Cowboys news: Dak Prescott suffers injury in Dallas’ 27-21 loss to Atlanta

Notable headlines surrounding America’s team.

Dak Prescott injured in Cowboys Week 9, 27-21 defeat vs Falcons – Mark Heaney, Inside The Star

It was a bad day all around.

Second Half

So, after starting the game by deferring the toss, the Cowboys had the hope of getting the ball at halftime on their side. They only trailed by four and could have taken the lead with a big opening drive.

Instead, they had a false start on the first play out of the locker room, went three-and-out, and decided that was a great time for a fake punt that failed miserably.

That moment may become a key point in this season. It was a true low point for this organization.

What followed was an easy touchdown drive from the Falcons, and a real punt from Dallas after somehow having 12 men in the huddle on a critical 4th and 1 play. The mishaps and blunders were never-ending in this one.

The Cowboys did manage to get a stop and score following that, though it was only a field goal as Brandon Aubrey’s leg saved Dallas again.

That ended up being the last truly meaningful score of the game, as Jalen Tolbert’s final drive touchdown acted more as a garbage-time statistical boost.

Of course, the biggest story here was not the game itself, but the injury to Prescott that I mentioned.

You can say whatever you want about the Cowboys quarterback, but as he goes, they go. If Prescott misses any time, you can essentially pack this season up and move on to 2025.

Atlanta took it to Dallas today; they were the cleaner team, especially in the second half, and they deserved the win.

Game Recap: Cowboys lose to Atlanta, 27-21 – Kurt Daniels, DallasCowboys.com

A brief summary of how the loss transpired.

Second Quarter

The next 15 minutes got off to a promising start when the second snap of the frame saw defensive end Carl Lawson come off the right side for a strip-sack of Cousins. The bouncing ball was pounced on by safety Donovan Wilson, the Cowboys now with possession.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t take advantage of the gift. Head coach Mike McCarthy decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the Falcons’ 44-yard line, only to have Lamb’s attempted end-around get stuffed for a 3-yard loss.

That led to an easy Atlanta score. The Falcons went for it themselves on fourth-and-3 at the Dallas 36-yard line, but confusion lining up in the Dallas secondary led to Darnell Mooney breaking wide-open down the right sideline, an easy pitch-and-catch for the walk-in touchdown.

And then the Cowboys answered with one of the craziest touchdowns you’ll ever see. Thanks to three runs of 15-plus yards – one each by Lamb, Prescott and Dowdle – Dallas found itself on second-and-goal at the Falcons’ 3-yard line. That’s when Prescott, scrambling back and avoiding defensemen all around him, tossed a pass to Dowdle in the end zone. The running back then jumped, bobbled the catch, hit the ball up once on his way down and finally caught the prize while on his back for the improbable score. That closed the gap to just four points, 14-10, at the half.

3 winners & 5 losers from Cowboys loss to Falcons in Week 9 – Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated

Who are your winners and losers from week nine?

Loser: KaVontae Turpin, WR/KR

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.

Dak Prescott injury video creates more questions than answers for Cowboys’ QB – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat

Hoping for the best for QB1.

Dak Prescott injury video creates more concern for the Cowboys

While it is encouraging that Prescott was able to walk off under his own power, this creates more questions than answers for the Cowboys.

The fact Prescott felt a pull suggests he’s dealing with a hamstring strain at minimum. The recovery time for a strain depends on its severity.

A Grade 1 strain can heal in a matter of days or a few weeks, while a strain of the Grade 2 variety generally fall in the weeks-to-month range. Grade 3 strains are normally a complete rupture of the muscle and often require surgery for a full recovery.

At the very least, Prescott should be considered a long shot to suit up in Week 10, which is Dallas’ first clash against the Philadelphia Eagles. It would be fitting of the 2024 season if Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland are able to return for that game only for Prescott to be sidelined.

It is almost surprising that a hamstring injury forced Prescott from the game. The Cowboys’ offensive line was a disaster on Sunday. Prescott took a beating all afternoon and even received treatment on the sideline for an apparent pinky injury. His throwing hand looked severely swollen. Before you knew it, he was ruled out with the hamstring.

Prescott’s MRI may ultimately reveal two separate injuries. It’s been that kid of a season for Dallas.

Jerry Jones changing his tune on Cowboys at trade deadline is weeks too late – Wynston Wilcox, FanSided

It is certainly interesting timing to suddenly be buyers.

Now Jerry Jones wants to show urgency. He only waited until his beloved Dallas Cowboys are truly on the brink of unraveling.

Not before things got this bad. Not when things were teetering on being bad. Now that it seems this season is over, Jones decides now is time to make a move.

“We’ll probably do a couple things this week..I’m a long way from being dismayed about this team this year,” Jones said, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Well sorry to rain on your parade, but it’s too late for that. Things haven’t been good for this team for weeks. Dak Prescott hasn’t had any help in the offense all year. The run game is in the gutter and CeeDee Lamb can only do so much. Not to mention, both Prescott and Lamb left Sunday’s game with injuries.

So why now? How were things any worse in Atlanta than they were back in Week 2 when the New Orleans Saints, which have lost seven straight games now, upended the Cowboys in a 44-19 win?

It’s been bad news for the Cowboys for weeks now, thanks for finally admitting that Jones. Unfortunately, it’s a little late to be making calls. Those calls should have already been made. Now, you’re behind the eight ball. Just like you’ve been all season.