It’s been said that a picture can say a thousand words. Well, if you take a look at our cover photo, you should get a clear idea of how the Falcons-Cowboys game turned out on Sunday.
The rival owners with rival stadiums saw their teams battle it out on the field. The only problem was the boys from Texas weren’t at 100% and the owners themselves were at odds.
With Ezekiel Elliott suspended, a lot of the offense would have to be made up by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. But again, as I reference our cover photo, his plans for the day got… smushed?
Falcons defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn had a franchise record six sacks on the night as the defense pressured Prescott through all four quarters. The defense as a whole totaled eight sacks. De’Vondre Campbell would supplement that defensive onslaught with a team-high 11 tackles.
Quarterback Matt Ryan was connecting all-night with his receivers, completing 22 of 29 passes for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns. The only blemish was a fluke interception that ricocheted off a defender. “I thought we did some nice things offensively today. Whether it’s the best or not, it doesn’t matter. It was good enough to get the job done” said Ryan post-game. “Coming out in the second half and putting together three scoring drives before we got into a four-minute situation was huge for us.”
On top of a phenomenal performance by Ryan, he became the fastest quarterback to reach 40,000 yards. “He’s a special guy. He leads this team each and every weekend, and the way he prepares is bar-none” said wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. “You see him throughout the week come in early and leave late, that’s repetitive.”
Fans and personnel alike agree this was a pivotal game that could affect the rest of the season. With the win, the Falcons move to 5-4 while the Cowboys fall to 5-4. Next week, the Falcons will be tested on Monday Night Football when they travel to Century Link Field and face Russell Wilson’s Seattle Seahawks.
-Jon J.
Photo: Hakim Wright