The New England Patriots fell to 1-3 on the season after an embarrassing 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Here are 10 players we graded “UP” or “DOWN” based on their performance in the game…
DOWN: QB Mac Jones
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 01: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots signals during the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Unfortunately, this game was so bad and Mac Jones was so bad that we have to start with a DOWN. And Jones was that much of a down. He was 12-of-21 for 150 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a back-breaking pick-six late in the second quarter. Jones also lost a fumble that was returned for a score.
Jones ended up being benched in the middle of the third quarter, with the game out of hand. He deserved the benching. Jones isn’t particularly gifted physically – his throw on the pick-six looked horrible, wobbly with a noticeable lack of velocity – but if he’s making bad decisions and turning the ball over on top of a lack of pure physical talent, he has no chance.
The discussion around the Patriots this week will center on the quarterback and head coach. It still doesn’t feel like a strong possibility that Jones is benched for good, but he played bad enough to make it worth talking about for a week.
UP: RB Rhamondre Stevenson
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 01: Leighton Vander Esch #55 of the Dallas Cowboys and Damone Clark #33 of the Dallas Cowboys tackle Rhamondre Stevenson #38 of the New England Patriots during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Stevenson looked as good as he has all season so far in this one, despite the chaos in front of him. Stevenson had five carries go for no gain or negative yardage, but it’s obvious at this point that it’s more about shaky blocking than him. He had a good, hard 12-yard run called back because of a holding penalty way behind the play.
The numbers look bad for Stevenson, but he passed the eye test on Sunday, when he had a fair chance to carry the rock. It’s too bad the Pats can’t block right now.
UP: TE Hunter Henry
Sep 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) runs a route during the second half at against the Philadelphia Eagles Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Four catches for 51 yards for Henry, and looked good in the process. One of his catches was a diving one-hander. Henry has been a consistently reliable target for Mac Jones and one of the most consistent players on the team. No real complaints about him in this game, which was otherwise a stinker.
DOWN: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
Oct 1, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (7) catches a pass against Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Just one catch on five targets for Smith-Schuster, and even his one reception came up one yard short of a first down. The Patriots signed him to convert those plays.
On top of that, Smith-Schuster was in as a blocker on a failed fourth down push play with Mac Jones, and still appears out of sync with the quarterback or unsure what to do from play to play. This signing has simply not worked out so far.
UP: S Kyle Dugger
Oct 1, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) runs with the ball as New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (23) defends during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dugger had a team-leading 15 total tackles on the day, one of which went for a loss of yardage. He showed a little something in this game, which virtually no one on the offense did. The defense wasn’t great but it didn’t have a terrible day, either, and Dugger can be counted among the rare good things.
DOWN: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 24: Ja’Whaun Bentley #8 of the New England Patriots looks on during the first half of a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 24, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
If the opponent is running well on this defense, it almost certainly means the middle linebacker and chief run-stopper at the second level isn’t having a great day. Tony Pollard averaged 4.3 yards per carry, and the same average on runs up the middle. It’s not all on Bentley, but you need more than just five tackles from your MLB against a team that runs the ball 30 times.
UP: LB Jahlani Tavai
Sep 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai (48) prepares for a game against the Philadelphia Eagles during the warm-up period at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Tavai racked up a sack, two tackles for loss, and a pass breakup in a largely good afternoon. He’s been a pleasant surprise over the last season-plus, overall. It’s tough to put much, if any, of this bad loss on him.
DOWN: Field Goal Defense
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 01: Chauncey Golston #99 of the Dallas Cowboys runs past Deatrich Wise Jr. #91 of the New England Patriots while Golston scores a two point conversion during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
It’s tough to blame any one player for the Cowboys’ successful fake field goal try that earned them a two-point conversion. Perhaps no players deserve blame. You can easily point to special teams coaches Joe Judge and Cam Achord for that one. They weren’t even close to ready for that play. Total breakdown by that particular unit.
UP: DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 01: Chauncey Golston #99 of the Dallas Cowboys runs past Deatrich Wise Jr. #91 of the New England Patriots while Golston scores a two point conversion during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
It was an active day for Wise, who had a sack and four total tackles. There were other plays in which Wise didn’t record anything on the official stat sheet, but clearly had a hand in the pressure up front. His edge defense against the run has always left something to be desired, but this was a good day overall for Wise.
DOWN: RG Mike Onwenu
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 01: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots attempts a pass during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Onwenu had three penalties. Two false starts helped stall out offensive drives, and a holding penalty negated a 12-yard run by Rhamondre Stevenson. Onwenu is a good player and better than he’s shown overall since returning, and should get better as the season progresses. But his lack of off-season work is showing.
