ATLANTA, GA — The Dallas Cowboys (3-4) have fallen below .500 for the second time this season, hoping to go 4-4 and beat the Atlanta Falcons (5-3) this Sunday, for the fourth-straight time. Kickoff is at noon.
Streaks:
Dallas currently has a three-game winning streak over Atlanta, dating back to 2018. Their most recent matchup was a 43-3 win in 2021—the Cowboys’ largest margin of victory all-time over the Falcons. Looking to secure their fourth-straight victory over the Falcons, and avoid their fifth loss of the season, the Cowboys have their work cut out for them with their upcoming schedule because their next three of four opponents are all division leaders. Not to mention the fact that Dallas has won 12 games in three straight years, a feat that would prove very difficult to do a fourth-straight time without a win in Atlanta on Sunday.
Taking on the NFC South:
Dallas has a date with all four teams from the NFC South this season. The Cowboys already lost 44-19 at home to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. After taking on the division leading Falcons this week, they’ll head to Carolina for a matchup with the Panthers in Week 15, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16.
Players to watch out for:
They rank similarly to one another in passing yards-per-game—Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott ranks third among QBs with 263.6, while the Falcons’ Kirk Cousins is fourth with 263.3 passing yards-per-game. When it comes to wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb is one-of-two with at least one reception of 25-or-more more yards in all seven games this season, and has had 11 games with 10-plus receptions since 2022, the most in the league during that time span.
Winning the turnover battle:
The Falcons have won four of their last five games, and have scored at least 26 points in all four of those wins, while the Cowboys have started 3-4 for the first time since 2018 and have gone 2-3 in matchups where they’ve allowed at least 25 points in three of their last five games. When comparing the stats, these two teams are similar, despite their records and places in their divisions. Where they differ: the turnover margin—most notably, the Cowboys with minus-eight; they have turned the ball over eight more times than they have taken it away. Prescott has never had this many picks through the first seven games in a season, and head coach Mike McCarthy said, “if you take care of the football every week, you’re never going to lose the turnover ratio.” The Cowboys are playing a lack of complimentary football, according to McCarthy. To play with more balance, he said, “every series on offense needs to end with a kick,” whether it’s a field goal or an extra point.
A Minnesota meeting:
As the former Vikings head coach from 2014-2021, Cowboys’ now defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is plenty familiar with Cousins, who he shared the building with from 2018-2021. Zimmer said, “Kirk’s got a pretty good knowledge of me,” describing him as “accurate” and “smart.” McCarthy commented, “you know them better than probably any player you’ve worked with,” when asked about Zimmer’s relationship with Cousins, and joked, “let’s just hope he doesn’t play very well.”
