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Give the victory to the New England Patriots in a game that felt like the Dallas Cowboys wanted to lose, and so they did, with a 13-9 final score at Gillette Stadium. The Cowboys not only got off to a slow start, but they added salt to their own wounds by constantly making mental mistakes that helped New England remain in the game.
Weather made for a tough day passing by both teams, with neither Tom Brady nor Dak Prescott truly owning the afternoon, but the six-time Super Bowl champion found a way to gut it at out home to head to 10-1 on the season. Prescott and the Cowboys fall to 6-5 and still haven't landed a signature win this season, but can take a small bit of solace knowing they're still in sole possession of the NFC East -- for now.
That should be of little consolation to them though, knowing they had a chance to topple the mighty Patriots -- in Foxborough -- and flat-out choked.
Why the Patriots won
Simply put, the Patriots made fewer mistakes than did the Cowboys, and did just enough with their extra possessions to keep their opponent chasing their tail. Dallas had every chance in the world to upset New England, but couldn't help but upset themselves. There wasn't any one thing the Patriots did that was awe-inspiring, but they didn't need to, because they were finding ways to win when the Cowboys were desperately digging for ways to lose.
Why the Cowboys lost
When you get away from what's working, you'll probably lose the game. This is what happened when the Cowboys opted to routinely get away from Ezekiel Elliott and rookie Tony Pollard -- who were doing damage on the ground against a 24th-ranked run defense -- opting to pass in inclement weather, and when it was ill-advised. Opting to kick a field goal to make it a four-point game in the fourth quarter instead of attempting to score near the goal line was a terrible decision, and one that simply adds to the aforementioned list of mistakes made by the Cowboys.
Turning point
It happened early in the game, but it was the pivot the Patriots used to extend a lead they never lost. When a bad snap disrupted the timing on this pass and forced Prescott to rush the throw, Stephen Gilmore did what he usually does: snatch it out of the air.
Play of the game
This blocked punt by Matthew Slater led to the best throw of the night from Tom Brady, and gave the Patriots a lead they never gave back.
Quotable
"When it's weather like this -- good defenses need to become great defenses," Rob Gronkowski to Fox Sports.
What's next
The Cowboys will now ready to host the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, with the Patriots heading to South Texas to take on the Houston Texans.
Catch all the highlights and more from what turned out to be a bar room brawl in Week 12 below.
