Dallas Cowboys vs. Atlanta Falcons: Author predictions for a must-win away game

The Cowboys are staring over the edge into the abyss as they travel to Atlanta with a record of 3-4. A third straight defeat could very well be the final nail in the coffin of this season and they will have to fight for a win while still missing some of their best players. Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland are still out, and Trevon Diggs is also a game-time decision.

That makes things even more difficult against a Falcons team that is really on the right track. Still, Atlanta only has a three-point advantage in this game. Can the Cowboys do it? Let's see what our authors think.

When Atlanta has the ball

Lightning, baby, lightning

The Falcons offense is booming right now, and Kirk Cousins ​​has been particularly great after taking the first few weeks to get used to his new offense. When you break down his game, there are very few weaknesses right now, but there is one area where the quarterback is struggling: blitzing.

Cousins ​​is in the top 10 quarterback efficiency rankings when considering almost every type of game scenario except when facing a blitz. There he falls to 20th in EPA/dropback, 23rd in completion percentage and 24th in passer rating. Teams have rarely blitzed Cousins ​​this year, even though his former head coach and pseudo-nemesis Mike Zimmer currently has the 10th-highest offensive percentage in the league. Zimmer should turn that up to 11 this week and see how Cousins ​​handles it; after all, he seemed invincible in every other way this year.

When Dallas has the ball

Air it out

The Falcons defense has struggled all year, especially against the pass. There are a few reasons for this, but it starts with the fact that they rank last in both pressure rate and sacks. Atlanta can't get to the quarterback, but also does without open receivers in their zone-heavy coverage system.

That's good news for a Cowboys passing attack that has difficulty creating separation in man coverage. Dak Prescott has been better against zone than man coverage this year, and giving him time to sit back and find the open man makes things even easier (at least in theory). Prescott should be able to assert himself against this secondary.

Now for your BTB authors' predictions…

Tom Ryle (4-3):

That's easy for me. The Cowboys don't seem to know how to win anymore. Nothing really works for them, and there is no sign that they have any idea how to address their various problems.

I don't think this will change and I expect the Falcons to win by around 27-19.

Matt Holleran (3-4):

It's hard to have confidence in anything about the Cowboys right now. Offensive, defensive and special teams all have their own problems and things that have gone wrong. The Cowboys face a beatable opponent this week, the Falcons, but there's just no way they could be confident enough as a team to pick them. I think Atlanta will have a big day on the ground and both offenses will put up a lot of points. The Cowboys show some fight, but in the end they can't get it done.

Give me the Falcons, 30-24.

Jess Haynie (5-2):

Bijan Robinson hasn't totaled more than 150 yards since Week 2 of his rookie season and has never scored more than two touchdowns in a game. I think both numbers will be beaten as his versatile skill set makes life easy for Atlanta against a struggling Dallas defense. If the Cowboys' offense continues to falter like it has, the Falcons can lean on Robinson like the Saints did with Alvin Kamara.

Falcons 34, Cowboys 20.

Brandon Loree (4-3)

The Cowboys enter Sunday's game with an empty cornerback roster. DaRon Bland is already out and Trevon Diggs has been dealing with a calf injury all week, which is uncertain for Sunday. Caelen Carson should be back in action, but being away for so long and being a rookie could be an uphill battle against a Falcons offense that is just starting to get going.

Atlanta's offense under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson had the third-highest snap usage rate in the league (41%), per NFL Pro. For a team that has given up the most EPA per play in the NFL against motion at the snap, corner motion can really hurt.

That's why in this game I have to pick the Falcons to win by two touchdowns, 35-21.

Mike Poland (3-4):

Atlanta's defense ranks last in total sacks; They create very little pressure. They are also in last place when it comes to the permissible completion rate with a whopping 73%. The Falcons defense also allows the fifth-most passing touchdowns and has the third-worst third-down conversion rate allowed. What does it all mean? It's a team that doesn't do a good job of stopping the pass, something the Cowboys' offense doesn't do particularly well.

Cowboys win 31-21.

Dana Bartholomew (5-2):

This should be a game where the Dak and these receivers can find success in the passing game. However, Kirk Cousins ​​is having a really good season and Atlanta's offense might be too much for the injured Dallas defense. Especially since it looks like players like Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland still aren't ready to return.

I go 28-21 with the Falcons.

Brian Martin (4-3):

Starting with the Falcons this week, the Cowboys have a tough four-game stretch ahead of them. They'll likely need to win at least two of these games to keep their playoff hopes alive, which is why this Week 9 matchup is almost a must-win for them.

Atlanta is a very beatable team, but Dallas needs to reduce turnovers and play much better overall to earn the “W.” Unfortunately, I think Kirk Cousins ​​and Company will be too much for her.

Give me the Falcons 27-24 in a close game.

RJ Ochoa (6-1):

Let me be clear that I don't believe in this Dallas Cowboys team, but I think they are capable of surprising us every now and then. This team is broken in many ways, but I think it's important to note that they haven't lost three games in a row in four years. Atlanta has potential, don't get me wrong, but they also seem to benefit from playing amid chaos and opening the door for opponents to steal one. I think the Cowboys are coming through that door this week.

Give me Dallas, 19-17.

David Howman (4-3):

I have no faith in the Cowboys at all right now. Players seem to be giving up, Dak Prescott isn't looking good, and Jerry Jones never misses an opportunity to further undermine his lame-duck head coach. All of this is a recipe for bad football.

However, the Falcons have been unsure at home, suffering all three losses this year. Not to mention that the two home wins were by a total of eight points, one of which came in overtime. I think it ends up being closer than it could be, but the Falcons win thanks to a last-second game-winning performance from Kirk Cousins.

The Falcons win 28-27.