FRISCO, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons are moving in opposite directions. Both NFC teams had contrasting outputs in Week 9. The Cowboys (6-2) will strive to find redemption after an embarrassing loss to the Broncos last week and face the Falcons (4-4), coming off a win to the Saints that brought the team back to .500. ‘Any Given Sunday’ became the permeating narrative last week around the NFL. This week, Dallas is looking for a rebound. Here are several storylines heading into Sunday’s noon matchup at AT&T Stadium.
- The Cowboys will be without both starting defensive ends against the Falcons. Right defensive end Randy Gregory was placed on the Reserve/Injured list after suffering a calf strain during practice on Wednesday. He will have to miss at least three games and joins DeMarcus Lawrence on IR. Lawrence has been out since the season opener against Tampa with a broken foot. Although, his return is likely sooner rather than later. Look for Dallas to turn to Dorance Armstrong as Gregory’s replacement. Armstrong missed four games prior to the bye week with a high-ankle sprain. The club has increased his snap count the last two weeks and he played 32 percent against Denver as a rotational option. Tarell Basham has been the primary starter at left defensive end for Lawrence and Armstrong will take over on the right. “You’ve got to have that next-man-up mentality, but I’ll be ready,” Armstrong told reporters on Thursday. Rookie Micah Parsons has proved a productive option off the edge. Earlier in the season he rushed from a stationary end spot but has since played linebacker, showcasing his sideline-to-sideline range. Dan Quinn has used Parsons as a fifth rusher, coming from the middle or the outside in addition to utilizing him as a blitzer. With the Falcons’ mismatch weapons, Parsons will be employed as a linebacker on Sunday.
- Left tackle Tyron Smith did not practice on Wednesday and Thursday, working with the rehab group. He is making progress but is not expected to play Sunday with the ankle injury. Terence Steele has taken first-team reps at left tackle in place of Smith and La’el Collins has taken reps at right tackle. Look for the starting lineup against Atlanta to be the same as it was against Denver last week. Steele made the transition from right to left tackle last week and struggled to regain muscle memory from training camp/preseason in shifting footwork, hand placement, and movement away from the line for the left side of the formation. Everyone witnessed the fall of Chaz Green years ago against the Falcons when he was not given proper help. On Sunday, Dallas needs to provide running back and tight end chips to help out Steele in protecting Prescott’s blindside and not forcing him to block one-on-one for 60-plus snaps.
- The Cowboys will get reinforcement back in the receiving corps. Michael Gallup will make his highly anticipated return on Sunday. Dallas’ deep threat has been working his way back from a calf injury. His 21-day practice window opened on Oct. 25, and he will be activated from IR to the 53-man roster before Sunday. He was a full participant on Wednesday and Thursday’s practice, showcasing his ability to high-point the football. The Cowboys had several costly drops by receivers last week that stalled drives and this week, communication is key. CeeDee Lamb described, “a lot of people know what MG can do and if you don’t, then you will find out soon. The guy is a playmaker.”
- Who are Matt Ryan’s mismatch targets coming into town? That would be Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Pitts. Patterson is a dynamic threat when he touches the football as a running back, pass catcher, and a nightmare return specialist. Whether it is zone runs, reverses, screens, sting routes, or a vertical stretch, Patterson has become the focal point of the Falcons’ offense with his rare combination of size, speed, and power. “He is a huge challenge,” Mike McCarthy told D210SPORTS on Patterson. “I have had a chance to compete against him at almost every stop. He was drafted in Minnesota, Oakland, Las Vegas, Chicago, New England, and now Atlanta. I have seen him go 109 yards on a kickoff return…they are doing a really good job of spreading him around formation wise…extremely dangerous player.” The Cowboys were beat at the point of attack and struggled to set the edge last week, getting out leveraged to the boundary with physical running backs. Against Patterson, Dallas will have to win the battle at the line of scrimmage. Then, there is rookie tight end Kyle Pitts. He can roast defenders in press coverage with his massive catch radius and up field ability. The Falcons have primarily been lining Pitts up closer to the tackles, to pair with linebackers and safeties as opposed to corners on the outside. Whether the Cowboys play man or zones, Pitts will be a player to swarm, not allowing him to catch underneath passes and box out defenders or gain yards-after-catch with his lethal speed.
- The saying goes, “the battle is won in the trenches” and Sunday, that will probably dictate the outcome of the ballgame. The Cowboys’ offense is predicated on the strength of the offensive line, allowing Prescott enough time to release the ball/go through reads, and effective run blocking to open holes for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Falcons’ defensive coordinator Dean Pees likes to employ linebackers on double A-gap blitzes, putting stress on the interior of the O-Line. This forces the line to single block and tests the center and guards to pick up the blitz. Quick sets and implementing in-line tight ends, running back chips, or adding a wing will be the recipe for success to help up front, igniting the offense to its former glory.
