ATLANTA – Entering Week 9, the Dallas Cowboys are looking for their first non-NFC East conference victory this season. In addition to beating the New York Giants, the Cowboys are 0-3 against NFC opponents. They hope to buck that trend and climb back to .500 overall when they take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Will they do it? Let’s look at some important aspects of this game.

Secondary concerns

Three weeks ago, leading up to the Cowboys’ game against the Detroit Lions, DaRon Bland was a full participant in Wednesday and Thursday practices before not participating on Friday. He was listed as questionable in the final practice report. Bland was not activated for that game. He did not participate in any practice leading up to last week’s game in San Francisco and did not play. This week Bland again did not train at all and was ruled out on Friday.

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Additionally, Trevon Diggs did not participate in practice this week as he nursed what Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones revealed as a tear in his calf. Diggs, who was listed as questionable in the final injury report, had a good rehab workout Friday and head coach Mike McCarthy said Diggs would be a game-time decision.

The little good news is that rookie Caelen Carson is back from his shoulder injury. Based on Diggs’ availability, it will be interesting how the Cowboys choose to operate in the secondary. Will veteran slot cornerback Jourdan Lewis move to the outside as he has done in the past? With Drake London and Darnell Mooney, the Falcons are the only team in the NFL with two wide receivers with a receiving range of more than 500 yards.

There were growing pains for Tyler Guyton this season. The first-round rookie is adjusting to the speed and talent of the NFL, adapting to a position change, going from right tackle to left tackle.

“I think it’s all one piece,” Guyton said. “Playing at this level is different. Switching sides is also different. My team puts me in the best possible position to be the best player that I am. … You want to be great, you have to be hard on yourself. You have to be your biggest critic.”

The Cowboys have had to help Guyton with extra protection and chips away from the line of scrimmage. For the Cowboys offense to thrive, Guyton needs to play better and reduce penalties. Guyton has six accepted penalties this season, three of which are offensive.

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Trade deadline

Earlier this week, we wrote about the five biggest issues the Cowboys may need to address before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Running back and defensive tackle topped the list. Not a huge surprise, as most felt Dallas didn’t perform enough at those positions this offseason. Fans seemed to agree.

If the Cowboys could improve any of these position groups before the trade deadline, which would you pick?

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 1, 2024

The Cowboys are not expected to make any significant moves before the deadline, but Jones said Friday that they will look for “any meat on the bone that can improve our team.”

Is there a trade Jones could make on Tuesday that would steal headlines from the presidential election the same day?

Jones (laughing): “Yes.”

He gave no details about what that step might be.

Jury duty

Cowboy kicker Brandon Aubrey finally spoke about his recent jury duty in Fort Worth. He said that he initially pushed back the serve, but when he called to push back the second time, it was not allowed.

“It slipped through the cracks until it was too late,” he said. “It was definitely an ‘oh s…’ moment. I have a sister-in-law of the district attorney (district attorney) and she said, ‘They will never single you out because of your status as a public figure.’ I mentioned that I had a sister-in-law who worked in the DA’s office in Dallas, and that my brother is a lawyer. So I was told I wouldn’t be picked, so I just sat there and didn’t really say much. I was definitely surprised when he chose me.”

Aubrey called the experience long, eye-opening, frustrating and depressing.

“I don’t really want to go into all the details of the story,” he added, “but it was very depressing and lasted longer than anyone expected, so I’m glad it’s over.”

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Predictions

Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer: I picked the Cowboys to win just twice this year: Week 2 against the Saints and Week 4 against the Giants. I seriously considered doing this a third time, but with Micah Parsons and Bland out, and Diggs, Zack Martin and Eric Kendricks questionable, I was leaning toward the Falcons. I agree with Dak Prescott: This is a must-win game for Dallas. I just think the Cowboys are falling short.

Matchup to watch: Cowboys DT Mazi Smith vs. Falcons LG Matthew Bergeron. Dallas’ 26th overall pick in 2023 came down to Smith and Bergeron, who ultimately went 38th to Atlanta. Smith is rated No. 122 out of 122 defensive tackles by Pro Football Focus. Bergeron is No. 30 among the 73 NFL guards. Falcons 24, Cowboys 17.

Saad Yousuf, Cowboys beat writer: I expect the Cowboys offense to take a step forward, especially against this defense. Prescott and CeeDee Lamb looked much better last week, especially toward the end of the game. However, the Cowboys defense remains decimated by injuries, and even if Diggs plays, he will be limited. The Falcons have a solid quarterback in Kirk Cousins ​​and a talented supporting cast around him. Falcons 34, Cowboys 28.

Josh Kendall, Falcons beat writer: The over-under for Sunday’s Falcons-Cowboys game is 51.5 points, the most of the weekend and one of the highest of the season. The betting market doesn’t expect much defense, and why should it? Dallas is 31st in the league in points allowed (28.29). The Falcons are 19th (24.38). Both teams rank in the bottom 10 of the defensive EPA. Atlanta gets an edge because it can run the ball (sixth in EPA). Falcons 32, Cowboys 30.

Cowboys-Falcons must-reads

Falcons

• Falcons’ Kirk Cousins ​​’everything we hoped for,’ plus keeping an eye on Parsons’ progress: 5 factors
• Speaking of Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts hasn’t retired, but the tone is changing

Cowboys

• Dak Prescott’s contributions won’t save the Cowboys running game. So what’s the solution?
• Examining the Cowboys’ three 12-win seasons: What we learn from their wins and losses

(Top photo of Drake London and Kyle Pitts: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)