Cowboys vs. Patriots: Week 5 – Five Things

Nov 27, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) is gang tackled by the Philadelphia Eagles defense in the game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback Must Go Down, and Go Down Hard – With the return of much of the Cowboys pass rush, hopefully they can finally start racking up some sacks, or at least more quarterback pressure. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady becomes very human when he is sacked two or more times in a game, and if those games are on the road, he can become not only human, but average.

When Brady is hit that many times on the road the Patriots have a losing record.

So, it is simple: get to Tom Brady. He has issues when people are coming up the middle and disrupting his timing, while getting to his blind side will make him hesitate. The real frustration comes when the middle of the line doesn’t do it’s job. This means it might be time to also get Sean Lee and Rolando McClain involved in some well timed blitzes up the middle.

Greg Hardy, Jeremy Mincey, and DeMarcus Lawrence should generate enough pressure on the line itself, but when playing someone like Brady, you have to make him see things he hasn’t on film. This is where the linebackers, cornerbacks, and even safeties have to come into play. It isn’t common for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli to use a ton of blitzes, or use other players than his line, but it might be time for a little magic.

Next: Stop The Run to Stop Tom Brady