off quarterback Tom Brady...

Which is a bad thing, right?  Most football players when they become angry, their play suffers - especially for a quarterback: the adrenalin races through the body, movements become sudden and exaggerated, with a maddening proclivity for overthrowing the deep ball and putting the ball into the turf two yards in front of the safety valve, the resultant frustration trickling down the entire roster.

But not Tom Brady, and not these New England Patriots.

Brady scores on a one-yard keeper

Hardy talked some smack about Brady earlier in the week, saying he hoped to see him "on his back", which would have been taken as just your run-of-the-mill bulletin board clipping had Hardy not decided to expand his soliloquy to include some creepy comments about his squeeze and her sister...

...and then he and linebacker Rolando McClain, who was also returning from suspension, almost single-handedly blew up the first four Patriots drives, both seeing Brady on his back early and often.

But then Brady scored his first rushing touchdown in two seasons on a one yard sneak, got to his feet and clear of the swarm at the goal line and spiked the ball with much fervor and ill intent, bellowing to the capacity crowd at AT&T Stadium in a language that only fans of the death metal genre would be able to interpret.

It matters not what he was saying, because without hearing a word the crowd knew that Brady and the Patriots had officially survived the Cowboys' best shot, and that there would be precious little for them to cheer about from that point forward. Brady thrives in situations where other quarterbacks melt under the pressure, his movements deliberate and sound, his focus razor sharp, so to anger him is to do so at your own risk.

Brady's dive into the end zone made the score 10-3 with nearly the entire first half eclipsed, then kicker Stephen Gostkowski made the score 13-3 at the half - and by the time running back Dion Lewis made it 20-3 with a video game quality touchdown catch-and-run to start the second half there wasn't one football fan in the building - nor among the millions watching on television - that figured Dallas had any chance of winning this football game.

In all, the Cowboys battered Brady for five sacks and nailed him just about every other time he released the football throughout the first half - Hardy, McClain and two defensive tackles named Crawford (Tyrone and Jack, no relation) making the Patriots good-and-getting-better offensive line look overmatched for much of the first thirty minutes, but the Patriots adjusted at halftime and had their way with the Dallas defense for the rest of the afternoon.

The adjustment?  It was a simple as running the ball.

Fundamentally speaking, there is no better way to keep the opposing pass rush in check than running the ball, so it should come as no surprise that once the Patriots committed to the run to start the second half, a tactic that neutralized the Cowboys' speed advantage on the pass rush, Brady got to enjoy the rest of the game upright.

Taking advantage of the athleticism of left guard Shaq Mason, the Patriots pulled the rookie drive blocker to level the path in front of power back LeGarrette Blount for 62 of his 75 yards on the day while mixing in quick hitters by Lewis to force the Cowboys to play the run, taking pressure off of Brady and opening up the underneath zones...

......the result being Edelman and Gronkowski contributing 4 catches a piece for 120 and 67 yards respectively as part of the Patriots' 220 of their 356 total yards for the game.

Hardy, McClain and both Crawfords initially dominated the Patriots on the wings, resulting in all five sacks of Brady in the first half, forcing punter Ryan Allen into the mix for the first time in three weeks - but the second-year lefty showed no rust from the extended layoff as he pinned the Cowboys inside their own 20 on each of his four kicks.

The New England defense took over from there, forcing three-and-outs on six of the Cowboys' seven possessions, then causing two turnovers and making a goal line stand in the second half to hold Dallas without a touchdown for the only time this season, getting to quarterback Brandon Weeden three times - twice by defensive end Jabaal Sheard, giving him four sacks on the young season - and extending their streak of forcing at least one turnover in all four games.

Brady's touchdown notwithstanding, the first half was a series of horrible beatings, culminating in a 13-3 Patriots halftime lead that seemed more tenuous than it actually was, as the Patriots began working Gronkowski and Edelman into the game plan along with Blount, taking the opening kick of the second half and putting together a gorgeous nine-play, 80 yard drive to build a three score lead, Lewis capping the thing off with his 10 yard catch and run...

