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ATLANTA – While this matchup could not have mathematically eliminated the Dallas Cowboys from the playoffs considering it is only Week 9, that does not mean their battle against the Atlanta Falcons can be viewed as anything less than a must-win scenario. 3-4 after two defeats and three of them on home ground.

They’ve fared better on the road, owners of a 3-1 record on the road, and they were hoping to shake off the loss in San Francisco to recapture that magic when they take on Kirk Cousins ​​and his stable of weapons .

However, that would require several, if not every, player to make a big move for the Cowboys at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Ultimately, it wasn’t for McCarthy’s group as they dropped three games in a row to drop to 3-5 on the season, but credit the following players for doing their best to halt the decline.

Ask 104,757 times and you shall receive, folks. Prescott helped get himself back on track both in the air and on the ground for much of the Atlanta game, taking off and running when opportunities presented themselves and then using that to keep the Falcons off balance Through threat of battle when you are under duress. On the fourth drive of the game, Prescott rattled off a 22-yard run on 2nd-and-15 to extend a drive that ended in a touchdown toss, made possible by Prescott first using his legs to escape the pressure and to threaten to run away – before throwing it to Rico Dowdle for a highlight-reel circus to cut the Falcons’ lead to just four points.

At that point, Prescott had also completed 10 of his 11 passes for 82 yards, zero interceptions and the aforementioned touchdown for a solid passer rating of 128.0. Also notable was his decision-making when he had nowhere to run and nowhere to throw, such as the drive at the end of the third quarter when he threw the ball on the ground for Jake Ferguson instead of taking Matthew Judon’s pocket. That gave Brandon Aubrey a chance to make a 57-yard field goal, making it a one-possession game at the time.

However, he would be forced out of the game late in the third quarter as the injury bug has apparently not yet sunk its teeth into the Cowboys’ roster.

With Ezekiel Elliott inactive and Dalvin Cook breathing down his neck for more action, Dowdle made a clear and definitive case to officially be named RB1 in Dallas for the remainder of the season. His first half against the Falcons was excellent as both a running back and a receiver out of the backfield – averaging 5.4 yards on the ground on eight attempts (43 yards) to go along with three catches on three targets and the touchdown grab from Cirque du Soleil. He wasn’t done there yet, and there isn’t really an argument that can be made in the future for not feeding Dowdle over and over again.

It was Ferguson who got the party started early due to Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense. It was clear that head coach Mike McCarthy had a plan to often use Ferguson against the Falcons defense’s scheme, one that challenges teams to attack them underneath. But it wasn’t just the catches that impressed, but the Pro Bowl tight end’s physicality, which showed both his bully mentality when passing defenders and his athletic ability to get around them and make them miss for more yardage to jerk off. It was without a doubt one of the best games of the season for Ferguson.

In the absence of Sam Williams, Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland, the Cowboys desperately needed Carl Lawson to show what made him such a good player in his prime. It felt like over the last few games he went a step further than what he showed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is to say he exploded in Atlanta, to the tune of two sacks against Kirk Cousins ​​in the first half – both he delivered on a third downs that the Falcons then forced to punt in one instance, with his first sack forcing a fumble recovered by Donovan Wilson deep in Cowboys territory.

It wasn’t the best day in coverage for Wilson, but the fumble recovery couldn’t have come at a better time for the Cowboys. Lawson did the heavy lifting and Wilson made sure he was Johnny on the Spot to do the rest. Unfortunately, the Cowboys offense couldn’t produce any points on the takeaway, one of the few Dallas has been able to muster this season, but on this play Wilson did his job and it could have put the game back in the game. The favor of the cowboys – if only.

The tone setter for the Cowboys secondary tried to swing the game the Cowboys way with the best coverage of the day. Even after having to be evaluated due to injury, he returned and made an impact play, namely a drive-saving tackle on Bijan Robinson in space on 2nd and 8, with the Falcons leading only 7–3 at the time. after Robinson broke away from Trevon Diggs. The next play? Well, it was Carl Lawson who sacked Cousins ​​and forced the aforementioned fumble. Lewis continues to scratch and claw every week.