Here are the winners and losers from the New England Patriots’ 13-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
Winner: Jamie Collins, LB
The linebacker was all over the field, with nine tackles.
There was a striking reminder of his impressive athleticism when he lined up in press coverage on receiver Randall Cobb. 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. The linebacker threw the receiver five yards in the wrong direction, which completely disrupted the route. On the stat sheet, Collins won’t get credit for the play — but it was a nice demonstration of how athletic linebackers can contribute in pass coverage.
But of course, his work in the run game was of the utmost importance. Ezekiel Elliott managed 4.1 yards per carry and 86 rushing yards, which is slightly down from his 4.3 yards per carry entering the game. Considering the Patriots defense looked vulnerable against the Ravens, they’ll take that small dip in production from Elliott. Collins also helped out to keep Prescott from scrambling. It was a well-rounded performance for the linebacker.
Loser: Tom Brady, QB
During the third quarter, Brady left the field after a stalled drive, and chucked a ball at the ground on the sideline in frustration.
The Patriots quarterback started last week on a low note, with a sullen postgame press conference on Sunday and a frustrated conversation with WEEI Monday. Brady may not be much happier with his offense’s performance in Week 12. He wasn’t stellar, but he also got very little help in a game where the Patriots were without Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett. Even one of the most consistent men in the offense, James White, had issues with three targets and one reception for -6 yards. Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers all logged at least one drop.
Brady finished 17 of 36 for 190 yards and a touchdown. And the Patriots’ passing attack will need to keep tweaking their plan of attack to get more out of their star quarterback.
Winner: Stephon Gilmore, CB
We saw the Stephon Gilmore effect: Amari Cooper finished with zero catches on two targets. He almost recorded his first reception until 43:37 minutes into the game, but the catch got wiped by a Cowboys’ penalty.
Cooper had 88.6 yards per game with seven touchdowns heading into Week 12. And yet Gilmore almost wiped away Cooper, one of the NFL’s best receivers. In fact, Gilmore had almost as many receptions as Cooper, with one interception in the first half.
Loser: N’Keal Harry, WR
The Patriots’ rookie wideout managed his first touchdown with the Patriots, which made him the 75th player to catch a Tom Brady touchdown. That was the good. The rest of the game, however, was less impressive. Brady targeted Harry three more times, and they didn’t manage another linkup. Brady tossed him challenging targets, with one coming near the sideline and another coming with tight coverage in the red zone. But Harry dropped both balls. They’re the kinds of plays that would’ve helped Harry earn Brady’s trust. Let’s take a look at his touchdown.
Winner: Matthew Slater, special teams
The special teams captain managed a block on a punt, which Jonathan Jones then recovered. That put the Patriots on the 12-yard line, where Brady found Harry for the Patriots’ only touchdown of the game.
The special teams coverage units, as a whole, were impressive. They used the heavy winds to their advantage to stifle Dallas. The problem, however, was that punter Jake Bailey looked somewhat uneasy kicking with the wind and into it. He had three touchbacks. His final punt, however, was a beauty that landed at the eight yard-line.
Winner: Sony Michel, RB
The Patriots offense was at its best when featuring a heavy dose of Michel, who was running with more power than he’d had in past games. He didn’t necessarily show much burst — his longest play was 17 yards. But the running back was efficient at 4.3 yards per carry and 85 rushing yards.
He has faced a lot of criticism this season. But the Patriots badly needed Michel to help the offense on a day when they were without Sanu and Dorsett. Michel did just that.
