Jones, Prescott and what to watch for Sunday

Two years ago, the Cowboys pulled away from Foxboro with a shocking overtime win.

The Pats had dropped a 35-29 finish to fall to 2-4. They eventually recovered and reached the playoffs. But somehow, now at 1-2, their future feels less certain than it did then.

Back then Mac Jones was a rookie fresh off the first fourthquarter comeback of his career amid one of the greatest seasons every for a first-year quarterback. Today, Jones still lacks a signature win, with only one fourth-quarter comeback on his resume. The Patriots have again been installed as underdogs against Dallas in their first meeting since then.

Dropping to 1-3 would only amplify pressure on Jones and the team, which escaped the Jets last weekend only by the mercy of a missed Hail Mary. A win in Dallas, of course, would represent much more.

It would mean a statement made for a team proving itself in a pressurized season. Here’s what should make or break the Patriots on Sunday.

When the Patriots run

Hello, old friend.

Ezekiel Elliott will return to Dallas for the first time since his release last March. Elliott is fresh off the best game of his young Patriots career, rushing for 80 yards in a win over the Jets last Sunday. The 28-year-old has declined to make much of his return, which reportedly will include a pregame honor for the ex-cowboy.

Once kickoff arrives, the Patriots figure to lean heavily on Elliott and fellow running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Dallas allowed 222 yards rushing to the lowly Cardinals last weekend, an effort the Pats should look to replicate with a newly healthy offensive line. Last week, the Patriots averaged 4.75 yards per carry

running behind left tackle Trent Brown and 8.5 yards going behind right guard Mike Onwenu.

Whether it’s Stevenson or Elliott holding the ball, though, they must create more yards on their own. Stevenson ranks in the bottom 10 of the league at gaining yards after contact, averaging 0.2 yards this season, per Pro Football Reference.

“I think I need to get back to making people miss and breaking more tackles,” Stevenson said.

Elliott also ranks the bottom 10 of the league.

When the Patriots pass

Another old friend, Stephon Gilmore, could threaten to eliminate one half of the field for the Patriots’ pass offense Sunday.

Pats players and coaches said this week Gilmore looks like his old self, a 33-yearold

version of the shutdown corner who called New England home for four-plus seasons. But before the Pats can steer away from Gilmore, they’ll need to locate Micah Parsons.

The Cowboys’ All-pro pass-rusher ranks among the league’s elite in every metric and torments offenses by rushing from a variety of alignments. Bill Belichick compared him to Lawrence Taylor this week, and Mac Jones called him the best player the team has faced all season.

Parsons is a certified game-wrecker (30.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles in two-plus seasons) who will destroy their offensive line if they’re not careful.

If they can limit Parsons, Jones should have success targeting the cornerback opposite Gilmore. Last week, that was Daron Bland, who moved from his typical position at nickelback to outside corner after the loss of Trevon Diggs. Safety Jayron Kearse could also be a target, considering how the Pats want to feed tight ends Hunter

Henry and Mike Gesicki.

When the Cowboys run

This is how Dallas wants to live offensively: running the ball and controlling the game. It was true two years ago in Foxboro, and hasn’t changed since. Take it from the Patriots.

“I think they have made (running) a statement through many different interviews and articles about the way they play,” defensive tackle Lawrence Guy said this week. “They want to run the ball to control the clock, and they have a really good back to do that.”

“They run the ball a lot,” Bill Belichick said. “(Tony) Pollard’s got a lot of carries. They’ve got a lot of explosive players.”

Pollard leads the league in touches, most of which have come on running plays. He’s averaging just 4.3 yards per carry, but taking more than 20 carries per game. Pollard also has two touchdowns, while backup Rico Dowdle and

quarterback Dak Prescott have each rushed more than 10 times.

One limiting factor for Dallas could be the health of its offensive line. Three starters missed last week’s loss at Arizona, and those same three — left tackle Tyron Smith, center Tyler Biadasz and right guard Zack Martin — missed practice to start this week. The Pats are also dealing with injuries, after starting nose tackle Davon Godchaux hurt his ankle versus the Jets and Daniel Ekuale was lost to a torn bicep.

When the Cowboys pass

It all starts with Ceedee Lamb.

Two years ago, Lamb racked up nine catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns against the Patriots. This season, he leads Dallas in catches with 19, more than double any other wideout on the team. Cowboys coaches have openly speculated the Pats could shadow him with star rookie corner Christian

Gonzalez.

The Cowboys’ next leading receiver is Pollard, who functions mostly as a screen target or checkdown option. Inside the red zone, look for the Patriots to double Lamb, which could lead Prescott to find Pollard or his tight ends. Two of Dallas’ three receiving touchdowns this season belong to tight ends Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker.

If the Pats cover Ferguson and Schoonmaker 1-on1, stopping them should fall to safeties Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers and Jalen Mills. That’s unless a fearsome pass rush doesn’t reach Prescott first. The Patriots have posted a pressure rate higher than 40% in two of their first three games, and could face a banged-up Dallas O-line.

On the season, Prescott has completed 67.6% of his passes for 647 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Game pick

Cowboys 20, Patriots 16