Dallas Cowboys answer last week’s dud with dominant performance against Atlanta Falcons
From the absolute worst to the absolute best.
That’s really the only way to explain the Dallas Cowboys’ turnaround over the past seven days.
One week after coming out flat and overconfident in a 30-16 embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos, the Cowboys could seemingly do no wrong in Sunday’s 43-3 beatdown of the Atlanta Falcons.
Not only was it the Cowboys’ most complete performance of the season, but it was easily their best showing under coach Mike McCarthy’s tenure.
“Seven days ago we didn’t like where we were when I was standing up here,” said McCarthy who added that the team played with a chip on their shoulders. “That was the response we needed and our guys did a hell of a job.”
Leading 7-3 after the first quarter, the Cowboys took command of the game in the second quarter by outscoring the Falcons 29-0. The 29 points were most scored in any quarter in franchise history.
The Cowboys took a 36-3 lead into halftime, and the 36 points were the most Dallas has scored in a half since they posted 38 points against San Francisco 49ers in 1980. The 33-point halftime lead was the biggest since the Cowboys took a 35-point advantage (38-3) into the locker room against the New York Jets in 1971.
Once the final outcome was official, the 40-point win was the Cowboys’ biggest margin of victory since they beat the Arizona Cardinals, 48-7, in 2000.
But perhaps even greater than the lopsided victory itself, Sunday’s effort reinforced the belief that this team could get back to its first Super Bowl in 25 seasons.
At 7-2, the Cowboys remain in firm control of the NFC East and they were likely to emerge from Week 10 tied with the fewest losses in the NFL.
Team owner Jerry Jones said Sunday was the complete antithesis of how he was feeling a week ago and he couldn’t remember the last time his team has played that well over 60 minutes.
“I can’t remember, I really can’t,” Jones said. “I can’t remember, I can go way back and we had some good games. I don’t ever recall that many times when we’ve had that kind of lead at halftime, but I know I don’t recall because it’s the first time you’ve had 29 points in one quarter, and them have none.”
Nothing typified the turnaround more than how the offense played. Quarterback Dak Prescott, coming off the worst first half last week against the Broncos, had a bounce back performance for the ages. In the first half against the Falcons, Prescott completed 18 of 23 passes for 219 yards with touchdown passes of 13 and 9 yards to receiver CeeDee Lamb.
And later, when he ran over a defender on a four-yard scoring to make the score 43-3 with 31 seconds left in the third quarter, Prescott’s day was done.
“It was a great complimentary win,” Prescott said. “Obviously, we wanted to rebound. Last week just wasn’t us. And everybody in that locker room knows that. It left a bad taste in our mouth. I think it was taste that we needed ... It just shows that when we focus in, take it one play at a time, our minds are where our feet are, we’re capable of doing some great things.”
The Cowboys’ performance was complete in all three phases of the game as the defense did not allow the Falcons to convert a third down (1 of 11) until the fourth quarter. They also held Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to 117 passing yards. It was the fewest in his career for any game in which the former NFL MVP and the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week threw at least 10 times.
They got second-half interceptions cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown and Trevon Diggs, who recorded his league-leading eighth of the season.
Linebacker Micah Parsons had a sack and forced fumble.
And defensive end Dorance Armstrong had a sack and a blocked punt, which was recovered in the end zone by cornerback Nahshon Wright for the final points of the first half. It was Wright’s first career touchdown for the rookie third-round pick and it’s likely going on his mantel.
It was that kind of day for the Cowboys and a much-needed one as it was the first of three games in 11 days.
They play at the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday before their Thanksgiving Day match up against the Las Vegas Raiders four days later on Nov. 25.
“Yeah, it’s huge,” Prescott said. “But I think it’s important that we focus on the Kansas City Chiefs and not worry about anything after that. We worry about our preparation and our practice throughout the week to make sure that we’re ready to go on the road in a hostile environment against a good team. And then from there we’ll worry about what’s beyond that after the game.”
This story was originally published November 14, 2021 at 2:53 PM.