...gathering in a short swing pass that he had to reach back with one hand for, turning his shoulders upfield and waiting for safety Barry Church to commit to overrunning the play, cutting hard inside and leaving Church grasping at air then immediately getting small and stopping on a dime to avoid the high heat coming from Jack Crawford who flew right over Lewis. After that it was just a matter of stepping through the Corey White would-be tackle before finding paydirt...

...all set up by a patented Gronkowski rumble down the left sideline after taking in a short Brady offering, running through a hit by cornerback Byron Jones and slapping safety J.J. Wilcox to the turf before being brought down after a 33 yard gain - then Gronkowski abusing Jones again, this time on a crosser for another 23 yards before Lewis performed his magic trick.

Edelman and Brady hooked up on the next Patriots' possession to put the game out of reach, Edelman hauling in a 20 yard go on the left hash, cutting hard to turn around the edge defenders and angling down the seam, outrunning half a dozen Cowboys for a 59 yard touchdown that showcased the speed and elusiveness of the Patriots receiving leader.

Despite the first half difficulties, the 30-6 victory over the Cowboys was as complete a team win as the Patriots have enjoyed this season, courtesy of the Cowboys' game plan, which sought to limit Brady's first two reads on any given play while turning loose Hardy and the rest of the defensive line to menace the sure first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Granted, Dallas was able to achieve thier game plan for the better part of the first half, limiting Edelman and Gronkowski while beating Brady like he stole something, but coming out of the locker room it was evident that the Patriots were intent on working both into the offense as well as adjusting protection along the line.

Both Lewis and tight end Michael Williams took turns helping reserve left tackle Marcus Cannon - in for an injured and ineffective Nate Solder - double up on Hardy and that, along with a turn to the four minute offense and the accompanying power running game, turned the momentum of the game as Brady found his footing and started slicing up the Dallas zone.

Needless to say, the Cowboys' offense stagnated against the ferocity of the Patriots front seven, and it will take a similar defensive effort by the Patriots to remain undefeated next Sunday when New England travels to Indianapolis for a grudge match with the hated Colts.

Cowboys' Lack Of Depth On Offense Spells Doom Against Fresh Patriots' Defense

The Dallas offensive line is considered to be the best in football. Unfortunately, the rest of the offense doesn't follow suit.

In the National Football League, a team wants to have a good balance between style and substance.

Having substance, of course, means being fundamentally sound - which puts a unit in position to be successful, while style is the manner in which a team applies its fundamental base.

Both the New England Patriots and thier opponents this Sunday afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys, have plenty of substance. The Cowboys can boast the best offensive line in the game and one of the best defensive lines that provide them with their fundamental base, while the Patriots substance is in their preparation for their foes on an individual basis, morphing into whatever they need to be to give themselves the advantage over their opponents...

Sheard and Collins plan on meeting in the Dallas backfield many times...

...and while the Patriots gain their style from impressive depth at virtually every position on the field, the Cowboys' lack of depth has cramped their style in the wake of one devastating injury after another, to the point where they are forced to just take what the other team is giving them and hope to break off something proper in the way of the big play.

Advantage, New England.  Impressive advantage.

Before the season began, this week four matchup was one that the fans of both teams had circled on their calendars because, hey, it's America's Team in the Cowboys against the Evil Empire of the Godless Patriots - both favored to win their respective divisions and some brave pundits even choosing the two to meet in Super Bowl 50...

...which may or may not happen, but with all of the injuries the Cowboys are dealing with, by the time they get back their starting quarterback and All Pro receiver Dez Bryant, they may be too far behind in the standings to make up enough ground to even qualify for the playoffs - but then again, they DO play in the NFC East, where the teams beat the living crap out of each other and a mediocre record just north of .500 is usually enough to wear the caps and tshirts.

