3 Takeaways from Patriots' Week 4 Loss vs. Cowboys

During the lead-up to Sunday's game between the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys, there was some belief that former Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott and Will Grier might help New England plan for the Cowboys offense.

"Will knows where a lot of the bones are buried. Zeke does as well," Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer told reporters. "So those are things you talk about and you think, OK, let's adjust this."

If Elliott and Grier did help the Patriots game plan, it either wasn't enough, or else the Cowboys did a better job of adapting. Bill Belichick, long known as a defensive mastermind, had no answers for Dallas' attack. The Patriots offense, meanwhile, struggled for the fourth straight week.

The result was a lopsided 38-3 loss that dropped New England to 1-3 and significantly hurt the Patriots' playoff hopes.

Here are our biggest takeaways from the Patriots' Week 4 loss to the Cowboys.

The Patriots Don't Have Enough Playmakers to Consistently Win

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Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne watches Cowboys CB DaRon Bland intercept a pass

If the Patriots were ever going to have a legitimate chance in this game, they were going to have to win with defense. When that plan went out the window, so did any belief in a New England victory.

While the Cowboys defense imploded against the Arizona Cardinals last week, it's still a tremendous unit. The Patriots, unfortunately, lack the offensive playmakers to challenge a team like Dallas without a lead.

New England can grind out games on the ground with Rhamondre Stevenson and Elliott. However, when defenses can key in on the run, the Patriots will struggle to move the ball consistently. On Sunday, they notched a mere 10 first downs to go with three points and three turnovers.

Kendrick Bourne has shown flashes this season, and Hunter Henry is a fantastic tight end. However, the Patriots lack receivers who can create separation against better-than-average defensive backs.

This lack of passing-game potency has hindered quarterback Mac Jones—who showed some growth under Bill O'Brien before Sunday—and has prevented New England from topping 21 points in every game this season.

The Patriots did make a quarterback change to Bailey Zappe against Dallas, but he's not going to lift the current receiving corps to a level that can challenge a playoff contender like the Cowboys.

JuJu Smith- Schuster Continues to Be a Poor Investment

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Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Part of New England's issue has been JuJu Smith-Schuster's inefficiency.

The Patriots allowed Jakobi Meyers to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year, $33 million deal this offseason. They then signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $25.5 million deal, even though he battled knee issues during the 2022 postseason.

The savings in replacing Meyers with Smith-Schuster were minimal, while the risk was massive, as Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer noted in August.

"Smith-Schuster is a guy that you're going to be relying on as your slot receiver, and you're not sure what you're going to get from him from a health standpoint with his knee," Breer told NBC Sports Boston's Sports Sunday in August.

Signing Smith-Schuster didn't give New England the difference-making receiver it needed. He came into Sunday averaging just 6.6 yards on 10 catches. Against the Cowboys, he was targeted five times but caught only one 14-yard pass.

It's clear that Smith-Schuster's early season struggles weren't a mirage, and that New England probably would have been better off sending a little more to keep Meyers.

The Raiders are also struggling at 1-3, but Meyers has caught 18 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns and an 11-yars-per-catch average.

Bailey Zappe Isn't Saving the Season

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Patriots QB Bailey Zappe

As Patriots center David Andrews noted, this loss can't be blamed entirely on Jones.

"It's all of us that has to look in the mirror. It is never one guy," Andrews said after the game, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.

However, Jones will become the scapegoat after throwing two interceptions, including a pick-six, and experiencing a sack-fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

Belichick saw enough before the end of the third quarter and inserted Zappe. While Zappe didn't turn the ball over, he didn't exactly boost the offense. The second-year signal-caller finished 4-of-9 for 57 yards, took a sack that knocked the Patriots out of makeable field-goal range and led New England to just two first downs.

While Zappe did go 2-0 as the starter last season, no one should pretend that he is a clear upgrade over Jones. Had he played the entire game, the result would not have been much different.

New England's offenses go much deeper than inconsistent quarterback play. While a turn to Zappe—if it's more permanent than just an in-game switch—might yield a little better ball security, it won't be enough to make the Patriots a playoff contender.

If the Patriots don't improve their supporting cast, it won't matter how good the defense is or who is under center.