FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Each week, Bill Belichick stands before the media and extols the strengths of the New England Patriots’ next opponent and its players.
No matter the record, the opponent will be a great challenge, he says. Its players are among the best in the league at their positions: big, aggressive, athletic, instinctive, fast.
UP NEXT
WHO: Patriots (3-0) at Cowboys (2-2)
WHEN: 4:25 p.m. Sunday
TV: CBS
FOUR THINGS TO WATCH AGAINST DALLAS
1. How do the Patriots cover Cowboys tight end Jason Witten? Witten is one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, second to Tony Gonzalez in career catches (968) and yardage (10,740). This year he leads Dallas in receiving with 25 catches and two touchdowns. He presents matchup problems because of his ability to run down the seams. Can a linebacker cover him? Or does Bill Belichick put one of his defensive backs on Witten, something he has done in the past with talented tight ends?
2. Does Ryan Wendell play? And if so, where? Wendell, an offensive captain, was expected to start at either center or guard this year, but missed the first three games with an illness. He’s returned but Belichick wouldn’t say where he was planning to play him. Will he take over from rookie David Andrews at center? Or will he slide into the guard rotation with Josh Kline and rookies Shaq Mason and Tre’ Jackson? Maybe he’ll play both positions.
3. Will the Patriots try for more offensive balance this week? Tom Brady has thrown 133 passes in the first three games while the Patriots have run the ball only 71 times, including kneel-downs by the quarterbacks. With LeGarrette Blount back and fully involved with Dion Lewis in the running game, will the Patriots try to run more against a Dallas defense that is ranked ninth against the run? Or will Brady continue to pick apart opposing defenses with the short passing game?
4. Which kicker will blink first? You’ve got a showdown between two of the NFL’s most accurate kickers. New England’s Stephen Gostkowski is 7 for 7 in field goals and 14 for 14 in PAT kicks, with an NFL-record 425 PATs in a row. Dallas’ Dan Bailey is 6 for 6 in field goals and 11 for 11 in PATs. Bailey’s 90.2 field goal percentage (120 of 133) is best in NFL history. Gostkowski is third at 87.1 percent (250 of 287). Will this be the game one misses?
— Mike Lowe
But when Belichick says the Dallas Cowboys have “the best offensive line in the league,” as he did last week when discussing Sunday’s opponent, he’s not exaggerating.
Three members of the Cowboys’ offensive line were first-round picks: 6-foot-4, 315-pound right guard Zack Martin (2014, out of Notre Dame), 6-4, 315 center Travis Frederick (2013, Wisconsin) and 6-5, 320 left tackle Tyron Smith (2011, Southern California).
All three were named to the Pro Bowl last year. Smith and Martin were All-Pro selections while Frederick was a second-team All-Pro pick.
Left guard Ron Leary (6-3, 320) and right tackle Doug Free (6-6, 325) round out the starting five.
“It’s a tremendous group up front, some of the best guys in the league that have been playing together for a while,” said Matt Patricia, the Patriots’ defensive coordinator. “It’s a real cohesive unit, and a group that really can dominate and control the game.”
Their dominance allows the Cowboys to have one of the most-balanced offenses in the NFL, capable of controlling the clock with the run and protecting the quarterback.
The Cowboys led the NFL in time of possession last year (32 minutes, 26 seconds) and – despite missing two of their biggest offensive weapons in injured quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Dez Bryant – are fourth in the league this year (33:11). That includes an astounding 40:30 time of possession in a 20-10 win over Philadelphia on Sept. 20.
The Patriots, coming off their bye week with a 3-0 record, know they have a challenge when they take on the Cowboys (2-2) at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium at 4:25 p.m.
“They have a really good offensive front,” said Patriots defensive tackle Alan Branch. “They proved themselves last year and the beginning of this year so far. You can tell their chemistry on film. So definitely we have our hands full.”
With Romo and Bryant out of the game, the Cowboys are likely to run the ball more against New England, which has allowed 117 rushing yards per game (23rd in the NFL). If Dallas can control the line of scrimmage and the clock, that will take pressure off quarterback Brandon Weeden, who has lost his last 10 starts.
“This is a huge challenge for us to be able to stop their run game,” said Patricia.
To combat this, the Patriots’ defensive linemen know they simply have to focus on their roles.
“You have to play your technique and do your job,” said Branch. “If you try to do someone else’s job, it might create bigger holes, or give the offensive line a better opportunity to make the block and set a back free. So we’ve just got to do your job.”
Sometimes that’s easier said than done. But it’s a message the Patriots are stressing to their big guys on defense this week.
“They play well together,” defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard said of Dallas’ offensive line. “We’ve just got to execute – stop the run first and get to the passer.”
What may help New England is its defensive-front rotation. Belichick and Patricia have rotated several players through the defensive line: ends Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Sheard and rookie Geneo Grissom, and tackles Branch, Sealver Siliga, Dominique Easley and rookie Malcom Brown. Newly acquired defensive end Akiem Hicks will join the rotation this week.
“We feel we have a deep defensive front,” said Branch. “So we try to take advantage of that. From that, you can see that we’re typically fresh throughout the game. We’re definitely going to have to be fresh against these guys because they’re good.”
This is a game the defensive linemen have had circled on their schedule.
“Everyone is a high competitor here and eager to compete against a good offensive line,” said Ninkovich. “These types of games, that’s what you look forward to as a football player.”
Branch, at 6-6, 350 pounds the Patriots’ biggest defensive lineman, is pumped, too.
“To go through a whole week hearing how good a team is, it gets you excited,” he said. “If you’re a true football player and competitor, you always want to play the best to see where you’re at.
“This is the ultimate test.”
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