3 trap games the Cowboys can’t afford to lose
By John Buhler
2. Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys (Nov. 14)
Oh, this one has trap game written all over it. While it remains to be seen if the Atlanta Falcons are an improved team under new head coach Arthur Smith, you better believe the players left from last year’s roster will want to beat the brakes off Quinn’s new team. Atlanta was so grossly undercoached during the latter part of the Quinn era. This game will be personal for the Falcons.
While Quinn and former Dirty Birds like Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee may get up for this one, the rest of the Cowboys might overlook Atlanta with a road date at the Kansas City Chiefs the following week. No, the Cowboys are not winning on the road at Arrowhead, but looking ahead may cost them a very winnable game at home vs. Atlanta. This is a must-win to win the NFC East.
Frankly, Atlanta should have beaten Dallas a year ago, but Quinn and company gave us the worst onside recovery in the history of professional football. We know that the Falcons offense will be able to put up points, but any improvement from their defensive nadir under Quinn could have this team pushing for .500. This is one of the few road games the Falcons can totally win next season.
Overall, Dallas cannot afford to lose a game at home to a team it is probably better than. It would be a complete indictment of the coaching staff for overlooking the Dirty Birds here. While Atlanta’s new coaching staff remains unproven, a loss at home to the Falcons would be yet another black mark on the resume for McCarthy and the Dallas coaching staff. The Cowboys must win this one.