Dak Prescott injury, self-inflicted wounds sink Dallas

ATLANTA – Things are bad for the Cowboys.

Not only did Dallas lose 27-21 to Atlanta, falling to 3-5, but they also lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter. Running back Ezekiel Elliott didn't even make it to Atlanta for disciplinary reasons.

The season is coming to an end.

Philadelphia, next week's opponent, would like nothing more than to pull another string.

Prescott hurts

Prescott, who had thrown two interceptions in three straight games, ended that streak on Sunday. But he was under siege from the start.

Prescott was forced to play from behind most of the game, and Atlanta's three sacks didn't come close to conveying the pressure he was under. He rarely had time to get anything up the field and had to cut from the bottom.

He completed 18 of 24 passes for just 133 yards and one touchdown. He left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury, leaving Cooper Rush to play the final 11:08 of the game.

Sink deeper

Dallas lost its third straight game on Sunday. The team now has five losses, which is the same as the total for the last three seasons.

The Cowboys haven't lost three straight since snapping a four-game losing streak in early November during Mike McCarthy's first season as the team's head coach. Those four losses in 2020 came right after Prescott suffered a compound fracture and ankle dislocation and was out for the season.

This is the first time Prescott has suffered three straight losses since he suffered three straight defeats in December 2019.

Sales drought ends

A Dallas defense that once forced numerous turnovers ended a two-game losing streak on Sunday.

Defensive player Carl Lawson forced a fumble on a strip sack in the second quarter and safety Donovan Wilson recovered the fumble. It was the first turnover the defense had forced since a fumble against Pittsburgh on October 6th.

The Cowboys offense responded by giving the ball back to Atlanta on downs.

Chance missed.

Cousins ​​splits the secondary

Atlanta native Kick Cousins ​​was the quarterback at Minnesota when Mike Zimmer was head coach.

Zimmer, now the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, was asked before that game if his knowledge of Cousins ​​would help.

“Well, Kirk knows me pretty well too,” Zimmer replied.

Edge, cousins. The veteran quarterback completed 13 consecutive passes early in Sunday's game. When the Falcons took a 27-13 lead early in the fourth, Cousins ​​was 18 of 21 for 215 yards with three touchdowns and nowhere near an interception. He completed 19 of 24 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns.

A sore point

The third quarter has been a problem for the Cowboys this season.

Sunday was no different.

Dallas was outscored 61-19 in the third quarter before this game. The Cowboys were coming off a game against San Francisco in which they scored 21-0 and had a 167-12 yard gain in the third quarter.

Things weren't so bad in Atlanta. The Falcons only had a 7-3 lead and took a 21-13 lead in the final period.

But that's a little misleading. Bryan Anger's pass on a fake punt on the Cowboys' first possession of the second half had no chance of being completed. The Falcons took advantage of the short field with a quick touchdown.

The Cowboys tried fourth-and-1 on their next possession, but failed because Dalvin Cook was on the field when he shouldn't have been, and Dallas was flagged for 12 men in the huddle.

Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday during the Super Bowl from 7-8 p.m.

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