Mac Jones, Patriots flat-out embarrassed in 38-3 loss to Cowboys

Mac Jones turned the ball over three times, twice for touchdowns, as the New England Patriots got blown off the field at AT&T Stadium in a 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Jones went 12-of-21 for 150 yards with no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a lost fumble on the day, and was ultimately benched in favor of Bailey Zappe during the third quarter. His lost and his first interception both went back the other way for Dallas touchdowns, putting the Pats in an insurmountable halftime hole from which they would never recover.

Both teams started strong on their opening possessions before settling for field goals. The Patriots tightened up their defense in the red zone after the Cowboys drove 69 yards in five plays to set up first-and-goal from the 3-yard line, moving Dallas backward and forcing the field goal try.

The Patriots' offense, meanwhile, got a rare big play when Jones escaped pocket pressure and found rookie receiver Demario Douglas for a 42-yard catch-and-run. But Jones couldn't quite connect with Mike Gesicki in the end zone on third down, so they opted to kick the game-tying field goal to make it 3-3.

On the ensuing Cowboys possession, they took full advantage of the Patriots losing their outstanding rookie cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, who injured his shoulder making a tackle during the drive. On the very first play with Gonzalez getting his injury checked, Dak Prescott hit receiver CeeDee Lamb in the end zone against coverage from Myles Bryant. The TD opened up a 10-3 lead for the Cowboys late in the first quarter. Gonzalez was later ruled out.

The Patriots tried to push Jones forward on fourth-and-1 early in the second quarter, but the quarterback was stopped short. A quick defensive stop got the ball back to the Pats, but a bad punt return by Douglas, followed by a strip-sack on Jones by Cowboys edge rusher Dante Fowler, led to a Dallas defensive score by linebacker Leighton Vander-Esch.

Adding insult to injury, the Cowboys then faked the point after try as holder Bryan Anger threw it to defensive tackle Chauncey Golston for a wide-open two-point conversion. The Cowboys followed that up with a three-and-out on defense, then a 73-yard field goal drive to make it 21-3.

It only got worse from there for the Patriots. Driving down the field with a chance to get points before the end of the half, Jones instead threw back across his body and the ball ended up in the hands of the Cowboys' Daron Bland, who took it the other way for an easy 54-yard pick-six, making it 28-3.

Unfortunately, the Patriots didn't have another historic comeback in them. The Cowboys would add a field goal and a late touchdown in the second half to extend the blowout lead.

The Patriots are now 1-3 on the season. And while it's still early and the Pats are far from mathematically eliminated as playoff contenders, the idea that they'd have a shot at that seems remote right now.

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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt's content here.

It's an interesting week for the New England Patriots. They're coming off of their much-needed first win in a 15-10 victory over the New York Jets. At the same time, that win left a lot to be desired as the team moves forward and tries to return to the postseason.

Given that, it's not surprising to see the majority of this week's mailbag questions be about the long-term outlook of the season rather than this Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys (another team that is in a weird spot, after losing by double-digits to a tanking Arizona Cardinals team last week).

READ MORE:

--The Cowboys are changing their offense as they prepare for the Patriots
--An unfortunate injury update on the defensive line
--Rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez keeps passing tests

Many of the questions this week are about changes the Patriots can make to their personnel moving forward. That includes external additions, as well as changing the way players currently on the roster are used.

Let's start with some of those internal moves as we get into this week's questions...

Adding a fullback to the run scheme not only would help, it has helped. The Patriots employed tight end Pharaoh Brown as a fullback against the Jets, and it appeared to make a difference on traditional run calls. It's a look the Patriots shouldn't be afraid to go back to in the future.

So, there's two things at play here when we talk about Daniel Ekuale missing time. The first is the impact he makes as an interior pass rusher. To fill those snaps, Sam Roberts could get some looks but it's a role that would suit Keion White as well, especially in pure pass situations (ex. 3rd & long, end of game).

However, Ekuale had also been the Patriots best interior run defender through three games. In terms of finding a player for that role, the Patriots don't have many options - especially if Davon Godchaux misses time as well. Beyond Jeremiah Pharms on the practice squad, the team doesn't really have another nose tackle. A reunion with Carl Davis would make sense, but the team has yet to reach out to Davis, according to Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald.

Both Ioannidis and Shelvin are currently free agents. While both would give the Patriots some needed depth on the interior, there's usually a reason players with their experience (especially in Ioannidis' case) are unsigned at this point in the season).

I was all for the Patriots signing Kenyan Drake back in the offseason, but he has since signed with the Ravens. Signing a similar kind of back might help, but most have signed by now. Leonard Fournette would probably be the top option if this is the route the Patriots want to go.

I don't think this one game will make or break the Patriots' outlook for the season. But there certainly is a conversation to be had about them adding a wide receiver if they win a few more games between now and the trade deadline at the end of October.

If/when we get to that point, Jerry Jeudy is certainly a name to know. The Broncos look like a disaster, and still need to recoup draft capital from the Russell Wilson trade. If the Patriots feel they have a shot at the playoffs, they should explore moving a Day 2 pick for Jeudy or a comparable player.

As much as it would help the Patriots to add a wide receiver mid-season, moving Josh Uche would be a steep price. The Patriots' pass rush is one of their biggest strengths, and Uche is a key part of it. While they do have the depth to replace him in theory, it would come with a step down as well as tremendous risk if somebody gets hurt.

Plus, mid-season wide receiver additions - while helpful - aren't always a guarantee. It's a lot to pick up a playbook and build chemistry with a quarterback starting in November. If there was a time to trade Uche for a wide receiver, it was back in the spring.

I'm going to need to see the evidence on Mac Jones being 'a subpar quarterback' so far in 2023. He currently ranks top 10 in the NFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and completion percentage (min. 100 pass attempts).

Could Jones be better? Of course. But calling for him to be bench is incredibly short-sighted and feel more like the continuation of a predetermined, prior dislike of the player take rather than the result of objectively watching the games. Not only has Jones shown promise this year, but his would-be replacement Bailey Zappe, struggled throughout the summer to the point that the team was O.K. risking losing him during roster cuts.

In terms of the issues with the Patriots' offense, neither Jones nor Bill O'Brien look like the biggest issues right now. The lack of production seem to be driven mostly by the struggles of the offensive line, followed by a limited group of playmakers.

If the Patriots identify these issues with Rhamondre Stevenson on film, it would be running backs coach Vinnie Sunseri that would likely be tasked with working with him to find a fix. That being said, it hasn't looked easy to run behind the offensive line. The best thing the Patriots can do for Stevenson at this point is get him more of a push up front. If Stevenson doesn't have to do as much to find rushing lanes as often as he has through three games, I think you'll see him start to look like a more determined ball carrier.

Making the playoffs is still the bar this team needs to hit. Missing out two years in a row after making the postseason with a rookie quarterback would be noticeably significant regression.

Playing in an offense that's worse than the Patriots', and that throws the ball less, Hopkins still has as many catches (14) and more yards (153) than any current Patriots receiver. It's tough to say whether he'd hit the 'projections' people had for him in New England since there was such a wide range, but early on it does look like he would have improved the offense to some extent.

The second point Kev makes here is absolutely correct. A vertical element would definitely help the Patriots' offense be more effective both throwing the ball underneath and make things easier on the run game as well. Can Tyquan Thornton be that guy?

That role is about more than being fast. If he can't get open/earn targets/catch the ball, teams will still probably be comfortable covering him one-on-one. If he starts making plays deep, that's when things will change.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

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