Dallas Cowboys vs Atlanta Falcons Match Player Stats Breakdown (Nov 3, 2024)

Want to know what the Dallas Cowboys vs Atlanta Falcons match player stats really showed? Here’s my breakdown of the numbers that mattered most in Atlanta’s 27-21 win on November 3, 2024.

Quick Stats Overview

Need the key numbers fast? Here’s what shaped this game:

• QB Play: Kirk Cousins (ATL) – 144.8 rating, 3 TDs, 0 INTs | Dak Prescott (DAL) – 101.6 rating before injury, Cooper Rush – 77.9 rating after
• Ground Game: Bijan Robinson (ATL) – 86 yards, 4.5 per carry | Rico Dowdle (DAL) – 75 yards, 6.3 per carry
• Pass Catchers: Darnell Mooney (ATL) – 88 yards, 17.6 per catch | Jake Ferguson (DAL) – 71 yards, 10.1 per catch
• Defense: Kaden Elliss (ATL) – 13 tackles, 1 sack | Carl Lawson (DAL) – 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
• Game Changers: Red zone success (ATL 100%, DAL 67%), Fourth down tries (ATL 2/2, DAL 1/5)

These numbers show why Atlanta got the win, especially once Prescott left the game hurt.

Game Recap: Falcons Hold Off Cowboys in Week 9

The November 3rd matchup gave NFL fans plenty to talk about as Atlanta’s 27-21 home win boosted them to 6-3 while Dallas slipped to 3-5 with their third straight loss.

Box scores never tell the whole story. Let’s look at who made the plays that mattered.

Cousins Cooks: How Kirk Carved Up Dallas

Kirk Cousins showed exactly why Atlanta spent $180 million on him with these jaw-dropping numbers:

• 19 of 24 passes completed (79.2%)
• 222 passing yards
• 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
• 144.8 passer rating (158.3 is perfect)
• 9.25 yards per throw (league average hovers around 7.5)

What made Cousins so tough to stop was how he spread the ball around for scores:

• Drake London caught a contested 9-yard TD
• Darnell Mooney grabbed a 36-yard score
• Ray-Ray McCloud added an 11-yard touchdown

This mix kept Dallas guessing all game long.

“That fourth-down touchdown to Mooney was about our prep work,” Cousins said after the game. “We spotted their coverage tendency and knew we might get that look. When I saw the defensive backs collide, I just had to get it out there for him.”

For more NFL game stats, check out our 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams Match Player Stats page.

Bijan Brings Balance: Robinson’s Two-Way Threat

Bijan Robinson showed why Atlanta drafted him so high with a complete game:

• 86 rushing yards on 19 carries (4.5 per attempt)
• Caught all 7 passes thrown his way
• 59 receiving yards (8.4 per catch)
• 145 total yards from scrimmage

His perfect 7-for-7 catch rate jumps off the page. His sure hands and smart routes from the backfield gave Atlanta a safety valve all game.

The extra stuff beyond the basic stats tells an even better story. His success on must-have downs and yards gained after contact kept Atlanta’s offense rolling when they needed it most.

Prescott Goes Down: The Numbers Before and After

When Dak Prescott hurt his hamstring, the entire game changed. The stats tell a clear story:

With Prescott:

• 18 of 24 passes completed (75%)
• 133 passing yards (5.5 per throw)
• 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions
• 101.6 passer rating
• 30 rushing yards on 3 runs (10.0 average)

With Rush:

• 13 of 25 passes completed (52%)
• 115 passing yards (4.6 per throw)
• 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions
• 77.9 passer rating
• 4 rushing yards on 1 run

The 23-point drop in passer rating shows how much Dallas lost. Passer rating combines completion rate, yards per throw, touchdown rate, and interception rate into one number, usually from 0-158.3, with 100 being really good.

Losing Dak’s running ability (10.0 yards per carry) hurt just as much as his passing.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy put it plainly: “Losing Dak changed our whole offense. Our completion rate fell off, big plays cut in half, and we lost that scramble threat that was opening things up all game.”

For more Cowboys game stats, check out our Dallas Cowboys vs Cleveland Browns Match Player Stats page.

Dowdle Delivers: Dallas’ Bright Spot

Rico Dowdle gave Dallas fans something to cheer about with his strong showing:

• 6.3 yards per carry (75 yards on 12 attempts)
• Caught 5 of 6 passes thrown his way (83.3%)
• 32 receiving yards with a touchdown
• 107 total yards from scrimmage
• One 15-yard burst run

His 6.3 yards per carry really pops – about 50% better than the NFL average for running backs. His all-around game made up almost 40% of Dallas’ rushing attack and kept them balanced.

Deeper stats show Dowdle created yards beyond what his blockers gave him, with several good runs against loaded fronts (8+ defenders near the line).

