Which remaining opponents are most dangerous to Patriots defense?

2. Dallas Cowboys

With New England’s win over New York on Thursday night, the Patriots are now riding a 16-game home winning streak. The last time they fell at Gillette Stadium came all the way back on October 1, 2017, when the Carolina Panthers won on a 48-yard Graham Gano field goal as time expired.

The Patriots’ next home opponent this season comes via the Cleveland Browns in two weeks’ time. While many may have circled that game this offseason as being a potential AFC Championship Game preview, the Browns haven’t looked all that convincing as a conference challenger in stumbling out to a 2-3 record this year.

What’s much more likely is the Patriots playing in a potential Super Bowl preview one week before Thanksgiving when they host the Dallas Cowboys in Foxborough. Dallas may have come up just short in back-to-back weeks against the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers, but they’re still a top-five team in a loaded NFC this season.

In the first seven weeks of 2018 before the Cowboys traded for and then activated star wide receiver Amari Cooper, the team went 3-4 and averaged just 20 points per game. After Dallas’ bye week and with Cooper properly integrated into the offense, the Cowboys went 7-2 and averaged over 22 points per game.

Now that Cooper has had a full offseason program with quarterback Dak Prescott – and with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore at the controls – Dallas is averaging over 26 points per game through five weeks. They’re also No. 2 in big plays this season, one spot above the Texans and one spot below the final selection on our list.

Factor in explosive running back Ezekiel Elliott, free agent addition Randall Cobb, second-year receiver Michael Gallup, and the successful return of legendary tight end Jason Witten, and the Cowboys have plenty of weapons this year to potentially puncture some holes in this lockdown Patriots defense.