Best-Dak Prescott QB Dallas Cowboys-34-47 450YDS 1TD 5CAR 18YDS 3TD 85QBR 126.3RTG
The Dallas Cowboys came home to take on the Atlanta Falcons after a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Rams in week one. The Falcons also came in needing a win after falling to the Seattle Seahawks. This game started ugly but would turn out to be the craziest game of the week.
There were three punts to start the game, one from Atlanta and two from Cowboys. The Cowboys were starting their second drive on offense, and Prescott fumbled the ball, and the Falcons got the ball at the Cowboys 22 yard line. The Falcons immediately capitalized with a 22-yard strike from QB Matt Ryan to WR Calvin Ridley. The Falcons were up 7-0 in the first quarter.
Still in the first quarter, the Cowboys got a little drive going, but when they got to midfield, star RB Zeke Elliot fumbled the ball on the Falcons’ 48. Ryan hit TE Hayden Hurst for a 42-yard touchdown to put the score 14-0.
On their third drive, the Cowboys turned the ball over on downs, and again the Falcons cashed in and added a field goal to the score, making it 17-0 still in the first quarter. In the Fourth drive, Prescott completed a pass to new starting TE Dalton Schultz, who was stripped for yet another turnover. Again, the Falcons capitalized with another field goal. The score up to 20-0, still in the first quarter.
This is when Prescott took this game over and won himself Player of the Week. The Cowboys had four turnovers in that first quarter alone and had put themselves into a 20-0 hole. The Cowboys’ QB wasn’t phased as he led two straight scoring drives to end the half. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the Falcons were already going hot and matched their scoring drives. The score was 29-10 going into halftime.
The Cowboys opened the second half with a quick touchdown and finally got a stop on defense to get the ball back. Prescott had the offense clicking. They had another quick drive ending in a touchdown. Now at 29-24, the comeback was real, and the pressure was back on the Falcons.
The Falcons responded with a touchdown to start the fourth quarter. The Cowboys followed it up with the only turnover, not in the first quarter, on downs. The Falcons, just like every other Cowboys’ turnover, cashed it in. They kicked a field goal to extend the lead, 39-24, with 7:57 left in the game.
Prescott engineered a fantastic drive to score a touchdown to cut the lead down to 39-30 with 4:57 left in the game. The Cowboys defense got the stop, but the Falcons managed to take precious time off the clock. When the Cowboys got the ball back, they only had 3:09 left to score twice. Prescott was up for the challenge. He marched the Cowboys down the field in 1:08 and punched it in to cut the lead to 39-37.
The Cowboys had to pull off a true miracle; recover an onside kick. The Cowboys brought in newly acquired K Greg Zuerlein. Zuerlein kicked the ball in such a way that it slowly hovered to the 10-yard line. The Falcons’ hands team was left dumbfounded. By the time they snapped out of it, the Cowboys had recovered the ball.
That was step one. Prescott had to punctuate this comeback with another scoring drive to win the game.
Just as he has done since the end of the second quarter, Prescott carved up the Falcons’ defense and got the Cowboys in field goal range. Zuerlein kicked it right down the middle from 46 yards to give the Cowboys a one-point victory and the biggest comeback of the season.
Prescott continues to make his case for his asking price. And I think he should be paid because not many quarterbacks in this league would’ve been able to keep that level of composure with the ups and downs of this game. Plus, he wore a cowboy hat.
Other Notables
- Best RB-Alvin Kamara Saints-13CAR 79YDS 2TD 9CTH 9TGT 95YDS
- Best WR-Calvin Ridley Falcons-7REC 10TGT 109YDS 2TD
- Best TE-Darren Waller Raiders-12REC 16TGT 103YDS 1TD
- Best K-Harrison Butker Chiefs-3-3FG 0-1XP Game-Winning 58 yard FG
- Best Def-Indianapolis Colts-11PtsAllow 3 Sacks 3INT 1 Safety
- Best Win-Oakland Raiders
Worst-Atlanta Falcons Defense-40PtsAllow 1 Sack 3 Fum Rec
The Atlanta Falcons blew a surefire win against the Dallas Cowboys. The biggest culprit was their defense. In the first quarter, they were able to force four turnovers but were all downhill from there. After the first, the Falcons’ defense stopped nobody. This defense got spotted a 20-point lead, then a 19-point led, then a 15 point lead, then finally a 9 point lead with 4 minutes and blew each and every one of them. I’m sorry, Dan Quinn, this was some bad defensive coaching.
This is the second 20 point lead blown under his tenure. The last time it was the infamous 28-3 Super Bowl game with the New England Patriots. The Falcons offense looks like one of the best in the NFL, but this defense looks like it might be epically bad. I am already carving the Falcons’ D space on the Worst List in upcoming posts.
Extra Trash
- Worst QB-Kirk Cousins Vikings-11-26 113YDS 3INT 9.4QBR 15.9RTG
- Worst RB-Sony Michel Patriots-7CAR 19YDS 1TGT 0REC
- Worst WR-Robert Woods Rams-2REC 5TGTS 14YDS 3CAR 19YDS 1TD
- Worst TE-Logan Thomas Washington-4REC 9TGTS 26YDS
- Worst K-Nick Folk Patriots-2-3FG 3-3XP
- Worst Loss-Atlanta Falcons