The preseason always ends with a mix of nerves and opportunity. For the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons, Friday night at AT&T Stadium is less about the scoreboard and more about the final audition. Week 3 is when coaches scribble in last notes, front offices double-check depth charts, and fringe players fight for roster spots they’ve been chasing all summer.
The matchup brings a bit of history too. The last time these two teams squared off, Dak Prescott limped off the field with a torn hamstring that ended his season, while Atlanta walked away with the win. This time around, neither starting quarterback is expected to take the field, and the focus shifts entirely to the players on the bubble and the units still trying to find rhythm before September.
Dallas enters the night searching for defensive stability. Through two preseason games, the Cowboys have allowed 31 points in back-to-back losses, raising questions about secondary depth and tackling efficiency. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer hasn’t hidden his frustration, saying this week that exhibition games are about “competition, not comfort”. That message should resonate with young defensive backs looking to prove they belong.
Atlanta’s concerns are different but just as pressing. Their preseason opener against Detroit was cut short, and their second outing against Tennessee exposed cracks along the offensive line. Head coach Raheem Morris has emphasized the need for cleaner execution in the run game, though rookie star Bijan Robinson is still being protected from heavy reps. That leaves the stage open for depth running backs and backup QB Taylor Heinicke, who needs a sharper performance after two uneven weeks.
Dallas Cowboys – Atlanta Falcons LIVE: Follow the action with live analysis, standout performances and big plays
Final whistle! Dallas takes the win with a 31-13 victory over Atlanta
Will Grier rush to the middle for 1 yard to the Dal2.
Elijah Dotson rush to the middle for no gain to the Dal1.
Elijah Dotson rush to the middle for 2 yards to the Dal1.
Ben DiNucci incomplete pass to the left intended for Nick Nash.
Elijah Dotson rush to the middle for 1 yard to the Dal3.
Two Minute Warning.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the right for 12 yards to the Dal3.
Elijah Dotson rush to the left for 5 yards to the Dal15.
Elijah Dotson rush to the middle for 13 yards to the Dal20.
Elijah Dotson rush to the right for no gain to the Dal33.
Elijah Dotson rush to the left for 44 yards to the Dal30.
Bryan Anger punts for 51 yards to Atl25. Dylan Drummond – no return.
Malik Davis rush to the left for 2 yards to the Dal24.
Will Grier sacked at Dal22 for a loss of 9 yards by Simeon Barrow Jr.. FUMBLE, recovered by Dal (Will Grier).
Penalty: Illegal Formation on Cowboys (Josh Kelly) -5 yards.
Will Grier pass to the right to Josh Kelly for 6 yards to the Dal36.
Ben DiNucci pass intended for Nick Nash INTERCEPTED by Robert Rochell and returned for 9 yards.
Brandon Aubrey kicks off to the Atl8. Natrone Brooks return for 29 yards to Atl37.
Brandon Aubrey extra point is GOOD.
Phil Mafah rush to the middle for 1 yard for a TOUCHDOWN.
Will Grier rush to the left for no gain to the Atl1.
Penalty: Pass Interference on Falcons (Cobee Bryant) 6 yards.
Penalty: Illegal Fair Catch on Cowboys (La’el Collins) -5 yards.
Phil Mafah rush to the middle for 15 yards to the Atl2.
Cowboys timeout.
Penalty: Roughing Passer on Falcons (Simeon Barrow Jr.) 15 yards.
Will Grier pass to the right to Rivaldo Fairweather for 16 yards to the Atl32.
Will Grier pass to the left to Tyler Neville for 5 yards to the Atl48.
Will Grier incomplete pass to the right intended for Josh Kelly.
Penalty: Holding on Cowboys (Nick Broeker) -10 yards.
Easton Stick pass intended for Quincy Skinner Jr. INTERCEPTED by Shemar James and returned for 8 yards.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the right for 2 yards to the Atl45.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Nick Nash for 18 yards to the Atl43.
Bryan Anger punts for 54 yards to Atl21. Natrone Brooks return for 4 yards to Atl25. FUMBLE, recovered by Atl (Natrone Brooks).
Bryan Anger punts for 53 yards to Atl22. Natrone Brooks return for 3 yards to Atl25.
Will Grier incomplete pass to the left intended for Phil Mafah.
Penalty: False Start on Cowboys (Traeshon Holden) -5 yards.
Will Grier pass to the left to Traeshon Holden for 13 yards to the Dal30.
Penalty: Pass Interference on Cowboys (Josh Kelly) -10 yards.
Will Grier rush to the left for 3 yards to the Dal27.
Bradley Pinion kicks off to the Dal3. Deuce Vaughn return for 21 yards to Dal24.
