NFL Week 9 Recap: Atlanta Falcons 27, Dallas Cowboys 21

2YF6M3G Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) pulls in a touchdown reception against Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was in top form on Sunday, completing 19 of 24 passes for 222 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions or turnover-worthy plays, guiding his team to a 27-21 victory over the slumping Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys, now on a three-game losing streak, also lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a hamstring injury during the game.

The Falcons 6-3 Falcons are now in pole position in the NFC South, while the Cowboys have fallen to 3-5, with three of those losses coming at home.

PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.

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HIGHEST-GRADED PLAYERS


Note: Follow along with PFF's in-game grading as our team of analysts evaluates every player on every play in real time! Initial grades for 1 p.m. games will then be relocked at 6 p.m. EST, while grades for 4 p.m. games will be relocked at 9 p.m. EST.

Click here to see PFF's initial grades from this game!


PLAYER OF THE GAME

Running back Bijan Robinson caught all seven of his targets for 59 receiving yards, one touchdown and three first downs, with three of those receptions going for 15 or more yards. Robinson racked up an incredible 72 yards after the catch and averaged 3.26 yards per route run. 

He was equally effective on the ground, carrying the ball 19 times for 86 yards and five first downs. He forced six missed tackles on his rushes, with 61 of his yards coming after contact.

BOX SCORE

Cowboys Falcons
Total points 21 27
Total offensive plays 74 56
Average EPA per play -0.035 0.051
Total net yards 379 307
Avg yards per play 5.1 5.5
Total first downs 22 18
Rushing first downs 7 6
Passing first downs 14 12
Penalty first downs 1 0
Third-down efficiency 23% 31%
Fourth-down efficiency 10% 29%
Possessions 11 11
Avg plays per drive 7.1 5.8
Avg yards per drive 31.6 25.6
Avg points per drive 1.8 2.3
Red-zone possessions 3 3
Red-zone plays 10 9
Red-zone TDs 2 3
Red-zone FGs 1 0
Red-zone scoring efficiency 100% 100%

SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION

Cowboys' offensive snap counts
Name Pos. Snaps played
Cooper Beebe C 76
Zack Martin G 76
Terence Steele T 76
Tyler Smith G 76
Jalen Tolbert WR 73
Tyler Guyton T 73
CeeDee Lamb WR 63
Jake Ferguson TE 62
Jalen Brooks WR 56
Rico Dowdle HB 55
Dak Prescott QB 46
Cooper Rush QB 30
Ryan Flournoy WR 17
KaVontae Turpin WR 17
Hunter Luepke FB 16
Brevyn Spann-Ford TE 15
Dalvin Cook HB 6
Asim Richards T 3
Falcons' offensive snap counts
Name Pos. Snaps played
Kirk Cousins QB 57
Jake Matthews T 57
Ryan Neuzil C 57
Chris Lindstrom G 57
Kaleb McGary T 57
Darnell Mooney WR 57
Matthew Bergeron G 57
Ray-Ray McCloud III WR 52
KhaDarel Hodge WR 46
Bijan Robinson HB 42
Kyle Pitts TE 31
Charlie Woerner TE 26
Tyler Allgeier HB 14
Drake London WR 11
Ross Dwelley TE 3
Avery Williams HB 3
Cowboys' defensive snap counts
Name Pos. Snaps played
Eric Kendricks LB 57
Trevon Diggs CB 57
DeMarvion Overshown LB 56
Malik Hooker S 55
Jourdan Lewis CB 55
Caelen Carson CB 54
Chauncey Golston ED 53
Donovan Wilson S 50
Osa Odighizuwa DI 42
Carl Lawson ED 36
Mazi Smith DI 28
Tyrus Wheat ED 25
Linval Joseph DI 18
Carlos Watkins DI 16
Israel Mukuamu CB 13
Marist Liufau LB 5
Juanyeh Thomas S 4
Markquese Bell S 2
Falcons' defensive snap counts
Name Pos. Snaps played
Justin Simmons S 76
Mike Hughes CB 76
Jessie Bates III S 76
Kaden Elliss LB 75
A.J. Terrell CB 72
Nate Landman LB 72
Dee Alford CB 70
Arnold Ebiketie ED 54
Matthew Judon ED 39
Demone Harris ED 38
David Onyemata DI 34
Grady Jarrett DI 32
Kentavius Street DI 25
James Smith-Williams ED 23
DeAngelo Malone ED 23
Zach Harrison DI 18
Ta'Quon Graham DI 16
Kevin King CB 7
Clark Phillips III CB 4
Richie Grant S 4
Eddie Goldman DI 2
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