Cowboys fall to Falcons for third consecutive loss as season spirals downhill
For the first time since 2020, the Dallas Cowboys are on a three-game losing streak after falling 27-21 to the Falcons in Atlanta.
Despite a consistent day from running back Rico Dowdle and the defense’s first takeaway in four weeks on a first-half fumble recovery, Dallas never found an offensive stride to keep pace with the Falcons. To make matters worse, Dak Prescott left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
Things are beginning to snowball at the halfway point of the regular season for the Cowboys., which fell to 3-5 and dropped further behind the NFC East leading Washington Commanders (7-2).
Is there any hope to right the ship down the stretch? Here are the thoughts after another underwhelming performance against an NFC contender.
No offensive rhythm
The Cowboys offense succeeded in 2023 on long, sustained drives that enabled them to establish rhythm with the run and pass on their way to leading the NFL with 30.1 points per game.
That consistency is nowhere to be found halfway through the 2024 regular season. Even before Prescott exited in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury, the Cowboys never found their stride. They could only manufacture one touchdown drive with Dak Prescott in the game while allowing three sacks to a Falcons front that has only generated six all season coming into Sunday.
“There is some very frustrating detail matters in key parts of games,” Prescott said. “Whenever you do that, you’re not going to win. In this league against a good team, you’re not going to win...I’m not surprised that this is the outcome of the game [with those mistakes].”
The Cowboys also turned the ball over on downs four times, their most in a game since 2000.
While the running game found more success than usual behind Dowdle’s 75 yards on 12 carries and CeeDee Lamb’s gutsy performance while playing with an injury shoulder, there isn’t much good to take from yet another pedestrian afternoon from the offense.
Missed tackles and missed assignments
Against the Falcons’ array of offensive weapons, flying to the ball and getting them to the ground is required to have any success defending the multiple-action attack they bring to the field. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they did not succeed in doing that, as double-digit missed tackles combined with errors in coverage that allowed multiple big plays on Sunday afternoon.
On Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins’ second touchdown of the day, he found Darnell Mooney on fourth down when he was left wide open off a pick play that muddied up the coverage for Trevon Diggs. On Cousins third TD pass, he found Ray-Ray McCloud running free in front of Donovan Wilson in the end zone.
Even without DaRon Bland and injuries plaguing the secondary, it seems as though Dallas’ coverage errors have been more mental than physical.
It’s time for a change
The Cowboys didn’t anticipate being 3-5 at the midway point of the regular season. Sure, it may have been easy to forecast with how the offseason shook out and the reliance on young players coming into the season, but now Dallas is left with figuring out what exactly it has down the stretch.
Ahead of an offseason that will have see a massive makeover, regardless if ends on a high note or continues to snowball, the Cowboys need to figure out what exactly they have before making big decisions. That could include working in guys such as Asim Richards at right tackle, Juanyeh Thomas/Markquese Bell at safety and T.J. Bass on the offensive line.
What they’re doing now isn’t working and it’s time to make a change now to either right the ship or at least fall on a sword of effort — something that Dallas has failed to show a whole lot of through eight games.
Dak on the run
On the Cowboys first touchdown drive of the day in the second quarter, the score was made possible by the legs of Dak Prescott, which is something that has been missing from his game this season.
Entering Sunday, Prescott had just 10 rushing attempts for 24 yards including only four scrambles out of pressure. It’s been a significant drop off from his 55 rushing attempts for 242 yards including 34 scrambles from 2023.
On the drive, Prescott escaped the pocket on a second-and-15 from the Atlanta 39-yard line and found a huge running lane to the right side for a 22-yard pickup. It was not only a first down, it was the first rushing attempt by any member of the Dallas Cowboys of over 20 yards all season. Later in the drive, Prescott escaped two pass rushers in the red zone, stepped up and found Rico Dowdle for a bobbling touchdown grab to cut the Falcons lead to four.
“I think it was a little bit of intention,” Prescott said. “They gave us light boxes. If it wasn’t there, either getting it down to my checkdowns or using my feet. It’s something that felt good. I was able to get that long scramble early on in the game.”
But after suffering a hamstring injury late in the game, his newfound mobility may have taken a hit. When Prescott returns, it will be interesting to see how much he tries to extend plays with his legs like he’s done so well throughout his career.
A decision awaits
With less than 48 hours from the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon, the front office will have one last opportunity to find an upgrade on either side of the ball before riding it out for the final nine games of the season.
“We’ll probably do a couple things this week,” Jerry Jones said. “I’m a long way from being dismayed about this team this year.”
Whichever direction owner/GM Jerry Jones decides to go before the deadline will be a message by the front office on this season and the future. If there is some movement, Jones’ confidence in the team — which he has made clear — is backed up. If there is no movement, the feelings are clear from the decision-makers about not only the rest of the season, but also for what could happen this offseason.
This story was originally published November 3, 2024 at 3:13 PM.
