Things I have Learned ... the Falcons at the Cowboys

The Counselor is IN:

Things I have Learned ... the Falcons at the Cowboys.

1) WR Miles Austin is for real and appears to be on the same page with Tony Romo. No one was for sure what his future fantasy value would be after the great game two weeks ago in Kansas City, 250 yards and 2 touchdowns, because he broke out against the Chiefs. Today Austin had 171 yards and 2 touchdowns against a much tougher Falcons team and proved himself. This is a surprise after his lackluster training camp and preseason.

2) RB Michael Turner looks a step or two slower than last year. This is not surprising. He had a great year last year with 376 carries. This is a classic case of too many carries in one season. Any time you have a back over 350 carries, he is in danger of hurting his future. If it is over 370, it is almost a guarantee.

3) The Dallas running game of Barber, Jones, and Choice was adequate at best. The run blocking looked below average for most of the game. The running game which was constantly referenced as the new focus of this offense seems to be more of an afterthought until they were ready to run the clock with a big lead in the 4^th quarter.

4) QB Matt Ryan had the deer in the headlight look for most of the game. The Cowboys brought a lot of pressure and Ryan never developed a groove. With enough pressure, he can be shaken at this point in his career.

5) The Dallas Defense was aggressive and opportunistic. They have 3 turnovers and 4 sacs. They were in the face of Ryan all day and appeared to disrupt him. The Cowboys Defense was prepared for Michael Turner, 18 carries for 50 yards, and Matt Ryan, 19 of 35 with 2 TDs and 2 Interceptions. They were not prepared for running of Jason Snelling, 7 carries for 68 yards. The Cowboys defense appeared to have a difficult time adjusting to Snelling and his running style. Snelling had a great game for a back up running back.


6) WR Roy Williams does not appear to be on the same page with Tony Romo. There were several plays where Williams ran a different route than what Romo expected. He only had one catch for 16 yards but was targeted 5 times.

7) TE Tony Gonzalez was a great addition to the Falcons. Gonzalez made a few key catches and demonstrated why he is a future Hall of Famer.

8) WR Patrick Crayton responded in the game to being demoted from the starting line up. He was 2 catches for 9 yards but one of those catches was a great adjustment in the end zone for a key touchdown. He also had a 73 yard punt return.

9) Atlanta’s Defense gave up 426 yards this week. They did not play great against a Cowboys’ offense which got in a groove in the second quarter. They had no answer for Austin and had trouble pressuring Romo.

10) QB Tony Romo had a monstrous day. He went 21 for 29 attempts, 3 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He had a passer rating of 141.6. It will be interesting to see if Romo can keep up the good games or if he will continue to be hot and cold.

11) The Dallas Cowboys came into this game looking to prove that they could beat a good team that has a winning record. This team appears to play at the level of their opponent which is detrimental as they play down to the level of a bad opponent.

Those are a few things I learned from the Falcons @ the Cowboys.


The Counselor is OUT: