Dallas, TX
Cowboys vs Falcons: Week 9 matchups to watch for Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys once again hit the road in Week 9 to take on the NFC South division leader, the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta has been a much different team this season with QB Kirk Cousins in command of the offense. This is someone Dallas should know quite a bit about dating back to his time in Washington, even though that was years ago.
Sadly, this is yet another game that’s shaping up to be a tough one for the Cowboys. Offensively, Atlanta has several weapons who could be matchup problems for Dallas’ defenders. On the flipside though, Dak Prescott and Company could find some success against the Falcons middle-of-the-road defense, who are giving up 24.4 points per game.
While the Cowboys haven’t proven themselves capable of beating good teams, and the Falcons definitely classify as a good team, this is very much a game they can win if they can get the better of a few key matchups. If not, losing this game could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, all but ending any hope for a successful 2024 season.
WR CeeDee Lamb vs. Falcons’ secondary
CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott finally synced up for the first time this season to the tune of 13 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. While it’s going to be difficult to repeat that type of production week in and week out, these two definitely need to continue connecting if the Cowboys want any chance of winning. No. 88 is sadly Dallas’ best and only chance of being successful offensively in the passing game. Nobody else has really stepped up this season, so wins and losses will probably come down to how these two play moving forward.
S Donovan Wilson vs. TE Kyle Pitts
In back-to-back games the Cowboys have allowed two TDs and two explosive plays over 40+ yards to opposing tight ends (Sam LaPorta, George Kittle). While Donovan Wilson isn’t solely responsible for those blunders, he was largely to blame for Kittle’s 128 receiving yards last week. Dallas may want to rethink putting Wilson in the same position this week against Kyle Pitts, who is coming off a 91-yard game with two TDs. Pitts is more of a big WR than traditional TE and should probably be treated as such by the Cowboys this week.
Cowboys’ run defense vs. RBs Bijan Robinson/Tyler Allgeier
The Cowboys run defense got a pretty good taste of what a dynamic RB duo can do when they played the Lions earlier this season and unfortunately failed to measure up. Bijan Robinson (4.7) and Tyler Allgeier (5.2) are another dynamic RB duo who are both averaging close to 5.0 yards per carry this year. This two-headed monster could be a problem for Dallas’ front seven. Don’t be surprised if Mike Zimmer once again tries to stack the box like he did against the 49ers to try to contain these two. Whatever the case, they spell trouble.
What Drake London’s new deal could mean for George Pickens
Falcons WR Drake London is now the NFL’s third-highest paid wide receiver in AAV, signing a four-year, $141 million extension with $100 million guaranteed and $35.26 million per year.
London, who is 25, is the same age as Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens, and both are heading into their fifth seasons in the NFL. Pickens too was seeking a long-term contract, but the Cowboys told him and his representation that would not happen this offseason, and he instead signed his $27.3 million franchise tag that keep shim under contract for the 2026 season.
Pickens’ one-year deal on the tag makes him the 17th highest-paid wide receiver in the league in AAV. Should Pickens go out and post a year similar to his 2025 campaign where he had more than 1,400 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, a deal similar to London’s may be in the ballpark of what Pickens could seek. For reference, CeeDee Lamb is the league’s fifth-highest paid WR at $34 million annually. If Pickens surpasses him and is closer to London’s $35 million per year mark, he and Lamb would become the highest-paid WR duo in NFL history, surpassing the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who currently combine for $69 million per year. – Tommy Yarrish
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Garland Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abby Policastro and Marissa Aulbaugh prosecuted the case.
“This verdict should send a clear message to drug dealers that we will dismantle any effort to peddle deadly fentanyl in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedicated collaboration in taking thousands of fentanyl pills off the streets of Dallas.”
If the Dallas Cowboys want to get over the hump and back into the playoffs in 2026, they’ve got to see a massive improvement in the defense.
Owner Jerry Jones was brutally honest with just how much the Cowboys were held back by their defense in 2025, and the numbers very clearly spell that out.
How does a Cowboys team that ranked top 10 in passing, rushing and points on offense still miss the playoffs?
Well, Dallas also ranked 30th in total yards allowed, 32nd in passing yards, 23rd against the run and 32nd in points against, that’s how. That putrid showing rightly cost Matt Eberflus his job, which set the stage for Dallas to hire Christian Parker.
It also set the stage for a total overhaul of the defense, with Dallas making many additions to that side of the ball, including at corner, where the Cowboys were bad on the boundary and in slot last season.
Fow now, we’re more focused on the boundary competition, as the Cowboys appear set to roll with Caleb Downs in the slot.
Cowboys’ CB competition is crucial for 2026
The Cowboys won’t have much hope for a playoff appearance if the cornerback play doesn’t improve. Of the 10 teams that landed in the bottom 10 in passing yards allowed last season, only two of them made the postseason.
Of course, the pass-rush played a part in that, and while Dallas has made multiple additions to that group this offseason, there really aren’t any guarantees with Rashan Gary, Malachi Lawrence or Donovan Ezeiruaku.
If that trio fails to improve a pass-rush that was tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL in 2025, the cornerbacks become even more crucial.
DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel did not play well in 2025, and while the former appears safe for now when it comes to a starting job on the outside, his leash could be short if he struggles again.
Revel, on the other hand, isn’t locked into a starting job on the boundary and is competing with Durant and Caelen Carson. It’s also worth keeping an eye on who finishes in second in that battle because that player could replace Bland if he struggles or gets hurt again.
There is hope Revel can bounce back now that he’s another year removed from the torn ACL he suffered in his final year in college and can enjoy a full offseason, but we’ll have to see it first before we can believe it.
“It’s very beneficial,” Revel said of having a normal offseason. “Just because I can clean up a lot of things, a lot of errors I didn’t see last year, or I did see last year, that I could clean up this year.”
“My knee is 100%, so now it’s time to focus on situational ball and I’ve got to see what I need to fix or get better at,” Revel added.
When training camp kicks off next month, we’re going to be locked into watching the battle at cornerback because it could very well make or break Dallas’ entire 2026 campaign.
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