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Every NFL game is a challenge. Sometimes circumstances make a particular game an even more difficult challenge. The Dallas Cowboys faced such a challenge Sunday afternoon when the 2-0 Atlanta Falcons came to AT&T stadium.
When the Cowboys took the field, they did so without their starting quarterback, No. 1 wide receiver, starting left guard, top three right defensive ends, backup nose tackle and starting middle linebacker. Not to mention, there's the fact their best cornerback is out for the entire season. That’s nine of the Cowboys top players who weren’t in uniform. Add to that the in-game injuries suffered by Barry Church, Sean Lee and Nick Hayden, who all missed snaps, and it is pretty easy to see that Dallas was undermanned.
As the game opened, it appeared as though the Cowboys would have a chance to roll to victory, as they broke long runs, Brandon Weeden completed his first nine passes and the team jumped out to a 21-7 lead with six minutes left in the first half.
The offense took possession after an Atlanta three-and-out, with an opportunity to drive down the field and deliver a knockout blow to end the half up three scores with all the momentum. But with one errant throw, the entire game changed.
Weeden was flushed out of the pocket to his left, and rather than taking the underneath throw, or throwing the ball away, he attempted to force an intermediate throw to Jason Witten. The throw went far over Witten’s head and was intercepted by William Moore. Just a few plays later and it was 21-14.
Even after the Dallas offense drove down the field before the half to extend it to 28-14, there was a different feel to the game. Rather than a lopsided game, it was a contest.
In the second half, the lack of manpower caught up to the Cowboys, as the wide receivers couldn’t get open, and the Falcons clamped down on the running game and underneath throws where Weeden had success early in the game.
The Cowboys offense managed only three first downs in the second half and never held on to the ball more than four minutes, while the team's defense struggled to get off the field. The pass rush was nonexistent without the team's top three right defensive ends, and for the first time the absence of Rolando McClain’s physicality at linebacker showed up in a big way, as the Falcons ran for 106 yards in the second half.
Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman took over the game in the second half, and the Falcons scored 25 unanswered points on an exhausted Cowboys defense to win 39-28.
Read on for all the Cowboys grades, notes and quotes you need for the game.
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When the Cowboys took the field, they did so without their starting quarterback, No. 1 wide receiver, starting left guard, top three right defensive ends, backup nose tackle and starting middle linebacker. Not to mention, there's the fact their best cornerback is out for the entire season. That’s nine of the Cowboys top players who weren’t in uniform. Add to that the in-game injuries suffered by Barry Church, Sean Lee and Nick Hayden, who all missed snaps, and it is pretty easy to see that Dallas was undermanned.
As the game opened, it appeared as though the Cowboys would have a chance to roll to victory, as they broke long runs, Brandon Weeden completed his first nine passes and the team jumped out to a 21-7 lead with six minutes left in the first half.
The offense took possession after an Atlanta three-and-out, with an opportunity to drive down the field and deliver a knockout blow to end the half up three scores with all the momentum. But with one errant throw, the entire game changed.
Weeden was flushed out of the pocket to his left, and rather than taking the underneath throw, or throwing the ball away, he attempted to force an intermediate throw to Jason Witten. The throw went far over Witten’s head and was intercepted by William Moore. Just a few plays later and it was 21-14.
Even after the Dallas offense drove down the field before the half to extend it to 28-14, there was a different feel to the game. Rather than a lopsided game, it was a contest.
In the second half, the lack of manpower caught up to the Cowboys, as the wide receivers couldn’t get open, and the Falcons clamped down on the running game and underneath throws where Weeden had success early in the game.
The Cowboys offense managed only three first downs in the second half and never held on to the ball more than four minutes, while the team's defense struggled to get off the field. The pass rush was nonexistent without the team's top three right defensive ends, and for the first time the absence of Rolando McClain’s physicality at linebacker showed up in a big way, as the Falcons ran for 106 yards in the second half.
Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman took over the game in the second half, and the Falcons scored 25 unanswered points on an exhausted Cowboys defense to win 39-28.
Read on for all the Cowboys grades, notes and quotes you need for the game.
Begin Slideshow
Continue reading...