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3 winners & 5 losers from Cowboys loss to Falcons in Week 9

Another game ended in defeat for the Dallas Cowboys, and these were the players who stood out as winners and losers.
Randy Gurzi|
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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A loss in Week 9 dropped the Dallas Cowboys to 3-5 on the season. The Falcons held off a comeback attempt from Cooper Rush, who was filling in for an injured Dak Prescott, to win 27-21.

For Dallas, this is their third loss in a row and the schedule doesn't get any easier from here.

Before worrying too much about what's next, let's check out who stood out as winners and losers in their latest defeat.

Loser: Zack Martin, G

Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin
Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

As has been the case all year, this game was off to a slow start thanks to self-inflicted mistakes. That didn't have to be the case in Week 9 as Dallas was moving down the field with ease. They moved from their own 25 to the Atlanta 19 in just four plays.

MORE: Cowboys entire coaching staff signed pink slip with consecutive 4th down blunders

It all ended in a hurry when Zack Martin missed a block on a screen pass to Rico Dowdle, allowing Kaden Elliss to stuff the running back for a loss of four yards. Had Martin kept Elliss away, Dowdle might have been running the ball to the end zone.

Instead, they were facing a third-and-12 and had to settle for a 34-yard field goal when they didn't convert a first down.

Winner: DeMarvion Overshown, LB

Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Many of the defenders in this one struggled but once again, DeMarvion Overshown wasn't one of those players.

The second-year linebacker made an impact with three tackles for a loss. He continues to prove himself as a legitimate playmaker in the NFL. He has a nose for the ball and is fearless when making the tackle.

Loser: Terence Steele, OT

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele
Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Another game, another day of struggles for Terence Steele.

The Cowboys' starting right tackle gave up a sack in the first half, which was his fourth game in a row where he allowed at least one.

As if the struggles in pass protection weren't enough, Steele put his team in a hole to start the second half. Dallas was down 14-10 and got the ball to start the third quarter. Before their first snap, Steele was flagged for a false start, making it 1st-and-15.

Rico Dowdle went for 10 yards on the next play, but the drive still ended in disaster when Bryan Anger threw an incompletion on a fake punt. As bad as that call was, it only happened since Steele cost them five yards to kick things off.

Winner: Carl Lawson, DE

Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Signed after Sam Williams went down with a torn ACL, Carl Lawson gave Dallas a pass-rusher with plenty of experience. His one issue has been staying on the field but when he's healthy, Lawson can put pressure on the quarterback.

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He entered Week 9 with six pressures and 0.5 sacks in five games. He added to that when he ended a promising drive in the second quarter by sacking Kirk Cousins and forcing a fumble. Donovan Wilson picked up the loose ball on the Dallas 33, ending a drive that looked destined for points.

Lawson wasn't done there either. He picked up his second sack of the game late in the first half. This time, it was a 3rd-and-6 as the Falcons were trying to answer the TD from Rico Dowdle on the previous drive.

Loser: KaVontae Turpin, WR/KR

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

On one hand, KaVontae Turpin was one of the few sparks the Cowboys had on Sunday. On the other, he let them down twice late in the fourth.

Turpin showed off his explosiveness once again when he went for 16 yards on a late punt return. The problem is that he stepped out of bounds at the 44. Had he stayed in, there was no way he wouldn't have scored.

A few plays later, Turpin was targeted on 4th-and-11 and should have hauled the pass in. Cooper Rush hit him in the hands, but Turpin left his feet for some reason and the defense was able to hit it out of his hands.

Dallas has tried to get Turpin involved on offense more and he did convert a 4th down on the next drive. Still, he seems to be targeted far too often on key plays, and it hasn't always worked.

Loser: Trevon Diggs, CB

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs
Nov 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) catches a pass for a touchdown past Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Dallas has had issues getting off the field on the opening drive this year. In their first seven games, they gave up points on the opposing team's first series. That finally ended on Sunday, thanks in large part to Trevon Diggs.

The veteran defensive back forced an incompletion when he broke up a pass meant for Darnell Mooney on third-and-eight. That forced Atlanta to punt and ended a frustrating streak for the Dallas defense.

After that, it was clear he probably should have stayed on the sidelines. Diggs was beaten by Drake London for the Falcons' first touchdown of the game. While that one was tough to put on him since London made an amazing play, he was almost single-handily responsible for the following touchdown.

Atlanta was facing 3rd-and14 and Cousins threw a short pass to Kyle Pitts. Diggs was there to make the stop but missed the tackle and Pitts gained 11 yards. That led to the decision to go for it on 4th-and-3. Diggs was clearly hurt and didn't get lined up, leading to a timeout.

He waived off trainers but then looked confused on the ensuing play. Cousins noticed and went for his guy, finding Darnell Mooney wide open for a 36-yard touchdown.

On replay, Diggs was seen running directly into a crowd of players, rather than going for his man, allowing Cousins and Mooney to have their easiest touchdown of the season.

Winner: Rico Dowdle, RB

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) makes a juggling catch for a touchdown | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

There are still those who think the Cowboys haven't done right by Ezekiel Elliott but Rico Dowdle once again proved that he's the better player right now. With Zeke a healthy scratch, Dowdle was the lead back and gave the offense a spark.

With Atlanta up 14-3, Dowdle ran for 31 yards on four attempts on one drive. That included an 11-yarder and a 15-yarder. He even finished the drive with a touchdown catch from three yards out that could wind up being a contender for the Play of the Year.

Dowdle finished with 75 yards on 12 attempts and 32 yards on five receptions.

Loser: The Entire Coaching Staff

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Mike McCarthy entered the season as a lame duck coach with no contract security. After nine weeks, it's clear that he's not the only coach in Dallas who needs to worry about his job.

Dallas had errors on all three units. There was a penalty that negated a huge return from KaVontae Turpin and a terrible fake punt that falls on special teams coach John Fassel.

The offense had several terrible calls, including a jet sweep on fourth down. There were also frustrating penalties, like the 12-men in the huddle call on 4th-and-inches in the third quarter. That falls on head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

As bad as they were, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has been worse. After nine weeks, it's clear that his hire was a colossal mistake. While they finally stopped an offense from scoring on the opening drive for the first time this year, they made up for it by allowing a TD on the opening drive in the second half. That was the seventh time in eight games they allowed a score to kick off the third.

Jerry Jones has only fired a head coach once during the season. The only reason it might not be twice is that the rest of the staff has been as bad as McCarthy.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.

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