The New England Patriots are back on the road Sunday afternoon, taking on the Dallas Cowboys in what's close to an early-season must-win for both teams.

New England is coming off its first win of the season, but might not be able to afford another 1-3 start. On the flip side, Dallas is coming off its first loss of the season and has a big date against the San Francisco 49ers looming.

Let's cut to the chase and make some bold Patriots predictions for their Week 4 matchup with the Cowboiys.

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4. Mac Jones has an…OK game

It's no secret the Cowboys' pass defense has been stout to start the season. They rank second in passing yards allowed per game (130.7) and haven't allowed an opposing quarterback to throw the ball for more than 190 yards.

But Dallas hasn't exactly faced stiff competition at quarterback, meeting Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson and Joshua Dobbs over the first three weeks of 2023. Star cornerback Trevon Diggs, out for the year with a ruptured Achilles, played in two of those games, too. Stephon Gilmore is certainly more than capable of holding his own and DaRon Bland is a fine No. 2 corner, but losing Diggs is still a major blow to the Cowboys' secondary.

On the flip side, the Patriots' passing game has been shaky. Mac Jones is ninth in passing yards per game entering Week 4, but has done it on high volume, averaging just six yards per attempt. He's also struggled with the deep ball this season, ranking as one of the game's worst downfield passers through the first three weeks.

So, what gives here? Well, New England has shown it can move the ball in the air, just little by little. I think we'll see more of that, especially considering Micah Parsons' presence on the other end, lining up against a very questionable Patriots offensive line. I'd imagine we see more screens and checkdowns similar to what we saw in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

That can certainly help New England move the ball down the field a bit on Sunday, especially if explosive playmakers like Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas get involved in the offense. I think Jones will play a clean game with nearly 250 passing yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, but will leave a bit to be desired.

3. Rhamondre Stevenson rushes over 100 yards

It's been a troubling start for one of the Patriots' few bright spots in a disappointing 2022 season. Stevenson has rushed for just 134 yards on 2.9 yards per carry through the first three games, ranking as one of the worst running backs in the league in terms of expected yards per play. Fortunately for him, Stevenson gets to go up against a defense on Sunday that might allow him to get back on track.

Dallas' rush defense put up a pitiful performance last week against the Arizona Cardinals, surrendering 222 rushing yards. James Conner led the way with 98 rushing yards on a whopping seven yards per carry. In addition to that, Saquon Barkley had 51 yards on a decent 4.3 yards per carry in Week 1.

So, it's a favorable matchup for Stevenson. He actually made an impactful cameo in the last matchup between the two teams in 2021, rushing for 23 yards on five carries with a 1-yard touchdown. Damien Harris had 101 yards on 5.6 yards per carry that day as well, but these are obviously two different teams.

Still, Stevenson is overdue for a big game, and we saw that the offensive line was at least good enough last week for Ezekiel Elliott to have a good day. Why can't that be the same for Stevenson?

2. The Patriots force Dak Prescott to turn the ball over three times

Maybe it's not a bold prediction to say that the player who led the league in interceptions last season will turn the ball over, but Prescott hasn't had too many three-turnover games in his eight-year career. He's posted six such games, recording one three-plus turnover game in each of the last six seasons.

Sunday will be that game for Prescott.

The Patriots' defense has shown major upside in the early weeks of the season, slowing down the Eagles to just 19 offensive points in Week 1 and only giving up 24 points to a Miami Dolphins squad that scored 70 a week later. They also recorded turnovers in those games against teams that typically don't turn over the ball, recording a forced fumble against the Eagles and an interception of Tua Tagovailoa.

Prescott has only thrown one interception so far this season, but the last time he faced the Patriots, he had an interception and a fumble in a game he threw for 445 yards. He's prone to making multiple mistakes. New England boasts a defense that can force multiple mistakes with their pass rush and secondary.

1. The Patriots ultimately lose on a late field goal miss

Again, this may not be a bold prediction, but I think the Patriots cover yet ultimately lose. The boldness comes in how it happens.

Jones will have a chance to lead New England to the second fourth-quarter comeback of his career as it trails by two points late. He'll succeed in getting the Patriots into field goal territory in the final seconds, setting up a makable kick or Chad Ryland. However, the pressure will get to the rookie and the special teams unit, which had two shaky snaps that led to two missed field goals last week.

Sunday will be another chapter in the Patriots' story of how they've fared versus good teams: Play them well, but lose close in the final moments.