Tom Brady Quiet as Stout Patriots D Beats Dak Prescott, Cowboys 13-9

At this point, the mantra for the New England Patriots is just keep winning.

Following a loss to the Baltimore Ravens and an uneven performance in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the defending champions defeated the Dallas Cowboys 13-9 in Sunday's clash between division leaders at Gillette Stadium. New England is now 10-1 and clear of the 8-3 Buffalo Bills in the AFC East race after the defense led the way yet again in the latest win.

As for Dallas, it is just 6-5 and in a battle with the 5-6 Eagles in the NFC East.

Notable Fantasy Stats

• NE QB Tom Brady: 17-of-37 passing for 190 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions
• NE RB Sony Michel: 20 carries for 85 yards
• NE WR Julian Edelman: eight catches for 93 yards
• NE WR Jakobi Meyers: four catches for 74 yards
• DAL QB Dak Prescott: 19-of-33 passing for 212 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception
• DAL RB Ezekiel Elliott: 21 carries for 86 yards; four catches for 40 yards

Patriots Offense Pedestrian Once Again

It is no secret the Patriots are on the short list of realistic Super Bowl contenders this season because of a defense that entered play first in the league in yards allowed per game, points allowed per game, interceptions and forced turnovers, but the offense is firmly under the microscope.

New England scored just 17 points last time out against the Eagles, and Tom Brady told reporters the offense "could probably do everything better."

It didn't against the Cowboys.

While the driving rain surely played a factor, fans were treated to two missed Nick Folk kicks, under throws by Brady, dropped passes downfield and an offense that was forced to settle for field goals in scoring position multiple times.

The emergence of Jakobi Meyers as a secondary option alongside Julian Edelman helped, but the Patriots needed their game-changing defense and special teams to generate their best chances. Brady opened the scoring with a touchdown pass to N'Keal Harry on a short field following a blocked punt and then parlayed Stephon Gilmore's interception into a field goal.

In fact, New England's 38-yard drive that resulted in a field goal in the fourth quarter was its only scoring drive that went longer than 12 yards. It couldn't even completely run out the clock in a bizarre ending, leaving Dallas with one second for a desperation play.

It is Super Bowl-or-bust once again for the Patriots, but the offense that has been on display of late is not good enough to lift the Lombardi Trophy.

Dak Prescott's Hot Streak Ends Against NFL's Best

This era of Cowboys football has largely been defined by Ezekiel Elliott's individual brilliance, but Dak Prescott has taken charge of late.

In his previous three games, the signal-caller posted nine touchdown throws to two interceptions while averaging 366 passing yards per contest. At the same time, Elliott failed to reach 50 rushing yards in each of the past two games.

The formula changed Sunday given the weather and New England's secondary, as Dallas rode Elliott in the early going with consistent handoffs and underneath throws.

It helped keep the visitors within striking distance, especially with their defensive line—including former Patriot Michael Bennett—keeping Brady in check with constant pressure. Still, the ball was in Prescott's hands at the end with a chance to win, and he didn't deliver.

With less than two minutes remaining, the signal-caller threw incompletions on 3rd-and-11 and 4th-and-11 and saw his team's last realistic chance end without points. The 4th-down incompletion was initially ruled a catch by Amari Cooper, but it was overturned upon replay review.

Cooper finished without a catch, Prescott failed to lead a single touchdown drive and the Cowboys offense wasted a strong performance from its defense.

What's Next?

The Cowboys host the Bills on Thanksgiving, while the Patriots are at the Houston Texans next Sunday.