Team Notes week 13 2019

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones knew it was going to be difficult to win Sunday against the Patriots for a variety of reasons, but mostly because of New England coach Bill Belichick.

"The bottom line is that was a tough challenge," Jones said. "They know how to play this game, in this weather. Their team was masterful. Their coach was masterful. ... It was a significant setback for our team. We need this win. We needed a win against an opponent like this, and we haven't had one."

In rainy and windy conditions, the Cowboys lost 13-9 at Gillette Stadium, dropping to 6-5 on the season and still looking for their first win against a team with a winning record this season. The last time the Cowboys had a victory against a team with a winning record was in Week 13 last season, when they beat the New Orleans Saints, who entered that game on a 10-game winning streak.

That Belichick had the upper hand against Jason Garrett was not unexpected to Jones.

"I think you're going to get out-coached during this era when you come to New England. I do. I think you are," Jones said. "I give him his, not due there, but it's just what you're dealing with. My point is: Don't get yourself in a spot where you have to come up here and beat him, and beat them on a day like today. Don't get in a spot where that's determining what you want to be about, where that's determining where we're going."

As ESPN.com's Todd Archer noted, while Belichick and the Patriots managed the game and the weather, the Cowboys had difficulties handling both. Their special teams contributed to a 10-point swing with a missed field goal attempt by Brett Maher and a blocked punt that led to New England's first touchdown in the first quarter.

Late-game decision-making by Garrett, who is not under contract after this season, also came into question.

Trailing 13-6 and facing fourth-and-7 from the New England 11, Garrett opted to kick a field goal to cut the gap to four points with 6:04 left. Had it been a shorter yardage to convert on fourth down, Garrett said he would have put more consideration into going for it.

"[If] they go ahead and kick a field goal coming back, it's still a chance to be in the game," Garrett said. "Then, what did we get it back with, just under three with a chance to go win it? So just felt good about that decision."

The Cowboys got the ball back with 2:38 to play and all of their timeouts but were hurt by a dubious tripping penalty and a properly overturned catch via replay by Amari Cooper on fourth down that effectively ended the game.

After the game, Jones did not second-guess his coach's decision to kick the field goal. Neither did quarterback Dak Prescott nor tight end Jason Witten.

But Jones was not happy to be leaving with a loss.

"Make no mistake about it, this was a bigger game [for the Cowboys] than it was for the Patriots on the win column," Jones said. "We had an opportunity to establish something. There is no gratification getting down to the last drive with it determining the outcome of the game. That is not the point. You can't be satisfied with how we got out there.

"I don't care if it is New England with their record and their coach and all that. You can't be satisfied just because you got within the last drive. I'm just really frustrated. I thought we could come up here and put together a better effort in all three phases. I expected us to play well against them defensively. We got what I think we should have expected from our defense. The other phases of the game, we can't come up here and play like that."

Despite the intense criticism from Jones, the Cowboys will make no immediate changes to Garrett's coaching staff with a game against Buffalo in four days, a team source told ESPN's Ed Werder. The Cowboys are in first place in the division and continue to control their fate in the final five weeks of the season, but so far they have not passed any of their tests.

Another one awaits on Thanksgiving when the 8-3 Buffalo Bills visit ATandT Stadium. The Bills (8-3) are similar to Dallas in that most of their wins have come against struggling teams, but they're in a much better place mentally than the Cowboys at the moment. ...

Other notes of interest. ... After badly missing Randall Cobb on a makeable third down in the second quarter against the Patriots, Prescott went to the sideline and grabbed a pair of gloves in hopes of combating the wet field conditions at Gillette Stadium.

"I struggled early in those first few series before I put the gloves on," he said. "I couldn't get a real grip on the ball, I wasn't driving the ball, and that's all me. That hurt the team. I missed some throws, obviously some wide-open throws to convert third downs so that we could continue to move. I can't do that."

It was that kind of day for Prescott and the offense. The league's top-ranked offense (28.6 points and 444.6 yards per game) produced 321 total yards and only three field goals against the Patriots' top-ranked defense.

One bright spot was running back Ezekiel Elliott, who ground out 86 tough yards on 21 carries. Dallas probably should have used the two-time rushing champion more considering the conditions. And Prescott (19-of-33, 212 yards, interception) did drive to the red zone twice.

But the Cowboys settled for field goals on both trips.

As Archer noted, Cooper really likes ATandT Stadium. He doesn't like the road very much.

Cooper, despite being on the field played 52 of 64 offensive snaps, was held without a catch for the first time since joining the Cowboys in a trade last season from Oakland (and only the fourth time in his career). A fourth-down catch on the final drive for 20 yards was negated by replay with 45 seconds to go. He had one catch at the New York Jets but played only one series because of a quadriceps bruise. He was targeted once in the first half and Stephon Gilmore ended up with an interception. In the third quarter, he had a first-down reception wiped out by a penalty.

In six road games, he has 17 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys are home in three of their last five games.

On a more positive note. ... For the first time this season, Cooper is not on the Cowboys' practice report.

While injuries played a part in him leaving two games with no catches previously in his career, Cooper apparently can't blame his outing against the Patriots on an injury. Cooper has played every game despite injuries to a foot, a quadriceps, an ankle and a knee.

He was a full participant all three practice days last week with a knee injury and did not have a designation heading into the game.

The Cowboys did estimate weakside linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (neck) and defensive tackle Antwaun Woods (knee) as non-participants, which does not bode well for their returns on a short week.

Right tackle La'el Collins (knee, back), safety Jeff Heath (shoulder, shoulder), right guard Zack Martin (back, ankle, elbow) and left guard Connor Williams (knee) were listed as limited.

A few final items here. ... The above-mentioned missed field goal was Maher's seventh miss of the season, matching his total from a season ago.

And last. ... It will not change the outcome of Sunday's loss, but the Cowboys were informed by the league office that the two tripping penalties in Sunday's game should not have been called, a source told ESPN.

Center Travis Frederick was flagged for tripping on third-and-1, negating an Elliott first down on a 3-yard catch as the Cowboys were driving for a potential go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter. In the first quarter, left tackle Tyron Smith was penalized for tripping, putting the Cowboys in a difficult second-and-23 situation that preceded the blocked punt by the Patriots, which led to the game's only touchdown.

Garrett had no comment on the calls during his Monday news conference.

DEPTH CHART
QBs: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Trey Lance
RBs: Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke
WRs: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks
TEs: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot