Fans are undoubtedly overjoyed and elated to have witnessed the Cowboys storm to a stomping 43-3 point win over the Atlanta Falcons, marking the first 40-point victory for the franchise in 20 years. The flawless victory took place in front of a home crowd at AT&T Stadium on Sunday the 14th of November and it has emboldened fans and analysts alike in the belief that the Cowboys are looking strong as they charge ahead into the latter stages of 2021.
This victory added some much-needed momentum to a side that had been struggling to reckon with their 30-16 defeat at the hands of the Broncos on the 7th of November. That loss marked the end of an impressive 6-win streak that had the Cowboys steadily climbing in the rankings of sportsbooks tracking the Super Bowl odds.
Now, as the second half of the season is well and truly underway, we explore what the Cowboys can do to build on this recent win as we head ever closer to Super Bowl LVI.
The Game
Revenge is certainly a dish best served cold when it comes to the franchise’s defensive lead Dan Quinn who found himself across the aisle from the team he was once a head coach for before being summarily fired during the 20/21 season.
In the first quarter, as the game got underway, the Cowboys moved quickly on the Falcons with Ceedee Lamb on the receiving end of a touchdown pass from Dak Prescott that jolted the side into an early lead. The match also saw the first true outing for placekicker Lirim Hajrullahu, substituting Greg Zuerlein, who put in a flawless performance sure to shift the Canadian’s name onto the map going forward.
The Falcons, hopeful to recover ground on the Cowboys, landed a field goal that brought the score up to 7-3. Unfortunately for Atlanta, this marked the final and only points scored by them for the duration of the game.
Once the Cowboys regained possession they went for the field goal that, thanks to Lamb again receiving from Prescott, led to a solid conversion. This resulted in Lamb collecting a further 21 yards for the effort.
As play moved into the second quarter, Ezekiel Elliott quickly moved into position and landed a further touchdown bringing the Cowboys’ tally to 14 over Atlantas’ 3. After some plays by the Falcons that failed to materialize, Elliott followed up with a third touchdown, again secured by way of Prescott, bringing it to 21-3.
Then Lamb, once again facilitated by Prescott, lands his second touchdown for 28-3. A late-stage end-zone recovery nets them an additional 6 points, followed rapidly by a successful play for 2, bringing the damage to 36-3 at the close of the first half.
The third quarter saw little from the Falcons, who were beginning to look and play as if they were already beaten. Despite one noteworthy hiccup from Elliott who fumbled the ball, giving Atlanta a brief respite, the Cowboys soon regained possession and continued the assault.
Prescott sealed the final touchdown of the game, bringing the total to 43-3 following a lot of energy with little effect in the fourth quarter, as the clock played out.
Work to Be Done
Moving on, the Cowboys will now be looking forward to their next showdown with anticipation and energy. Finding more consistency in play is only going to help the squad insulate themselves from the loss to Denver, and continue to prove to all who would contest that they have perhaps the strongest offense in the league this year.
While their defense put up a united front against the Falcons, they must work to integrate their play with the rest of the squad more deeply as they face more compelling teams on the road to next year’s culminating match-ups.