Falcons 2021 schedule predictions: At the Cowboys in week 10

The special teams gaffe against the Cowboys in 2020 is forever etched in the minds of Falcons fans. It was the perfect embodiment of an undisciplined Dan Quinn team and their ability to find new ways to lose close games. That game featured Matt Ryan throwing for 4 touchdowns and leading Atlanta to 39 points on the board and still losing. Will the 2021 Falcons be different? Here’s how we see this game playing out.

Our predictions

Falcons 28 - Cowboys 30

If this game were in Atlanta, I’d be inclined to flip the score here. It’s not that I’m a big believer in Mike McCarthy or Dan Quinn, but there will probably be a little more juice in this game from players like Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee. Atlanta has played very well against the Cowboys in recent years and frankly should have beat them last year. That said, I think Quinn is going to pull out all the stops ... and still let the Falcons score 28. But it will be enough to barely edge out Atlanta who will be a half step slower from being on the road. I can easily see this game going the other direction, so don’t hold me to this. - David Walker

Falcons 34 - Cowboys 27

This could be a very good Dallas team. Dak Prescott is terrific so long as he’s healthy, the weapons are there, and the defense is unlikely to be a nightmare with Mike Nolan gone. For all that, I still view this as a winnable game, especially because I don’t exactly trust the defense to make a major leap forward right away in Dan Quinn’s first year on the job as defensive coordinator. Honestly, I fully expect the Falcons to steal this one on the road, perhaps out of an overabundance of confidence. - Dave Choate

Falcons 31 - Cowboys 23

I had this circled as a win thinking Mike Nolan was still the defensive coordinator in Dallas. Instead, it is another former Falcons coach with some highly inconsistent recent experience coordinating defenses. Is there a good play-caller to offset the defense? No, it is just Mike McCarthy. I like Prescott but this coaching staff is like a Michael Bay movie big on flash but lacking any substance. These aren’t the glory hole years for Dallas. I expect the Falcons to be getting into a groove at this point in the season, assuming the team stays healthy. - Matt Chambers

Falcons 34 - Cowboys 28

This was always one of those games on the schedule that stuck out like a sore thumb to me. Why? Well, for one, the defensive coordinator on the Cowboys sideline is a familiar face. One that Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, and Jake Matthews know plenty about. In the matchup of offensive play caller (Arthur Smith) vs. defensive play caller (Dan Quinn), I think Smith gets the advantage here because let’s also keep in mind that Smith got the best of Quinn in 2019 when the Titans came to Atlanta and walked away with a 24-10 victory. Also, I can’t seem to forget the nasty taste in the mouth after the Falcons implosion in week two last season in Dallas. Something tells me revenge will be on the minds of the Falcons. I agree with Matt that the Falcons will be finding themselves as a team this time of the season. Good enough to steal one on the road against a Dallas team that is loaded on offense but still has plenty of question marks on defense. - Eric Robinson

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