1. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys had a golden opportunity to go into New England and secure a win over the defending champions, but they squandered their chance to beat the Patriots. Even though New England couldn’t move the ball for most of the game, they scored the game’s only touchdown with excellent field position set up by a blocked punt.
The Cowboys also were extremely conservative, with Jason Garrett settling for field goals instead of aggressively going for touchdowns, and everyone knows you don’t beat elite teams with field goals instead of touchdowns. Jerry Jones was visibly frustrated after the game, questioning the team’s coaching.
That isn’t good for the job security of Jason Garrett, who has held the Cowboys’ job for nearly a decade but hasn’t advanced out of the Divisional Round yet. Dallas is still in first place in the NFC East today, but they have arguably gotten less out of their talent than anyone in the league.
This week sees Dallas return home for Thanksgiving, where they take on the 8-3 Buffalo Bills. Record alone would suggest this would be a tough game for Dallas, but the Bills are a bit of a paper tiger, beating only one winning team all season, the 6-5 Tennessee Titans.
With the Eagles having a cupcake schedule, the Cowboys have to get back on track this Thursday to maintain their division lead. A loss to the Bills at home on Thanksgiving could cause Jones’ head to explode, which would up the pressure around Jerry World down the stretch.