Three Phases: Cowboys-Patriots

Every week, we'll grade the Cowboys on the three phases of the weekend's game.

Offense: F

The offense was bad on several fronts. Brandon Weeden had his worst game of his three-start tenure, throwing for just 188 yards and no touchdowns with a pick, and Joseph Randle gained 60 yards on the ground while Darren McFadden was the leading receiver. That's a recipe for disaster. The offensive line looked bad, but that's because they have no weapons to block for. The offense also made it really tough on the Cowboys' defense, which looked great early and then just got tired as the day wore on.

Defense: C

There were several positives, especially early on. They got to Tom Brady FIVE times early on, thanks to the debut of Greg Hardy and his two sacks, and the debut of Rolando McClain, who added another sack as both were coming off four-game suspensions to start the year. As the game wore on, the unit got tired, and it began to show.

Special teams: C

Dan Bailey made two field goals — the Cowboys' only points of the day — and Chris Jones was pretty decent on his punts. The kick return unit didn't help the offense out, though, as the Cowboys' average starting field position was around their own 18-yard line. Yuck.

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