There are many reasons why the New England Patriots entered Sunday's Week 4 game against the Dallas Cowboys with just three wins in their last 10 matchups going back to last season. One of the biggest reasons for that lack of success is bad starts.
The Cowboys jumped out to a 10-3 first quarter lead and outscored the Patriots 18-0 in the second quarter to go into halftime up 28-3.
It was the continuation of a disturbing trend for the Patriots that has seen them fall behind early again and again over their last 10 games. Our Patriots insider Tom E. Curran provided the details in the following post on X.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Oof.
The Patriots, to their credit, have made a bunch of these games competitive despite the slow starts. Most of them ended in losses, though, and there aren't any moral victories for a franchise that wants to make the playoffs.
More Patriots coverage
The Patriots have a very difficult schedule over the final 13 games, including matchups against a bunch of top-tier quarterbacks and high-scoring offenses. New England doesn't have the offensive firepower to win shootouts, which means its chances of overcoming a sluggish start are quite slim.
If the Patriots are serious about making a playoff push, they cannot fall behind by multiple scores in the first half on a consistent basis. If this trend continues, the 2023 season could quickly spiral out of control.