Defeating a high quality opponent, or any staff within the NFL for that matter, is all the time a tricky job. Battling in opposition to your self would not make it any simpler.
In dropping 27-21 to the Atlanta Falcons, the Dallas Cowboys have been too usually their very own worst enemy. Premature penalties, failures on third-and-fourth down and communication lapses led to a different disappointing defeat.
And including damage to the insult, quarterback Dak Prescott left the sport within the fourth quarter because of a hamstring damage. Previous to his departure, Prescott had a comparatively environment friendly afternoon, finishing 75 % of his passes for 133 yards with one landing and no interceptions for a 101.6 passer score. In his place, Cooper Rush completed out the sport with 115 yards off of 18 of 24 passing and a landing for a 77.9 mark.
In a worst case state of affairs, Prescott’s damage was quickly adopted by CeeDee Lamb having to depart for a time frame within the last quarter with a proper shoulder damage. Clearly in ache, he returned late within the recreation and completed with eight catches for 47 yards, together with a two-point conversion after coming again within the last minutes. Tight finish Jake Ferguson led the Cowboys with 71 receiving yards.
On the bottom, Dallas confirmed some life as Rico Dowdle rushed 12 occasions for 75 yards with Prescott lastly utilizing his legs some as nicely, totaling 30 yards on three runs. General, the staff posted a formidable 6.5 yards per carry common.
Nevertheless, the Cowboys had seven pre-snap penalties on offense, together with two on fourth down, and transformed solely 3 of 13 third-down makes an attempt and 1 of 5 fourth-down tries. They completed with 378 complete yards to the Falcons’ 310 and barely gained the time of possession, 30:40 to 29:20. Nonetheless, the errors proved expensive.
The Dallas protection fared higher in stopping its opponent’s dashing assault. Working again Bijan Robinson recorded 145 yards from scrimmage, together with 86 yards carrying the ball, though as an entire, Atlanta averaged simply 3.3 yards per run.
Kirk Cousins proved to be the actual drawback, although. The quarterback began the day with 13 consecutive completions, and accomplished 79.2 % of his passes for the sport for 222 yards and three touchdowns for a 144.8 score.
For the primary time this season, the Cowboys didn’t enable their opponent to select up factors on their opening drive. Good begin.
Even higher, Dallas got here proper again and put three factors on the scoreboard on its first possession. The primary three performs of the collection noticed Prescott join with Ferguson for 27 yards, Dowdle for 12 after which again to Ferguson for an additional 15. The drive finally got here to an finish on the Atlanta 16-yards line, however Brandon Aubrey, recent off jury obligation, was good on his 34-yard field-goal strive.
However earlier than the quarter was achieved, the Cowboys would discover themselves trailing. The Falcons stitched collectively a seven play, 78-yard possession that produced positive aspects of twenty-two, 16 and 18 yards. The rating got here when Cousins lofted a move to Drake London on the left aspect of the top zone, the wideout making a leaping seize for a 10-3 Atlanta lead.
The subsequent quarter-hour obtained off to a promising begin when the second snap of the body noticed defensive finish Carl Lawson come off the fitting aspect for a strip-sack of Cousins. The bouncing ball was pounced on by security Donovan Wilson, the Cowboys now with possession.
Sadly, they could not reap the benefits of the reward. Head coach Mike McCarthy determined to go for it on fourth-and-1 on the Falcons’ 44-yard line, solely to have Lamb’s tried end-around get stuffed for a 3-yard loss.
That led to a straightforward Atlanta rating. The Falcons went for it themselves on fourth-and-3 on the Dallas 36-yard line, however confusion lining up within the Dallas secondary led to Darnell Mooney breaking wide-open down the fitting sideline, a straightforward pitch-and-catch for the walk-in landing.
After which the Cowboys answered with one of many craziest touchdowns you will ever see. Thanks to 3 runs of 15-plus yards – one every by Lamb, Prescott and Dowdle – Dallas discovered itself on second-and-goal on the Falcons’ 3-yard line. That is when Prescott, scrambling again and avoiding defensemen throughout him, tossed a move to Dowdle in the long run zone. The operating again then jumped, bobbled the catch, hit the ball up as soon as on his means down and eventually caught the prize whereas on his again for the inconceivable rating. That closed the hole to simply 4 factors, 14-10, on the half.
Dallas opened the second half with a false begin penalty, which quickly resulted within the particular groups unit popping out for a punt. However punter Bryan Anger as an alternative went for the faux, trying a move to gunner C.J. Goodwin, the ball falling incomplete.
That gave the Falcons possession on the Cowboys’ 38-yard line and 5 performs later they have been throughout the aim line. The primary 4 these performs have been Robinson runs for a mixed 27 yards, however the final was an 11-yard move from Cousin to vast receiver Ray-Ray McCloud for the landing.
Penalties continued to plague the Cowboys. First there was one other false-start penalty, and when the offense then lined up for a fourth-and-1 strive on the Atlanta 49-yard line, Dallas was flagged for too many males on the sphere. With that, out got here the punt unit.
Lastly, the Cowboys have been in a position so as to add to their level complete. Taking up at their very own 39-yard line, they managed to succeed in the Falcons’ 39 earlier than stalling. However Aubrey was readily available to kick one other discipline aim for the ultimate snap of the third quarter, this one from 57 yards to maintain Dallas inside placing distance, 21-13.
With the Cowboys protection beginning to put on down, Atlanta’s offense went heavy on its floor recreation. The Falcons opened the ultimate quarter with a seven-play, 66-yard drive that noticed two Cousins passes for 40 yards adopted by 5 straight rushes for the ultimate 26. The final was a 6-yard bull-rush up the center by Tyler Allgeier for the landing. A foul snap led to Atlanta lacking the extra-point.
Nevertheless, on the earlier drive, Prescott injured his hamstring and was dominated out for the rest of the sport. That left the quarterbacking duties to Rush in his first significant snaps of the 2024 season.
The 2 sides traded punts, however when returner KaVontae Turpin corralled Atlanta’s punt at his personal 28-yard line, he turned the fitting nook and had an open discipline in entrance of him. However he was unable to regulate his momentum, and regardless of desperately attempting to remain in-bounds, he stepped on the white line, a possible landing quashed.
The Cowboys nonetheless threatened, reaching the Falcons’ 31-yard line, however when Lamb was unable to make a diving catch in the long run zone on third down and Turpin did not haul in a fourth-down move, Dallas turned the ball over on downs. Lamb, already in ache from a proper shoulder damage, could be pressured to depart the sport for a collection.
Dallas was now down by two touchdowns with simply over 5 minutes remaining, however Rush obtained the Cowboys again in the long run zone on a 14-play, 86-yard drive, which included a 22-yard completion to Turpin on fourth-and-5, in addition to a third-and-1 run by Rush for 7 yards. He then discovered Jalen Tolbert at the back of the top zone for the rating. Lamb, who got here again late within the drive, was open for the two-point conversion, Dallas now down simply 27-21 with 1:32 left on the clock.
However Aubrey’s on-side kick could be recovered by the Falcons, the Cowboys’ hopes for a comeback arising brief.