Defense rules Cowboys-Falcons first half

Defense is the order of the day in Atlanta.

The Dallas Cowboys trail the Atlanta Falcons 6-3 at the half Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Cowboys drove 85 yards on 14 plays on their first possession but had to settle for a field goal after Cole Beasley dropped a pass in the end zone.

Elliott had 28 yards on five carries and a 34-yard on a screen pass on the opening drive. Elliott leads all players with 97 total yards from scrimmage. Dak Prescott has completed 7 of 14 passes for 73 yards.

The Falcons tied it at 3-3 with a field goal on the ensuing drive.

Most of the first half was a defensive battle. Atlanta has 143 yards and nine first downs. The Cowboys have 110 yards and seven first downs. The Falcons have a 17:38 to 12:22 time of possession advantage.

Kicker Matt Bryant gave the Falcons a 6-3 lead with 29 seconds left in the first half with a 45-yard field goal.

This story was originally published November 18, 2018 at 1:22 PM.