Week 6 Preview: Cowboys at Patriots [Part One]

Well, the matchup we’ve been waiting for all season is finally here.

Call it a matchup of the two best teams in their respective conferences, a potential Super Bowl matchup, the game of the year, or just another game on the Week 6 schedule. But, whatever it is, the New England Patriots are coming to town, and that means that someone is going to walk off of the field a loser for the first time this season (unless there’s a tie, which, well, is very unlikely).

The Patriots have been the talk of the league this season. For a little while, it was about the videotaping controversy that cropped up in the first few weeks of the season. But, that seems to be all but forgotten as Tom Brady and the Pats have mercilessly obliterated every opponent this season.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, have rolled along to a 5-0 record themselves. But, for more than 59 minutes on Monday, it didn’t look like Dallas would be unbeaten heading into today’s matchup, as six Tony Romo turnovers had them headed towards a loss at Buffalo. Then, a touchdown, an onside kick, and a 53-yard field goal - all in the final 24 seconds - turned a 24-16 deficit into a unbelievable 25-24 win.

Needless to say, Tony Romo is going to have to play a lot, lot better this week, because the Cowboys don’t want to become another spectator on the Patriots’ dominant run.

Last Time They Played…

The three teams have played only three times in the last decade, with the last being in 2003.

That last meeting took place in Week 11, with 7-2 Dallas making a trip to 7-2 New England. It would be all Patriots, as they got just enough offense and shut down Quincy Carter and the Cowboys to win 12-0.

Neither team had their best day on offense, as Tom Brady was only 15 of 34 for 212 yards, and the Patriots managed only 268 yards total. But, the Cowboys, despite outgaining New England 291-268, were hurt by Carter’s three interceptions, which all came in the second half.

New England had a 9-0 lead at halftime, through an Adam Vinatieri field goal and a touchdown run by Antowain Smith (PAT was blocked). Both scores were set up by long completions.

The lead expanded to 12-0 late in the fourth when Vinatieri kicked his second chip shot.

Dallas did have a few good chances, but couldn’t convert. They had a long drive in the first half, but were forced to punt after 14 plays and taking 7:23 off of the clock. They also got into the red zone in the third, but one of Carter’s interceptions thwarted that chance, and in the fourth, the Cowboys failed to convert on a 4th and 1 from midfield.

That matchup was also the first between Bill Parcells and his former assistant, Bill Belichick, who spurned succeeding Parcells with the Jets for taking the Patriots job (wise move, as it turned out - though it does make you wonder how the Jets would have turned out if Belichick had stayed).

Series History

Dallas leads the all-time series 7-2, but the Patriots have won the last two meetings (1999 and 2003). The last time the Cowboys won was in 1996, when Dallas won 12-6 at home in a Week 16 matchup. That season, the Patriots went to the Super Bowl behind Drew Bledsoe, where they lost to the Packers, who got their only championship of the Brett Favre era up to this point.