Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have something to prove as they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday

Published Nov. 12, 2021 4:37 p.m. ET

By Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Columnist

Jerry Jones couldn’t believe what he’d seen and called it "inexplicable." Mike McCarthy had an explanation for what happened, but little to offer about the why.

Dak Prescott, meanwhile, summed up the situation perfectly — and you didn’t have to be a genius to be able to read between the lines.

"Sometimes you think you can just roll out there and get it done," Prescott told reporters after last week’s stunning home loss to the Denver Broncos, a game in which they were torched 30-0 before adding a couple of late touchdowns to make things (sort of) respectable.

"Even when the adversity hits, I don't think there was really ever a point, maybe until the last few minutes, where we didn't think that we're going to be able to get something going to win this game. When that sinks in, you just realize it's the NFL. This is a tough business."

Prescott said what he felt, essentially admitting that the Cowboys had become overconfident, started to believe their own hype, and took a team they were widely expected to dominate far too lightly.

The result was the low point of a Cowboys year that had, until then, been going swimmingly. Not only had Dallas won six straight, but Prescott was looking sharp, the defense was outstanding, and it wasn’t just rabid Dallas fans who were suggesting that this might be the most in-form team in the entire league.

That chatter got shut down swiftly on a head-shaker of an afternoon in Arlington, Texas, meaning this Sunday’s home clash with the Atlanta Falcons (1 p.m. ET on FOX) takes on an enhanced level of importance. If the Cowboys truly are one of the NFL’s current elite units and not just a team that went on a hot start, now is the time to show it.

Now there is a fresh line of thought, and it’s not one the Cowboys will be thrilled about. Broncos head coach Vic Fangio suggested the Cowboys' success so far had less to do with their own ability, and more about the tactical shortcomings of their previous opponents.

"Teams just haven’t played them the right way," Fangio said. "We just (had) to do it the right way, call it the right way, which I’m in charge of."

McCarthy accepted that upcoming rivals may try to replicate Denver’s approach but pushed back on the theory the Broncos had found the secret sauce to dismantling his team.

"Vic played us very aggressive," McCarthy said. "That’s good to hear him beating his own drum. This is a copycat league. I just told the team, (to) get ready."

Denver’s swarming defense piled on the pressure and forced the Cowboys into mistakes. Prescott remained in the game even once defeat was assured, racking up 232 yards that ultimately meant little. This led to some criticism for McCarthy not pulling his QB earlier.

"There was game left out there to be played," Prescott said, defending his coach. "It never crossed my mind that I was coming out of the game. I think if somebody would have tried to make that decision, I would have told them I wasn’t."

It could be one of those freak results — there have been quite a few recently — and the real damage was limited, with the Cowboys remaining miles clear at the top of the NFC East and primed for a home playoff date.

Last weekend was a gut-check though, and the clash with the Falcons will tell us if there is greater cause for concern.

On FS1’s "Undisputed," Skip Bayless suggested that Fangio’s outburst might be an unexpected blessing for the Cowboys.

"I want to thank … Vic Fangio for providing (Dallas) just the motivation it needs to get ready," Bayless said. "He just got them ready for what I consider a crucial game. This is a turning point of the season. Are they real or not real? We will find out this Sunday."

Yet while Dallas is a firm nine-point favorite with FOX Bet, the Falcons have improved since an 0-2 start, have won three of their four road games, and have managed to get some things going behind quarterback Matt Ryan.

For Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Atlanta is a familiar opponent — he led the Falcons to Super Bowl LI and the brink of winning it all before the New England Patriots launched a historic comeback.

"There isn't time to take a stroll down memory lane," Quinn told reporters. "We got some (expletive) to fix. I'll be … going after it as hard as we can, worrying about the jerseys I coach now."

For the first time this season, the Cowboys actually do have something to worry about.

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider Newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.