The Dallas Cowboys will be boarding a flight bound for Atlanta soon. Dallas (3-4) looks to get back in the winning column against Kirk Cousins and the new-look Falcons (5-3).
There are plenty of storylines surrounding the game, mainly from the Cowboys’ side, as the team is in a state of flux. It’s not over yet, and the season can get back on track, but it will take bold performances in the coming weeks versus tough teams.
Atlanta is no pushover, and they are even better playing at home in their dome, where the turf is fast, and their crowd is raucous. Dallas will have to overcome those factors if they hope to save their season.
It’s Friday morning, and you know what that means. Its bold prediction time, and I have some fun ones for you today. Offenses will rule the day and make for exciting football.
Just a reminder that these are bold predictions, and they are meant to seem far-fetched, but still in the realm of possibility. Have bold predictions of your own? Drop them in the comments. I’d love to hear them.
A High Scoring Affair
The Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons both have some serious star power on the offensive side of the ball. Conversely, their defenses are more unreliable than gas station sushi.
We are used to seeing the Cowboys’ defense get run over this season, but the kicker here is that the offense will finally show up and get back to its former glory of the previous three seasons. This is a bold prediction because they have not looked good as a unit, and their season high in scoring is just 33 points.
Helped by a porous Falcons defense, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense will find consistent success for the first time since their week 1 victory in Cleveland. Kirk Cousins and the Falcons will have no choice but to keep up, and the fast turf in Atlanta is perfect for offenses to show off their talents.
The Dallas defense has been decimated by injury, and DC Mike Zimmer is doing his best to keep the ship afloat until his players get back on the field. The ship hasn’t sunk, but with the Cowboys sitting with a 3-4 record with tough games ahead, the players need to get back fast.
Atlanta has some star power on the defense, but they have not played well together as a unit, and they have no pass rush to speak of. Despite the addition of EDGE Matthew Judon, the Falcons rank dead last in the NFL with only six sacks on the season.
I predict a shoot out, but the game will be close. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 41-38. Which team comes out on top is yet to be determined.
Quarterbacks Will Combine for 800 Yards Passing
When teams finish a shoot out, it usually means the quarterbacks had excellent games. That will be the case this Sunday. Currently, the season highs in passing yards for Prescott and Cousins are 379 and 509 yards, respectively.
While I don’t expect Cousins to surpass his season high, I do think Prescott has a chance to eclipse his total and perhaps surpass the 400 yard mark for the 10th time in his career.
On the flip side, Cousins could reach the same number, and if that happens, the two quarterbacks will surpass 800 yards for the game.
My prediction is that in some way, shape, or form, the two passers will eclipse 800 yards passing between them. It seems more logical to me that Prescott would have the higher number because his running game is non-existent.
I can see Prescott getting closer to 500 yards while Cousins stays nearer to the 325-350 range, but they will put on a show for the fans in Atlanta.
Each Team Will Have Two 100 Yard Receivers
If you have quarterbacks combining for 800 yards passing, those yards have to be distributed throughout the offense.
The Falcons have an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions, and even the running backs are threats in the passing game. Bijan Robinson is the bigger threat, already recording 31 receptions for 244 yards this season.
On the outside, Cousins has the luxury of throwing to wide receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney. TE Kyle Pitts is a cheat code at the tight end position, and even kick return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud has been a factor on offense.
For the Cowboys, it’s been WR CeeDee Lamb, followed by a huge gap, then Jalen Tolbert and TE Jake Ferguson come into the picture. That will all change this Sunday.
Prescott will fire the football all over the field, and the Cowboys will finish the game with two players over the century mark in receiving yards. A good bet for the first would be CeeDee Lamb, and then I believe Ferguson finally has his break-out game of the season to kick-start the rest of the year.
For the Falcons, those two players will be Drake London and Kyle Pitts. The high-scoring affair will be a fun one to watch, and seeing any of these bold predictions come to fruition means it’s a fun and exciting game for fans to watch.