Why Dallas Cowboys need a statement win over Atlanta Falcons
That was an ugly performance. The Dallas Cowboys were ran off the field in week nine's game against the Denver Broncos. Everything went wrong for Dallas in the 30-16 loss. Now, the Dallas Cowboys must respond. The Cowboys are sitting comfortably at 6-2 and hold a three-game lead in the NFC East. Still, Sunday's performance […]
That was an ugly performance. The Dallas Cowboys were ran off the field in week nine's game against the Denver Broncos. Everything went wrong for Dallas in the 30-16 loss.
Now, the Dallas Cowboys must respond. The Cowboys are sitting comfortably at 6-2 and hold a three-game lead in the NFC East. Still, Sunday's performance can be devastating if Dallas is unable to move past it. That is why week 10's matchup with the Atlanta Falcons is so crucial.
Dak Prescott looked awful in his return from the calf strain injury that caused him to miss week eight's win over the Vikings. Terence Steele disappointed when filling in for Tyron Smith at left tackle. The receivers dropped passes, Dallas lost the war in the trenches, and the Broncos had their way with the Cowboys.
The Cowboys need to find their mojo back. The offense looked rusty and the defense could not stop a nosebleed. Additionally, the Cowboys failed to have any breaks go their way. Everything that could go wrong seemingly did go wrong.
Dallas must be able to shift its focus to the Falcons and avoid one loss turning into multiple.
WHY COWBOYS NEED A STATEMENT WIN
A six-game winning streak will have an entire locker room filled with confidence. The Cowboys had won six in a row after taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the wire in week one. Dallas certainly had every right to be feeling themselves.
Then, Sunday happened. The Cowboys were humbled in a big way. Denver took it to them for four quarters, and Dallas had no answer. A pair of garbage time scores prevented the game from being a 30-0 embarrassment.
Blame it on rustiness after Prescott missed a game. Blame it on too much confidence after a long winning streak. Blame it on whatever you want. The point remains: the Cowboys were served a big slice of humble pie in week nine.
The Dallas Cowboys desperately need a statement win against the Falcons. A big win over Atlanta — particularly with an impressive offensive showing — would bring the mojo back. It would remind everybody that the Cowboys have looked the part of a championship contender this season.
Atlanta has a fun offense, led by Matt Ryan, rookie phenom Kyle Pitts, and the resurgent Cordarrelle Patterson. Still, Dallas is far and away the better team. The betting line for the game opened at nine points in favor of the Cowboys.
Dallas needs to get back on track before two key matchups with the Kansas City Chiefs in week 11 and the Las Vegas Raiders on Thanksgiving Day. A statement victory versus the Falcons would go a long way in helping the Cowboys find its groove back.
Featured image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
