Falcons face potential swing game against streaking Dallas Cowboys

The Atlanta Falcons (4-4) are trying to recover from a tough three-game road trip. They lost two of those games and four of their past five games.

Dallas (5-3) is surging in the other direction with three consecutive wins, including last week’s efficient 28-17 victory against Kansas City.

These teams don’t play often. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 14-10.

Dak attack

Dak Prescott has been the Cowboys’ most consistent player. Last week marked his fifth career game with multiple touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown. Owner Jerry Jones says he believes Prescott is playing better than any quarterback in the league. Prescott has yet to have a 300-yard passing game, but that hasn’t mattered. In the end, it’s been his ability to lead an offense that ranks eighth in the league.

Dez watch

Dez Bryant doesn’t go through touchdown droughts often, but he hasn’t found the end zone in the past two games. Bryant is on the cusp of becoming the Cowboys’ all-time leader in receiving touchdowns. He is tied with Hall of Famer Bob Hayes at 71. Is this the week Bryant finally breaks through? With Terrance Williams having a big game against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, maybe the Falcons will be forced to “pick their poison.”

Containing Falcons

Atlanta might not be playing as well as last season, but they still have a potent offense. Matt Ryan is the league’s reigning most valuable player and on pace for more than 4,000 passing yards. Devonta Freeman is on pace for a 1,000-yard rushing season, and Julio Jones is on pace for another 1,000-yard receiving year. The Cowboys are on pace for more than 50 sacks, something that they would love to use to torment Ryan and the Falcons and extend their winning streak.

Turnover battle

The Cowboys understand the importance of takeaways. It’s preached on a daily basis, and the results show why. The Cowboys have dominated the turnover battle, 7-1, in their current three-game winning streak. The Falcons, meanwhile, are tied with Oakland the NFL’s fewest takeaways, with six.

Coaching matters

Jason Garrett and his staff have had a solid season to date. They’ve been aggressive when needed and have been smart in ensuring they win the field-position game. But they’ll be tested this week as Atlanta coach Dan Quinn has been impressive early in his tenure. Quinn led the Falcons to the Super Bowl last season in his second season, and the former Seattle defensive coordinator is regarded as one of the better defensive minds in the game. But he’s being tested now as the Falcons are reeling with four losses in five games.

This story was originally published November 11, 2017 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Falcons face potential swing game against streaking Dallas Cowboys."