4 steps the Patriots need to follow to beat the Cowboys in week four

It seems like the Patriots have had a tall task ahead of them for every game so far in the 2023 season, and, much like the games before it, they should expect the same against the Cowboys in week four.

Coming off of their first loss of the season, Dallas started the year strong with dominating wins against the New York Giants and Jets, blowing both teams out by double digits. Although that's impressive on the surface, seeing how both teams have looked through three games makes the Cowboys' convincing wins a bit more questionable.

We saw those concerns come to light last week when they visited the Cardinals, losing to the team in flux 28-16. Fortunately for the Patriots and sadly for the Cowboys, the four quarters of football provided the blueprint to win over a seemingly formidable opponent, something they will need as they continue the rest of their challenging schedule.

With their first win under their belt over the Jets last week, New England will have a few factors that will play a significant role in the game overall that they haven't had this season, mainly playing in a dome. Since the rain has seemingly impacted their performance in two of the three games this season, playing indoors couldn't have come at a better time.

Knowing the weather won't play a role on Sunday, the Patriots must follow at least four keys to victory if they hope to win this week. We saw how well it worked for the Cardinals, and if they can follow that blueprint in AT&T Stadium, there's no reason they can't finish the first month of the season with a 2-2 record.

Don't let Dak get hot

There are a handful of quarterbacks in the NFL that can drastically alter the momentum of a game in their team's favor, and in this upcoming matchup, that is Dak Prescott. The Patriots learned that the hard way during their last meeting with the Cowboys in 2021, where Prescott completed 36 passes for 445 yards and three touchdowns.

It was a different script in that game compared to how games have transpired so far this year, with the Patriots scoring first and heading into halftime up 14-10. But that's when things began to shift.

After back-to-back three-and-out drives to start the second half, Prescott took the offense down the field to score on their next two series, putting the Cowboys ahead for the first time all game. It would start to flip-flop the rest of the way, with the game being forced into overtime and the Cowboys coming out the victors with an impressive touchdown drive to end the game.

It was a standout performance for Prescott, who has dealt with many obstacles during his career so far, some of which have been questions regarding his fitness as the Cowboys quarterback. He proved to be exactly what they needed in that game and swiftly swung the game back in their favor, something New England cannot allow to happen on Sunday.

The defense must bring the pressure and make Prescott uncomfortable, hopefully leading to a few mistakes the offense can capitalize on. Slowing him down won't be enough, though. Limiting his time on the field will potentially be a major factor in keeping the game tight, putting less pressure on Mac Jones and the offense to do more than needed.

Establish the run early

In one of the more surprising aspects of the Patriots season so far, the run game hasn't been utilized as much as anticipated, especially with the addition of Ezekiel Elliott this summer.

They were involved a bit more in last week's game against the Jets, with their running back duo totaling 35 carries for 139 yards, but it still wasn't the dominating performance on the ground that New England has become known for in recent years.

Now that Elliott has had a few games to acclimate to the new offense, it's time to unleash the monster and feed Zeke (as they say) against his former team. Perhaps he can use this first meeting against Dallas as a revenge game, motivating him to run harder than what we've seen from him so far.

If the offense can establish the run early, it will allow them to not only capitalize on what they built their offense to be but also get both backs more involved in the passing game. Elliott and Stevenson are the quintessential versatile players that Mac Jones can use interchangeably throughout a game—making that a priority against a defensive line like Dallas will be imperative.

The Cardinals did just that in week three, with James Conner totaling 14 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown. They even used wide receiver Rondale Moore as their stand-in backup back, and he recorded three carries for 54 yards and a score.

Essentially, the Patriots will need to follow what they should have done against the Dolphins a few weeks ago. Miami's defense allowed 40 carries for 233 yards and three touchdowns in week one, and for some reason, New England could not replicate that the following game.

Ensuring Elliott and Stevenson are heavily involved from the get-go can make all the difference in this game. Hopefully, the offensive line can have one of their best performances of the season so far to allow this to happen.

Limit CeeDee Lamb

This was not a strength of the Patriots secondary in their last matchup two years ago. CeeDee Lamb completely dismantled their defense with nine receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns. That cannot be the case on Sunday, but it appears they may be better equipped to handle it this season.

Despite the absences of Jack and Marcus Jones, rookie Christian Gonzalez has held down the secondary like a seasoned veteran. He's had a lot on his shoulders with several starters out, including Jonathan Jones, in the last two weeks and has fared incredibly well against some of the toughest receivers in the league to cover.

From A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to Tyreek Hill and Garrett Wilson, Gonzalez has been a shutdown corner to start his NFL career thus far, earning him the Defensive Rookie of the Month recognition.

This week, he will likely be assigned Lamb for most of the game, especially if Jonathan Jones remains sidelined with an injury. If he can continue what he's done so far, and there isn't any reason why he won't, then the Patriots may have an easier outing on Sunday.

The Cardinals appeared to have gone in with that game plan last week, as Lamb totaled just 4/7 receptions for 53 yards, with his longest of the day going for 32 yards. Slowing him down and making the job difficult for Prescott was a recipe for success that the Patriots defense will need to follow to a T.

Don't play from behind

Playing from behind has become a common denominator this year and the basis of the Patriots' issues, making it even more imperative that they don't fall behind early this week if they want a solid chance of leaving Dallas with a win.

Other than the typical pressure to win a game, there's even more focus on getting a win this week to get their season back on track and go into the next month of games with a .500 record. The AFC East is looking like a race between the Bills and the Dolphins, but they're not that much ahead of New England so far.

Starting October with a win could further motivate them to handle business against the Saints in week five and the Raiders in week six, putting them in a good position for when they play the Bills and Dolphins in back-to-back weeks.

They can accomplish that all by not making mistakes by their own hands, much like what we saw in the first two games of the season, and not relying on the defense to give the offense opportunity after opportunity to get back in the game.

Coming out hot and scoring first is ideal for any team, but it's become increasingly crucial for the Patriots over the last few years. They have a losing record under Mac Jones when they fall behind in a game, and they haven't been able to overcome those deficits this season despite the more successful scheme they've been working with compared to one year ago.

Since they were the first to score in their first win against the Jets, hopefully, they can repeat that in Dallas this week.