One of the reasons why the Cowboys were favorites to win the east is due to their explosive offense, which features Bryant, Terrence Williams, Julian Edelman wannabe Cole Beasley and tight end Jason Whitten running patterns and catching passes from veteran quarterback Tony Romo, with a running game that would be ok despite losing All Pro running back DeMarco Murray to rival Philadelphia in the offseason.

Besides, all of this style operated with the best offensive line in the game, a fact that had the Cowboys' brain-trust certain that it didn't matter whether it was Murray or some scrub taking handoffs, because the line would open holes wide enough for Jerry Jones' ego to drive through - and at first glance of the statistics thus far in 2015, they would be right - but, as always, a little digging down through the numbers reveal a much different perspective.

Dallas' running game averages 4.1 yards per carry - but that includes the work of passing back Lance Dunbar, who is now lost for the season after tearing his ACL against the New Orleans Saints last Sunday, leaving the trio of Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden and Christine Michael to operate as a committee, a conglomerate that is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry, good for a bottom-third-of-the-league standing.

The problem being that the Cowboys are having issues running straight up the gut, averaging just 2.2 yards per carry between the tackles where the excellent trio of left guard Ronald Leary, center Travis Frederick and right guard Zack Martin set up shop - most of which can be attributed to their opposition loading up the box since Romo and Bryant went down with season altering injuries, but some of the blame has to go on management for letting Murray walk without a suitable replacement.

Not that Murray is all that - he's averaging less than two yards per carry with his new team - but he could exploit the creases created by his interior line in a way that the other three apparently can not - which is a death knell in the absence of the two biggest play makers the Cowboys have.

The injuries have certainly sapped the Cowboys of their style, which for our purposes is defined as flashiness among the skill positions, leaving them in the middle of the pack so far as scoring points and, obviously, in overall record as they have dropped their last two games since Romo's collarbone was snapped like a twig in the week two matchup with Philadelphia.

Curiously, however, it has been the defense that has been the bitch-kitty for the Cowboys, allowing nearly double the number of points to their opponents in the two losses as they did the first two weeks of the season. The offense has continued to produce points at a clip of 24 per game, but the math dictates that when your defense is handing over 33 points a game to the opposition, there's not going to be many crooked numbers in the win column.

Not all of that is the fault of the defenders, however, as Dallas has lost the time of possession battle against their last two opponents and the offense been a pathetic 4 of 18 on third down conversions, their average drive lasting just five plays - meaning that the Dallas defense is on the field far too long, which enables the opposing offense to wear them down with sheer snap numbers.

So what the Cowboys need to do to is to find a way to counter what they've been left with on offense by converting a more reasonable percentage of third downs - which for a team that has been left bare bones in style points, falling back on the substance of fundamentals is going to carry them through most games, given the talent left on the roster.

But, unfortunately, it won't be enough for them to get by New England.

That is, unless they either cause a bunch of turnovers or actually start running the ball up to their enormous potential.

Leary, Travis and Frederick are flanked by one of the better tackle tandems in the league, fragile veteran Doug Free a drive blocking force on the strong side while two-time Pro Bowl selection Tyron Smith protects his quarterback's blind side - who at this point is former Cleveland draft bust Brandon Weeden, with recent addition Matt Cassel right on his heels.

Weeden is primed to be a career backup, and the Cowboys have shaved their playbook all the way down to the bone in bringing the fourth-year player along slowly, but there just isn't much more they can do with his sloth-like athleticism and his penchant for telegraphing his throws, two facts that have to have both the Cowboys' brass re-tinking the position and the Patriots' safeties drooling in anticipation of reading Weedens' eyes.

Cassel has been with the team for three weeks, and given his veteran status and the fact that he's had to learn five different offensive philosophies in his ten NFL seasons, he would seem to be the better option for Dallas against the Patriots, so no one should be surprised if Dallas coach Jason Garrett pulls the plug on Weeden if he struggles coming out of the gate on Sunday.

The running back position is another matter entirely, as Garrett is dealing with a running back by committee approach.  Randle has performed decently as the "lead" back in this offense with a 3.9 yard per carry average, while McFadden and Michael really don't have defined roles in the offense, other than being second and third on the depth chart.

