Cowboys 'Wipe Losing Taste' Out of Their Mouths in Chewing Up Falcons

A week of stewing about looking like garbage against Denver did the trick, as the Cowboys looked like themselves once again

Dak Prescott had to take questions all week about the Dallas Cowboys’ awful loss to the Denver Broncos. That’s how pro football works. You lay an egg like the Cowboys did last Sunday, you have to stew about it and talk about it for what seems like an eternity.

It was seven days. But Prescott summed it up nicely.

“Just the taste that it leaves in your mouth all week long,” Prescott told reporters during the week.

What does losing taste like, anyway? I’m guessing liver? People actually eat that, apparently.

In the NFL, redemption is a week away, and on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons the Cowboys opened up a big ol’ can of it on the Falcons.

There was reason to be cautious about the Falcons. The Cowboys were sloppy and awful against the Broncos, displaying a stunning lack of coherence throughout that game. When I wrote my column last week, I noted that it wasn’t time to panic. It would all depend upon HOW the Cowboys came out and played against the Falcons. You don’t want that kind of carryover.

Plus, Tyron Smith was out again. Defensive end Randy Gregory is now on injured reserve. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is still out. Kicker Greg Zuerlein is on the COVID-19 list.

Once is coincidence, twice is a trend.

After throttling the Falcons, 43-3, well, once was apparently just a speed bump.

What the Cowboys did, especially the first half, was just surgical on both sides of the ball. Prescott looked sharp again. Running back Ezekiel Elliott was as effective as he’s been all season. Every receiver looked good, including Michael Gallup, who just returned from injured reserve. The offensive line was top-notch.

The defense, without Gregory, got a rush on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan all day. The Cowboys didn’t use Micah Parsons as a defensive end this time, but Parsons got a sack anyway. So did Dorance Armstrong. The Cowboys created turnovers once again — a blocked punt here, an Anthony Brown interception there. Oh, and a Jourdan Lewis pick, too. Oh, and a Trevon Diggs interception, too.

Everything worked. Everything clicked. A week after getting punched in the mouth by Denver — something Prescott alluded to during the week — the Cowboys did the punching. And, this time of year, when you’re facing teams you’re clearly better than, but would love nothing more than to beat a potential Super Bowl team, you have to punch all the time.

This was a win the Cowboys (7-2) needed. This new 17-game season is a grind, and the Cowboys’ usual late-November quick turn is coming. They’re on the road at Kansas City next Sunday, and then they fly back and host Las Vegas on Thanksgiving Day. Then, another Thursday game with New Orleans (a team that always seems to stymie the Cowboys) and then, finally, a 10-day break before the stretch run.

The Cowboys accomplished what they needed to on Sunday. They beat Atlanta. They avoided any further major injuries (thought let’s keep track of CeeDee Lamb the next few days). And, they got that bad taste out of their mouths from the Denver game.

So what does winning taste like?

“It’s just about wanting to feel that win again,” Prescott said. “That’s the addictive drug part about it, right? It’s trying to get that high of getting that win, of getting that locker-room feeling.”

So, maybe less taste and more, sensation? Either way, the Cowboys will take it.

You can reach Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.