Photo Courtesy: All-Pro Reels
By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
Atlanta Falcons vs Dallas Cowboys
Sunday – November 14 – 12:00 p.m.
TV: FOX
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX.
Records Before the Game
Atlanta Falcons (4-4, 3-1 Away)
Dallas Cowboys (6-2, 3-1 Home)
Make no mistake about how Dallas played last week at home against Denver. The Broncos came out and hit Dallas right in mouth and the Cowboys couldn’t get themselves together. Of course they scored two touchdowns in the fourth but that was about it. The Cowboys are a different team when they play with a sense of urgency and this week Atlanta is coming in playing some pretty good ball as of late. Lets take a look at this week’s NFC match up in Dallas.
Replacement kicker
The Dallas Cowboys placed Greg Zuerlein on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday. Dallas brought in a few kickers to fill the void. Dallas signed Lirim Hajrullahu who beat out former Cowboy kicker Brett Maher. Maher was released in 2019 for missing 10 field goals in the last 13 games of the season. Hajrullahu has been in Cowboys camp before. “This guy has a mule leg attached to his body”, special teams coach John Fassel shared. “He hits 56-59 yards field goals with ease”.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta has been one of the mid-tier teams for the past five seasons. This team can either blow you out or blow a lead in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Matt Ryan has been under center in Atlanta for 13 seasons and no one expects him to be what quarterbacks all over the league is. He’s steady and compliments the offense. Plain and simple he’s a game manager that can win on the road. The Falcons are 3-1 on the road this season. They have wins against New Orleans and Miami in close games. The defense will be the x factor in Dallas. The defense gives up 27 points per game. They can’t play soft in Dallas this week.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys played as if they met each other in the locker room 2 minutes before the game last Sunday. A team with Super Bowl aspirations has to have that killer mentality. I was surprised to see the Cowboys score two touchdowns in the last 5 minutes of last week’s loss to Denver at home. This week, the Cowboys will get back to basics. Running the ball, quick passes to the tight ends and allowing the offensive line to impose their will against the Falcons defensive line. The Atlanta run defense gives up 123 yards per game while the Cowboys average 142 yards with Zeke and Tony Pollard. The x factor for the Cowboys will be the defense. Creating turnover will be key this week and solid tackling will eliminate long drives for the opposition.
Prediction
ESPN has the Cowboys with a 74% chance of winning at home. Last week Dallas was favored and got thrashed at home by Denver. Dallas has a chance to right the ship and get back on course. The over/under is 54.5, so take the under, it’s the safest bet out there. I’m taking Dallas by 10!
Final Score
Cowboys – 31
Falcons – 21
