Atlanta Falcons: Must Beat the Cowboys at Their Own Game
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Falcons have backed themselves into a must win game on Sunday against the Cowboys dropping three very close and very winnable games this season. To beat the Cowboys the Falcons are going to have to approach the game differently.
The Atlanta Falcons have been the punching bag of the NFL for the last few weeks taking heat both in the media and on the field for their poor play. Coming into a must win game against one of the best teams in the NFC the Falcon’s strategy has to change.
Beating the Cowboys with the Falcon’s typical offense is not going to be an option. Running the ball with Zeke Elliot and controlling the clock is how the Cowboys win. Anytime they have been beaten in recent memory it has been when the other team forces them to beat them throwing the ball or beats them in time of possession and winding the clock down.
What the Cowboys do best is take the ball and play keep away, tiring defenses and letting Zeke wear down a defensive front and open up the passing attack. The only way the Falcons are going to be able to win on Sunday is to beat the Cowboys at their own game.
Stopping the run has been a challenge at times for the Falcons to be able to slow down this offense the Falcons are going to have to run the ball a lot on Sunday. They have the backfield to do it.
Running the ball more than they have all season and controlling the clock should be the Falcon’s game plan to attempt to beat the Cowboys coming into Sunday. Not sticking with the run has gotten the Falcons in trouble plenty of times this season and it will result in a loss if they cannot run consistently on Sunday.
The Cowboys are coming in hot in Atlanta and the only way that the Falcons will be able to beat them and help end this bad stretch of football is beating them at their own game by controlling the clock and running the football until the defense wants no more.