Scouting Dallas Cowboys Offense against Atlanta Falcons

The Dallas Cowboys offense poses a threat to the Atlanta Falcons that will test the back end of their defense.

Will Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott have the patience to throw underneath against the Atlanta Falcons for four quarters? / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys (3-4) head east to take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 1:00 p.m. Despite their lackluster record, the Cowboys are still explosive on offense, and we know the Falcons are vulnerable on defense.

Let's take a look at what the Cowboys will be bringing to the table on Sunday.

Quarterbacks

• Dak Prescott
• Cooper Rush
• Trey Lance

Not to skip over former Dallas spot starter Cooper Rush and 2022 San Francisco 49ers 3rd overall pick Trey Lance, but when Dak is the highest-paid player in the NFL at $60 Million Average Annual Value (AAV), he gets all the air-time. For further perspective, Green Bay’s Jordan Love, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow are tied for the second spot at $55 million. 

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Speaking in the context of the 2024 season up to this point, a 3-4 record and a 10:8 TD/INT ratio is no bueno, particularly since Dak has never had this many picks through the first 7 games in a season. Dig deeper and remember the support could be better. While Dallas has 10 passing touchdowns, they only have three-rushing touchdowns. They've allowed 10 passing touchdowns, but a whopping 12 rushing touchdowns.

Want to see a more unequivocal lack of balance and complementary football? 

Dallas’s opponents match 85% of Dak’s passing yardage output in combatants of Dallas’s passing attack. Dallas is only matching 47% of their opponents’ rushing yardage output.

That's not sustainable and key to the Cowboys' losing record.

Running Backs

• Rico Dowdle
• Ezekiel Elliott
• Dalvin Cook
• Deuce Vaughn

Dallas has to be the NFL Draft floor for Boise State’s beastly RB Ashton Jeanty, right? It should, because this is one of the worst RB rooms in the NFL, no matter how many good stories it authors. 

The nostalgia of 29-year-old Ezekiel Elliott back in the fold boosts morale, but the stat sheet says the future is now. 3.1 yards-per-carry is bleaker than Zeke ranking no higher than 36th in any major RB statistical ranking league-wide.

It gets worse. Another 29-year-old name of yesterday, Dalvin Cook has been nothing but a press release. 6 carries for 12 yards. The son of a Cowboys scout, Deuce Vaughn has been about the same as Cook. The only bright spot could be lead-back Rico Dowdle maintaining his career average at 4 YPC, but he’s been designated as Questionable for Sunday’s game (illness).

Wide Receivers

• CeeDee Lamb
• Jalen Tolbert
• KaVontae Turpin
• Ryan Flournoy
• Jalen Brooks
• Brandin Cooks*

4 years, $136 Million written for All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. Okay, alright, that’s fine. Beyond him? 10 years and nearly 10,000 yards receiving veteran Brandin Cooks heading to IR 3-4 weeks ago largely left it to project Jalen Tolbert to step up. Falcons CB2 Mike Hughes and CB3 Clark Phillips III need to give CB1 A.J. Terrell all the relief he can get in the back end. Raheem Morris forever commits to Cover 3 to inhibit the big play with the best safety in football, Jessie Bates III, leading the way.

Tight Ends

• Jake Ferguson
• Luke Schoonmaker
• Brevyn Spann-Ford

TE Jake Ferguson took the charge in 2023 replacing Dalton Schultz (now of the Houston Texans), while 2nd-round pick Luke Schoonmaker did not. 10.7 YPC in 2023 vs. 8.5 in 2024 has altered the “wow”, but Ferguson is set to pop off at any time, particularly with some depth WR deficiencies.

Offensive Line (starters)

• Tyler Guyton
• Tyler Smith
• Cooper Beebe
• Zack Martin
• Terence Steele

“Are we getting the ball out fast enough? Are we doing enough from protection variation? When they know you’re throwing it, it makes it more difficult for you.” - Cowboys OC Brian Schottenheimer.

That sums it up well. 

Right guard Zack Martin at 33 years old is statistically having his worst year - 16 pressures (93rd in the NFL amongst guards) and two sacks allowed through seven games.

“It takes time,” Schottenheimer said. “There are some young pieces up front, but that’s no excuse. We have to be better with it.” Two rookies (1st Round LT Tyler Guyton & Day 3 Center Cooper Beebe) have rightfully had some rookie growing pains, along with missing 1.5 games with a knee injury for Guyton. 

If you’ve been aware of your surroundings, find it hard to imagine Dallas doesn’t have Atlanta’s league-worst pass rush circled as a “get right” game.

P.S. I didn’t forget about rookie FB, North Dakota’s finest, Hunter Luepke doing his fullback ancestors proud.

Almost a polar opposite of what the Falcons faced last week with an injury-depleted Tampa Bay team, the Dallas Cowboys will try and beat Atlanta through the air. Atlanta's soft-zone should be OK against the Cowboys' putrid running game, but Dak Prescott is good enough to pick apart any team when give time.

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