Pass Catchers: Big Plays vs. Short Gains

The stats show a clear contrast in how each team used their pass catchers:

Atlanta’s Receivers:

• Darnell Mooney: 5 catches, 88 yards (17.6 avg), 1 TD
• Bijan Robinson: 7 catches, 59 yards (8.4 avg)
• Drake London: 2 catches, 27 yards (13.5 avg), 1 TD
• Ray-Ray McCloud: 3 catches, 28 yards (9.3 avg), 1 TD

Dallas’ Receivers:

• Jake Ferguson: 7 catches, 71 yards (10.1 avg)
• CeeDee Lamb: 8 catches, 47 yards (5.9 avg)
• Rico Dowdle: 5 catches, 32 yards (6.4 avg), 1 TD
• KaVontae Turpin: 3 catches, 36 yards (12.0 avg)

The yards-per-catch gap tells the tale: Atlanta averaged 11.7 yards per catch while Dallas managed just 7.1 – giving Atlanta a 65% edge in big-play ability. This helped Atlanta score three passing touchdowns from just 19 completions.

CeeDee Lamb’s stats really catch your eye here. Despite getting a team-high 12 targets, his 5.9 yards per catch was his season-worst and way below his usual output. Atlanta clearly made stopping him their main goal.

For more NFL matchup stats, check out our Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles Match Player Stats page.

Defense Difference Makers: Tackles, Sacks & Big Stops

The defensive numbers show who stepped up when it mattered:

Falcons Defense:

• Kaden Elliss: 13 tackles (8 solo, 5 assists), 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss
• Nate Landman: 10 tackles (4 solo, 6 assists)
• A.J. Terrell: 9 tackles (5 solo, 4 assists)
• Arnold Ebiketie: 5 tackles, 1 sack
• Grady Jarrett: 2 tackles, 1 sack

Cowboys Defense:

• Eric Kendricks: 9 tackles (5 solo, 4 assists), 1 forced fumble
• Donovan Wilson: 8 tackles (4 solo, 4 assists)
• DeMarvion Overshown: 7 tackles (4 solo, 3 assists)
• Carl Lawson: 2 tackles (2 solo), 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Atlanta’s pass rush came from three different guys getting sacks, keeping pressure from all angles. Elliss was everywhere, and his fourth-down stop on CeeDee Lamb completely flipped the game’s momentum.

“Kaden’s tackle count only shows part of what he did,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “That fourth-down stop changed the whole game’s path. Our win chances jumped about 20 points on that one play.”

For more defensive stats breakdowns, check out our Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens Match Player Stats page.

Clutch Moments: When Stats Matter Most

Beyond individual stars, several team stats in key moments decided this game:

Make-or-Break Situations:

• Fourth down success: Atlanta 2/2 (100%), Dallas 1/5 (20%)
• Red zone touchdowns: Atlanta 3/3 (100%), Dallas 2/3 (66.7%)
• Third down conversions: Atlanta 4/13 (30.8%), Dallas 3/13 (23.1%)
• Passer rating gap: Atlanta 144.8, Dallas 89.8 (combined)
• Yards per pass: Atlanta 9.25, Dallas 5.0
• Points per drive: Atlanta 2.45, Dallas 1.75

These numbers show Atlanta simply made more plays when it counted. The fourth-down numbers really jump out – Dallas failing on 80% of fourth-down tries cost them field position and scoring chances.

Atlanta’s perfect red zone success is elite – the NFL average for red zone touchdowns hovers around 60%. This 4-point edge from better red zone play proved huge in a game decided by 6 points.

How Prescott’s Injury Changed Everything

We can measure exactly how Prescott’s hamstring injury hurt Dallas:

Before vs. After Injury:

• Completion rate: 75% with Prescott vs. 52% with Rush
• Yards per throw: 5.5 with Prescott vs. 4.6 with Rush
• Passer rating: 101.6 with Prescott vs. 77.9 with Rush
• Running threat: 10.0 yards per carry with Prescott vs. 4.0 with Rush
• Points per quarter: 6.7 with Prescott vs. 3.5 with Rush

Losing Dak’s running ability really hurt the offense. His 10.0 yards per carry had been stressing the defense and extending plays all game.

The drop across every passing stat shows how QB injuries can change games instantly. For more injury impact stats, see our Miami Dolphins vs Green Bay Packers Match Player Stats page.

Season Impact: What This Game Meant

This early November clash proved key for both teams’ 2024 seasons:

For Atlanta:

• Improved to 6-3 (winning 66.7% of games)
• Grew their NFC South lead
• Won their fifth game in six tries (83.3% win rate during that stretch)
• Kept their home win streak alive at three games
• Showed Cousins’ passer rating still predicted wins

For Dallas:

• Fell to 3-5 (winning just 37.5% of games)
• Lost their third straight game
• Already matched last year’s total losses
• Struggled again on the road (1-3 away record)
• Faced tough odds to make the playoffs

What’s interesting is how both teams changed course after this game. Atlanta finished just 8-9 despite their strong start, winning only two of their final seven games. Dallas rebounded somewhat to finish 7-10 but never really got back on track.

Past NFL seasons show teams at 3-5 make the playoffs about 14% of the time, while 6-3 teams get there around 79% of the time.

FAQ: Dallas Cowboys vs Atlanta Falcons Match Player Stats

For more NFL match stats and analysis, check out our matchplayerstats.co.uk homepage.

Bottom Line

The Dallas Cowboys vs Atlanta Falcons match player stats show exactly why Atlanta won. Cousins’ hot hand (144.8 rating, 79.2% completions), Atlanta’s clutch play (perfect on fourth downs and in the red zone), and the huge drop-off after Prescott’s injury all added up to an Atlanta win. While total yards stayed close, it was all about who made the big plays when it counted most.