FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In an entertaining first half that featured multiple momentum swings, the New England Patriots capped it off with a huge goal-line stand against the Dallas Cowboys to take a 14-10 lead into the break.
The key play came on fourth down from the 1 with 1:32 remaining, when linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley punched the ball out of the grasp of quarterback Dak Prescott, who was attempting to stretch the ball over the goal line on a lunge.
It was the fourth straight play in which the Cowboys attempted to run from the 1-yard line, and they were stopped short each time — the first two on runs by Ezekiel Elliott, and the final two on Prescott keepers.
Prescott was close on the third-down plunge, and it was a play that perhaps warranted a closer instant-replay review from the NFL under the two-minute mark. On the fourth-down play, it was initially ruled a touchdown, before it was reversed on a replay review.
Earlier this season, in a game against the Eagles, Prescott was stopped on third-and-goal from the 1.
On Sunday, the Cowboys also went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 34-yard line on the opening drive of the game. The Patriots came up with the stop on that one, too, tackling Elliott for no gain.
Watching this on repeat, @NVBentley33.
📺: @NFLonCBS / Patriots app pic.twitter.com/KuWy6YhxSv
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 17, 2021
