DALLAS — The first contest of November sees the Dallas Cowboys head to Atlanta to take on the Falcons trying to avoid a three-game skid in Week 9. Head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott haven’t experienced losing more than two in a row since they got paired together ahead of the 2020 season, and the hope is they can extend that streak.
Beating the Falcons won’t be easy, however, as it’s a team that has come together around a new head coach, new offensive coordinator and free-agent QB to help turn around a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2017. The Falcons currently sit at 5-3 and are in first place of the NFC South, an incredible fear for a team that hasn’t won more than seven games in the last six seasons.
The Cowboys are struggling to find their groove on both sides of the ball, while the Falcons have won four of their last five. Challenges await Dallas as they prepare to face one of the upstart teams in the league for 2024.
Here are the strengths and weaknesses of the Falcons, the Week 9 opponent for the Cowboys:
Strength: Running back duo
The Falcons have one of the top RB tandems in the league in Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. Although Robinson is the starter, Allgeier is a backup in name only, he’s a starting-caliber RB who happens to play behind a star on the rise.
Robinson is ninth in the league in rushing and averages 4.7 yards per carry to go along with five total touchdowns. If he were given more chances, Robinson would likely be near the top of the league in most rushing categories.
Allgeier, meanwhile, is too good to keep off the field, gaining over five yards per carry. The duo has combined for 898 rushing yards so far on the year, good for second in the league among RB tandems.
With how poorly the Cowboys’ defense has played the run, seeing a dominant RB combination coming at them sets them up with a difficult challenge. Allgeier and Robinson will test the run defense of the Cowboys, and if they aren’t up to the task, it could be a long day at the office.
Weakness: Playing at home
The Cowboys have perhaps met their match when it comes to home-field disadvantage. Inside the comfortable roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Falcons are just 2-3 at home this season and Dallas won the last matchup in Atlanta.
The Falcons’ offense has scored 20.6 points per home game while averaging over 30 points per game on the road. Those are odd numbers for an offense that has the firepower that should translate to success at home.
On defense, Raheem Morris’ team gives up almost 26 ppg at home, and just over 22 in road matchups to continue the peculiar trend on the other side of the ball.
This is an odd season around the league where road teams continue to compete and win games away from home. The Cowboys are 3-1 on the road, so it might benefit them to be away from AT&T Stadium.
Strength: Passing attack
The Falcons made a few adjustments to their offense last offseason, and those moves have helped their passing attack take off. The signing of Kirk Cousins at QB, and the addition of Zac Robinson as the offensive coordinator has turned potential into success.
Cousins has been a good QB in the league for a long time and that hasn’t changed with his new team. The veteran signal-caller is third in the league in passing yards and has thrown for 14 touchdowns, good for fifth in the NFL.
The duo of Cousins and Robinson has unlocked a talented receiving group that includes two recent top-10 picks, as well as an underrated wide receiver. Drake London at WR and tight end Kyle Pitts are blossoming in the new offense. London’s on his way to a career year, with 48 receptions, 525 yards receiving and five touchdown catches. Those numbers all rank among the best in the league.
Pitts, meanwhile, took some time to get going, but nearly all his production has come in the last four weeks, where he hasn’t had less than 65 yards receiving and is coming off his first career two-touchdown game. In the last two years, Pitts only hit that mark three times combined, so he’s starting to find his game as the No. 4 overall pick in 2021.
Third receiving option Darnell Mooney is also on pace for a career year in receiving yards and has already tied his high mark for scores in a season with four.
This will be a tough passing game to stop for the Cowboys; they’re going up against an offense that has the elite weapons to stress a defense. When combined with their rushing attack, there will be no easy outs for Dallas.
Weakness: Pass rush
The Falcons have a good secondary, but they aren’t one of the better defenses against the pass because their pass rushers haven’t been good. The defense is ranked last in the league in sacks, with a paltry six QB takedowns through eight games.
For comparison's sake, the Cowboys have looked like one of the worst pass-rushing teams, and they have 16 sacks despite missing their top-four edge rushers for over half the season. Even the best secondaries in the league can’t cover forever, and the lack of a pass rush is part of the reason that the Falcons’ passing defense has allowed 13 passing touchdowns, good for 26th in the league.
If the young Dallas offensive line can keep Prescott from being pressured, they’ll have a chance at putting up points and pulling off a fourth road win of the season.
Strengths: Secondary
Despite an average defense, the Falcons have three big-time playmakers in the secondary. At cornerback, A.J. Terrell is one of the top players in the league, while veterans Jessie Bates and Justin Simmons form one of the best one-two punches at safety.
Combined, the trio has five of the defense’s seven interceptions, and Bates is responsible for half of the Falcons’ forced fumbles this season. Over their careers, the three players have combined for 59 interceptions, 18 forced fumbles, and 32 tackles for a loss.
It’s an elite threesome that has suffered a bit from the poor pass rush, but it’s still a group that Prescott and the passing game should steer clear of when attacking the defense. Prescott has thrown two INTs in each of the last three games, so the Falcon secondary will be itching to continue that trend.
Do you think the Cowboys can continue to have road success in Atlanta? Share your thoughts with Ben on X (formerly Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.
