These two NFC teams were heading in opposite directions going into this game, but the Dallas Cowboys righted the ship in a big way by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 43-3 in Week 10.
This contest was over before the end of the first half, as the Cowboys went up 35-3 after a blocked punt late in the second quarter. The win moves Dallas to 7-2 and gives America's Team a commanding lead in the NFC East.
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Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott bounced back in a monstrous way on Sunday. After a complete dud against the Broncos last weekend, the Cowboys quarterback rolled up and down the field with ease against the Falcons. He finished 25-of-33 for 308 yards with two scores and three big-time throws.
Running Backs
The Cowboys' ground game played an insignificant role in Dallas' offensive success. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard managed only -0.265 expected points added (EPA) per play as well as a 36.1% success rate as the Falcons' run defense held strong.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
CeeDee Lamb is playing like a man worthy of a big-money deal once his rookie contract is up, which is a good thing with how much he’s been fined lately.
The Falcons simply had no one that could hold him one-on-one. Lamb finished with 106 yards and two scores, catching seven of his eight targets.
Go up and get it, @_CeeDeeThree. Touchdown #DallasCowboys!
📺: #ATLvsDAL on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/NiSKL2ELO4— NFL (@NFL) November 14, 2021
Offensive Line
Last week, Terence Steele gave up nine pressures in his first career start on the left side. Today, he didn’t allow a single pressure while La’el Collins allowed only two.
Defensive Line
With no Randy Gregory or Demarcus Lawrence in the lineup, Dorance Armstrong had one of his best games as a pro. The move he put on left guard Jalen Mayfield here is one of the nastiest you’ll see all year.
Dorance Armstrong with quick hands over LG + a JR Smith celebration pic.twitter.com/R65PaXg0tP
— Shawn Syed (@SyedSchemes) November 14, 2021
Armstrong finished with four pressures on 20 pass-rushing snaps.
Linebackers
Micah Parsons continues to make his presence felt on a weekly basis, even if it’s a roller coaster at times. He added another sack to bring his total to six on the season and led the Cowboys with four defensive stops.
Secondary
That was as lights-out a performance as we’ve seen from Jourdan Lewis in his career. He allowed only one catch from five targets for 0 yards with three forced incompletions. You can’t have a much better day at the office.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
After a slow start to the season, Matt Ryan was on a heater the past five games. That came to a screeching halt against the Cowboys. In what may very well end up his lowest-graded game of the season, Ryan could not find anyone open, as he finished with only nine completions on the day.
Running Backs
The Falcons had a little success on the ground, but it didn’t particularly matter given how bad the passing attack was. Cordarrelle Patterson was impressive on his limited touches, with 25 yards on four carries.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Kyle Pitts was the only Falcons receiver to show up against the Cowboys. He accounted for over half of the Falcons' receiving yards, with 60 yards on four catches.
Offensive Line
Atlanta continues to field too many liabilities up front. Both right tackle Kaleb McGary and left guard Jalen Mayfield suffered several ugly losses in pass protection that led to negative plays.
Defensive Line
In what’s become an all too familiar sight for Falcons fans, their defensive line was a non-factor rushing the passer Sunday. In total, they managed only six pressures as a defense. That’s not going to get it done on a weekly basis.
Linebackers
That was just about the worst game you’ll see from Deion Jones since his rookie season. The Falcons cornerstone defender was nowhere to be found against either the Cowboys' running game or passing attack. He didn’t register a single defensive stop on 59 snaps and allowed 52 yards on three catches.
Secondary
Even if the vast majority of the Falcons secondary got torched, A.J. Terrell was his usual dominant self once again. He finished with only 19 yards allowed on two catches from three targets. Ten weeks into the 2021 season, Terrell has yet to allow 100 yards in total.