Losing Dunbar could be the straw that breaks the offense's back, as he has been their most dynamic and stylish player as the third-down back and lagging just behind Witten for the teams' receptions leader.  Randle has a decent set of mitts and could see his workload increase across three downs, saving McFadden and Michael as seldom-used change of pace backs.

Shaving down the offense has meant checkdowns and dink-and-dunk passing, which is fine if you're making first downs and chewing up the clock to give your defense a rest, but when Garrett had seen enough of the inept product he kept trotting out onto the field with four minutes left in last Sunday's contest with the Saints, he exposed his remaining receivers as having enough potential to maybe let Weeden incorporate a liitle more of the playbook into his resume.

With their backs to the wall and facing a seven point deficit, Garrett had Weeden air it out, the result being an 8 play, 91 yard touchdown drive in which the besieged signal caller completed passes of 24, 28 and 19 yards to get the Cowboys in scoring position, then hit Williams with a 17 yard strike to tie the game.

Dallas eventually lost when New Orleans scored just seconds into overtime, an 80- yard wheel route by Saints' back C.J. Spiller the difference, but the drive led by Weeden was enough for Garrett to name him as the starter against a Patriots' defense that is rested and focused on continuation of New England's "Scorched Earth Tour", as it were.

During their bye week, the Patriots brought aboard plenty of reinforcements to their so far less-than-stellar run defense, Trading precious draft capital to the Saints for defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, who was curiously being phased out of their defense after an up-and-down 2014 season. Hicks wore down at the end of the season, so joining a Patriots team that has enough depth in their front seven to rotate players in and out to keep them fresh without much of a drop off has to be intriguing.

Same with former Green Bay defensive tackle Khyri Thronton, whom the Patriots activated off the practice squad after the Packers cut him after just one redshirt season. Thornton joins fellow Southern Mississippi teammate Jamie Collins in a Patriots' defensive rotation that has been trying to find its gumption in the run defense after being shredded by the Steelers and Bills running games in respective weeks to start the season.

They were much better against Jacksonville in the week before their bye, but it appears that head ball coach Bill Belichick has chalked that up to the ineptness of the Jaguars' offense in bringing aboard two outsiders.  In reality, the New England run defense hasn't been as bad as their numbers indicate, as they have adjusted well during the course of games to what their opponents have run at them, and have been able to make key stops in helping the team start the season 3-0.

How deep are the Patriots in the front seven? How about the fact that they now boast 18 players for seven spots, with each one of them able to contribute in different positions.

That is a powerful toy which will enable the Patriots not only to rotate players in and out to keep them fresh, but also for them to disguise rush packages and to help the Big nickle secondary to hide their coverage assignments underneath. To aid in this task, Belichick sent more draft capital to Chicago for third-year weaksider Jon Bostic, who is an immediate upgrade to anyone the Patriots had the cover backs wheeling out of the backfield.

Despite the Cowboys' lack of depth at receiver and in their backfield, the Patriots will probably still play in their three safety nickle package with the focus being on stopping the run and shutting down Dallas' best weapon in Witten. Gavin Escobar has seen an uptick in his snaps since all of the injuries have occurred and is a lithe receiver in the intermediate game.

Dallas is razor thin in the pass catching department with Bryant and Dunbar gone, so the Patriots secondary will have to only deal with the likes of Williams and Beasley, with Devin Street and Brice Butler thrown in to the mix as possession options - but the fact of the matter is that without Romo and Bryant and even Dunbar, the Cowboys just don't have the weapons to challenge the New England defense.

But suppose the Cowboys did something perverted like going into an up-tempo offense to limit the Patriots' ability to morph from play to play on defense, held the players on the field in their stances until the play clock is almost wound down, then found the ability to run the football with authority?

That's a nice thought for Cowboys' fans, but given that Weeden is their quarterback should give them pause and snap them out of any daydream they have about their offense being anything more than a bottom-third unit until Romo and Bryant find their way back from the hot tub.