Both the Atlanta Falcons and the Dallas Cowboys will look to get their first win of the season this coming Sunday, as they lock horns in Dallas’ first home game of the year. Will Matt Ryan and the Falcons fly high in Arlington? Or will Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys recover from a Week 1 loss?
The Falcons did not help cool down head coach Dan Quinn’s seat in Week 1, as they took a 38-25 home loss against the Seattle Seahawks. The Falcons collected more total yards than Seattle, 506-383, but they struggled mightily in converting fourth downs (0-4). Atlanta’s rushing attack which was expected to be better with the arrival of Todd Gurley II in the offseason appears it needs more time to develop, as the Falcons only had 72 rushing yards on 21 carries. Gurley scored that lone Atlanta score on the ground to go with 56 carries. He could be let loose in Week 2 against Dallas’ run defense that was cooked by the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday. Matt Ryan had 450 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception on 37-for-54 completions, showing everyone that he can still wow with his arm, but all those yards have to translate into more points.
The Falcons are 4-0 against the spread in their last four road games.
Twitter lit up Sunday night when Cowboys wideout Michael Gallup got called for a questionable offensive pass interference on a play that could have put Dallas on a great scoring position with just less than 30 seconds left int he game agaisnt the Rams. The Cowboys eventually lost to Los Angeles, 20-17. They will head into Week 2 with issues they have to address. Take for example their defense that surrendered 422 total yards to the Rams. It’s not that much surprising when you consider that Dallas is dealing with injuries on the defensive front. They did not have Sean Lee in Week 1 and saw Leighton Vander Esch leave the game and not return to it after fracturing his collarbone. Vander Esch will be out for a lot of games, meaning the Cowboys will have to ask for from their offense to compensate for their rickety defense. Dak Prescott went 25 for 29 for 266 passing yards and a touchdown agianst the Rams, while running back Ezekiel Elliott was all over the place. Zeke finished with 96 rushing yard and a touchdown on 22 carries and also came away with a receiving score. Together with rookie CeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Gallup, Elliott is poised to capitalize on the Falcons’ leaky defense.
The Cowboys are 2-0 against the spread in their last two home games.
