Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are heading into their Week 12 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys looking to make a major statement. After losing to the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago and struggling against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, the team is need of a big-time performance. Beating the Cowboys soundly would be that kind of performance.

Obviously, beating the Cowboys handily is not going to be an easy task. Dak Prescott has had flashes of MVP potential this season and Ezekiel Elliott is always dangerous. Dallas also has a solid all-around defense even with some of the injuries they have been dealing with.

Heading into this week's key matchup, the Patriots are going to need some players to step up. Dallas will give them a tough fight, but if they take care of business they should be just fine. Offensively, the Patriots will need to play much better than they did last week in order to improve to 10-1 on the year.

Let's dive in and take a look at two major X-Factors for the Patriots this week against the Cowboys.

N'Keal Harry, Wide Receiver

First up, the Patriots are going to need a top-notch performance from their first-round rookie wide receiver. N'Keal Harry came back last week against the Eagles and ended up catching just three passes for 18 yards. Those numbers weren't eye-catching, but he will be asked to do much more this week.

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Mohamed Sanu is dealing with an injury that could sideline him for a couple of weeks. If he is indeed forced to miss some time, the Patriots are going to need Harry to step up alongside Julian Edelman. In order to beat the Cowboys, New England will need their offense clicking on all cylinders.

James White, Running Back

Keeping with the offense, James White needs to have a breakout performance for the Patriots. He has been quiet all season long and is coming off of a game where he racked up just 20 yards on the ground and 16 yards through the air. That has to improve this week against the Cowboys.

Brady is going to need to dump off short passes throughout the game and that is where White will come into play. If he can have a six-catch, 50-yard performance, the offense will look much more dangerous. Add in a 30 or 40-yard performance on the ground and the Cowboys are going to have a tough time stopping Brady and company.