How do the Atlanta Falcons match up against Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys?

Both the Cowboys and Falcons have failed to live up to expectations as of late, but an early-season road win could go a long way towards changing that narrative for Atlanta.

It's hard to find a more talented team in the NFL than the Dallas Cowboys. 

Dak Prescott is on the cusp of becoming the highest paid quarterback in football. Ezekiel Elliott just may be the best running back in the NFL playing behind an incredible offensive line. 

That's not even mentioning wide receiver Amari Cooper, linebacker Jaylon Smith and rookie phenom CeeDee Lamb. 

To put it plainly, the Cowboys are stacked, but, like the Falcons, haven't been able to break through even though plenty of necessary pieces are in place for a deep playoff run. 

Despite an impressive amount of ability on both sides of the football, Dallas missed the playoffs in 2019, finishing 8-8 while the Eagles won the NFC East and moved on to the playoffs out of the division. 

The Falcons have top-tier players all over the field, but finished 7-9 the past two seasons. When the Falcons and Cowboys clash Week 2 at AT&T Stadium, the two most disappointing football teams from the past couple of years will be duking it out to get their franchises back on track. 

A season ago, the Cowboys boasted the most explosive offense in football, averaging an NFL-best 431 total yards per game while putting up just over 27 points on average. 

Behind the likes of Prescott, Elliott and Cooper, Dallas shredded opposing defenses in a variety of ways. Prescott ranked second in the league with 4,902 passing yards while Elliott finished fourth in the league with over 1,300 yards on the ground. 

On the defensive side of the football, the Cowboys finished ninth in the NFL, allowing just 327 total yards per game while keeping opposing offenses to just over 20 points per contest. 

Though Dallas clearly underachieved a year ago, the Cowboys return a team that has shown few defined weak links and the ability to win any sort of game. Against Atlanta, they will likely choose to lean more on the arm of Prescott than the legs of Elliott to test the unproven Falcons' secondary. 

Atlanta, unlike Dallas, struggled on defense in 2019, specifically against the pass, allowing just under 250 passing yards per game. The team's top corner, Desmond Trufant, is now gone, leaving man coverage duties to Kendall Sheffield, Isaiah Oliver and rookie A.J. Terrell. 

The Falcons' most questionable position group will be tasked with shutting down one of the most potent aerial attacks from 2019, meaning Dallas will likely be favored heading into this game. 

With a schedule featuring double headers against the Saints and Buccaneers along with a trip to Kansas City in the back part of the Falcons' 2020 schedule, stealing an early season road game would significantly assist the prospect of earning a postseason berth. 

Luckily for Atlanta, the Cowboys have a track record of playing down to their competition.