Atlanta Falcons: Studs and duds in Week 2 vs. Cowboys
Stud: Hot start
The most important thing, especially after the Week 1 performance, for Atlanta on Sunday was its ability to get off to a hot start on the road in Dallas.
Last week in the season opener, the Falcons struggled to begin the game and coming out of halftime against the Seattle Seahawks, something they wanted to focus on fixing going into Week 2. On Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium, Atlanta did just that to open the first quarter while taking Dallas out of the game on its home field right away after the opening kick off.
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The Falcons managed to jump out to an impressive 20-0 lead after the first quarter, ending up leading at halftime 29-10. The late-game execution, on the other hand, is a different story.
It will be important, especially on the road, for Atlanta to continue to get off to hot starts in games. If the Falcons can do that, they won’t have to try and play catch-up for the rest of the contest.
Dud: Pass defense
Part of the reason why Dallas found more success in the passing game rather than on the ground was the Cowboys trying to come back from behind and make up ground on the Falcons. That resulted in Dak Prescott and company to air the ball out perhaps more than they had originally planned.
What didn’t help Atlanta’s cause was the lack of being able to stop those passing efforts, with Prescott finishing the game with 34 completions for 450 yards and one touchdown in the air.