Atlanta’s offense again set the tone.
The Falcons topped the Cowboys 21-7 on Sunday, a final scoreline that belies how lopsided the contest truly was. Atlanta looked dominant on offense, and its truly Falcony bend-don’t-break defense came up with necessary stops to limit Dallas on the scoreboard.
Read on for Hat tips & head-scratchers from Week 9.
Hat tips
London boxes out the defender
Wide receiver Drake London has really come into his own in year three. He’s reliable downfield in conversion situations, and has become a go-to redzone target for quarterback Kirk Cousins. London’s physicality and body control were on full display with his first-quarter touchdown catch, where he boxed out the defender and high-pointed the football for the score. The Falcons are 6-3 and atop the NFC South, and the ascension of Drake London is a big reason why.
Arnold & Grady go back-to-back
Atlanta’s pass rush is still the equivalent of microwaved meatloaf, but damn did it feel good to see the quarterback brought down twice in the same series. Linebacker Arnold Ebiketie got the fun started with a coverage sack of Dak Prescott on 2nd&6, and Grady Jarrett immediately followed it up by bringing down Prescott on the following down. The Falcons have a ton of work to do in this department — it’s said every year to no avail — but good to see signs of life in the pass rushing department.
Mooneyball
Wide receiver Darnell Mooney is proving his case as one of the best offensive pickups for the Falcons in recent memory. He has tallied 588 receiving yards and a career-high five touchdowns through nine games, and looks every bit the WR2 Atlanta envisioned when they signed him in the offseason. He continued his scoring ways on Sunday against the Cowboys, leaking through the defense on a 4th&3 and securing Kirk Cousins’ pass for the walk-in touchdown.
Mooneyball, indeed.
Head-scratchers
Run defense
This isn’t really a head-scratcher at this point, as the siev-like nature of Atlanta’s run defense has been well documented through nine games. It was extra anemic against the Cowboys. Rico Dowdle & Co. had their way with the Falcons’ defensive front, racking up 137 yards on the ground. Dak Prescott chipped in with 30 rushing yards of his own, including a long third-down conversion.