Falcons at Dallas Cowboys: How Both Tumbled in NFL Power Rankings
FRISCO - The Atlanta Falcons moved up.
The Dallas Cowboys move down.
On Sunday in NFL Week 10, they move toward one another, with home-standing Dallas being offered the chance to rebound ... and the "we're-not-rebuilding'' Falcons being offered the chance to prove that claim.
The Falcons last week evened their record at 4-4 and got their first win over a team with a winning mark on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons were six-point underdogs, but left New Orleans with a 27-25 victory that put Atlanta in a playoff spot after nine weeks (Atlanta has already had a bye).
The Cowboys, meanwhile, dipped to 6-2 by allowing themselves to get blown out at home, the Denver Broncos rolling into AT&T Stadium and rolling out with a 30-16 win.
And as a result? NFL.com is unimpressed. The Falcons road victory moved them up just two spots to No. 20 ... and the Cowboys' failure dropped them from No. 2 to No. 5 in NFL.com's latest Power Rankings.
Writes NFL.com of the Falcons: "The Falcons deserve a trophy for figuring out how to unlock Cordarrelle Patterson. The veteran is one of the greatest special teams players in history, but it's taken until his ninth season for a coach -- hello, Arthur Smith -- to transform him into a consistent offensive weapon. Patterson was at it again in a dramatic win over the Saints, piling up 136 scrimmage yards, including the dramatic 64-yard catch-and-run that set up Younghoe Koo's 29-yard field goal as time expired.
Said Patterson after the win: "We just like to give our fans a heart attack, just to keep them on their toes, make sure they are paying attention."
The Dak Prescott-led Cowboys were humbled by the Broncos in a game that wasn't as close as the final scored indicated. … and NFL.com didn’t like Dallas’ work, either, writing, “This game will humble you. The Cowboys entered Sunday as a universally recognized superpower in the NFC. Then the day brought a blowout loss …”
And now along comes a rematch of the 2020 "Watermelon Kick'' game.
The Falcons have another chance to win some believers, including their own fans, with a trip to Dallas this week. And the same is true in Dallas, where the Cowboys still believe they are "special'' ... but now need to go re-prove it.
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