3 Takeaways from Patriots' Week 6 Loss
The New England Patriots managed to take a surging Dallas Cowboys team to overtime Sunday. The Cowboys came in having won four straight and looking virtually unstoppable on defense. However, New England countered every punch and nearly pulled off the upset.
While the Patriots fell on a walk-off CeeDee Lamb touchdown, they showed that they belonged on the same field as one of the NFL's hottest teams.
While the Patriots sit at 2-4, they could easily be sitting at 5-1. Close losses to the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and now Dallas have derailed New England's early season. However, the Patriots showed Sunday that counting them out of the playoff race would be a massive mistake.
Here's what else we learned during New England's 35-29 overtime loss to Dallas.
New England Can Be a Playoff Factor
It's worth doubling down on this one. New England could have a winning record following Week 6 and be relevant in the AFC East. Had one or two more balls bounced the Patriots' way Sunday, New England would be sitting at 3-3.
Had Damien Harris not fumbled at the end of Week 1, the Patriots could be 4-2. Had Nick Folk not missed a potential game-winner in Week 4, New England could be 5-1. Yes, we're playing the what-if game here—and that game won't get a team into the postseason—but the reality is that the Patriots are better than their record indicates.
With a defense ranked ninth in points allowed, a masterful head coach in Bill Belichick and an emerging young quarterback in Mac Jones, the future is bright in New England. That future could include a playoff push if New England can clean up a few offensive issues—the Patriots rank 25th in rushing yards per attempt and 23rd in passing yards per attempt.
Two of New England's four losses have been to championship-caliber teams. While the Patriots aren't quite on a championship level, they should be in the playoff conversation in December.
Mac Jones Is Resilient
Perhaps the biggest play of the game—and arguably the season—came after Mac Jones had an interception returned for a touchdown by Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs. It happened late in the fourth quarter and left New England facing a five-point deficit.
Jones responded by throwing a 75-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. He then found Jakobi Meyers for the two-point conversion, which left Dallas needing a field goal for overtime.
It wasn't enough to get the win, though, and Jones is learning that wins don't come as easy in the NFL as they did at Alabama.
"The games that we've lost we've been two or three plays away, and I guess it's just how the NFL works, and I'm learning that the hard way," Jones said, per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.
Still, the Patriots have to be encouraged by how Jones responded to a potential game-killing mistake—and it's worth noting that the ball bounced off of Bourne's hands before Diggs' interception. As he was against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Week 4, Jones was unflappable during a critical situation.
The Patriots don't know whether Jones can reach the bar that Brady set in New England, but they do know that they have a quarterback who isn't going to melt under pressure.
Rhamondre Stevenson Needs to Be a Bigger Part of Offense
Though Jones did his part to get New England to overtime, the Patriots largely slugged it out via the ground game. Damien Harris led the Patriots with 101 rushing yards and a touchdown—easily his best outing of the season—but rookie Rhamondre Stevenson got in on the action.
Stevenson carried five times for 23 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes on three targets for 39 yards. He hadn't previously been targeted since Week 1.
While Stevenson wasn't as productive in Week 4 (11 carries for 23 yards), he showed his value to the offense as a dual-threat back Sunday. With all-purpose back James White out for the season with a hip injury, New England has an available role that Stevenson can fill.
The fourth-round rookie out of Oklahoma fell out of Belichick's favor after fumbling in Week 1, but now that he appears to be back in his head coach's good graces, it's time for Stevenson to see even more work as a runner and a receiver.
The Patriots haven't been particularly explosive on a consistent basis offensively. Stevenson has the potential to provide a much-needed spark.