Younghoe Koo 28 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.
Easton Stick incomplete pass to the right intended for Jesse Matthews.
Easton Stick incomplete pass to the right intended for Chris Blair.
Elijah Dotson rush to the right for no gain to the Dal10.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the middle for 5 yards to the Dal10.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the middle for 1 yard to the Dal15.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the right for 7 yards to the Dal17.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the right for 1 yard to the Dal24.
Elijah Dotson rush to the middle for 1 yard to the Dal25.
Elijah Dotson rush to the middle for 8 yards to the Dal26.
Easton Stick rush to the left for 12 yards to the Dal34.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Jesse Matthews for 8 yards to the Dal46.
Easton Stick incomplete pass to the left.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the right for 5 yards to the Atl46.
Easton Stick pass to the right to Chris Blair for 21 yards to the Atl41.
Easton Stick pass to the right to Feleipe Franks for no gain to the Atl20.
Bryan Anger punts for 50 yards to Atl21. Dee Alford return for a loss of 1 yard to Atl20.
Jaydon Blue rush to the left for 2 yards to the Dal29.
Jaydon Blue rush to the middle for 2 yards to the Dal27.
Jaydon Blue rush to the middle for 5 yards to the Dal25.
Bradley Pinion punts for 47 yards to Dal0. Touchback.
Easton Stick sacked at Dal47 for a loss of 6 yards by Perrion Winfrey.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the middle for a loss of 4 yards to the Dal41.
Easton Stick pass to the right to Chris Blair for 6 yards to the Dal37.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the middle for 19 yards to the Dal43.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the left for no gain to the Atl38.
Penalty: Encroachment on Cowboys (Perrion Winfrey) 5 yards.
Brandon Aubrey kicks off to the Atl10. Jesse Matthews return for 18 yards to Atl28. Penalty: Illegal Formation on Cowboys (Alijah Clark) 5 yards.
Brandon Aubrey extra point is GOOD.
Joe Milton III pass to the right to Jalen Brooks for 29 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
Joe Milton III pass to the right to Traeshon Holden for 9 yards to the Atl29.
Joe Milton III rush to the left for 18 yards to the Atl38.
Joe Milton III rush to the right for 5 yards to the Dal44.
Jaydon Blue rush to the left for 4 yards to the Dal39.
Joe Milton III incomplete pass to the left intended for Jalen Brooks.
Younghoe Koo kicks off to the endzone. Touchback.
Brandon Aubrey 64 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.
Joe Milton III incomplete pass.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the middle for 1 yard to the Atl46. Tackled by Zach Harrison and Bralen Trice.
Joe Milton III incomplete pass to the left intended for Traeshon Holden.
Cowboys timeout.
Joe Milton III pass to the left to Ryan Flournoy for 12 yards to the Atl47.
Joe Milton III pass to the left to Jalen Brooks for 6 yards to the Dal41.
Joe Milton III incomplete pass to the right intended for Ryan Flournoy.
Joe Milton III incomplete pass to the right.
Bradley Pinion kicks off to the endzone. Touchback.
Younghoe Koo extra point is GOOD.
Easton Stick pass to the right to Feleipe Franks for 23 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
Easton Stick incomplete pass to the right intended for Chris Blair.
Cowboys timeout.
Easton Stick rush to the right for 2 yards to the Dal23.
Easton Stick pass to the right to Nick Nash for 11 yards to the Dal25.
Cowboys timeout.
Easton Stick rush to the right for 4 yards to the Dal36.
Penalty: Holding on Falcons (Brandon Parker) -10 yards.
Two Minute Warning.
Nathan Carter rush to the left for 8 yards to the Dal30.
Bryan Anger punts for 21 yards to Atl47. No return. Penalty: Personal Foul on Cowboys (Rivaldo Fairweather) 15 yards.
Joe Milton III incomplete pass to the right intended for Traeshon Holden.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the left for 1 yard to the Dal32.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the middle for no gain to the Dal31.
Joe Milton III pass to the left to Ryan Flournoy for 9 yards to the Dal31.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the middle for 4 yards to the Dal22.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the middle for 3 yards to the Dal18.
Bradley Pinion punts for 52 yards to Dal7. Jalen Cropper return for 8 yards to Dal15.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Feleipe Franks for 1 yard to the Atl41.
Elijah Dotson rush to the middle for 1 yard to the Atl40.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Elijah Dotson for 7 yards to the Atl39.
Easton Stick pass to the right to Nick Nash for 10 yards to the Atl32.
Elijah Dotson rush to the middle for 2 yards to the Atl22.
Bryan Anger punts for 51 yards to Atl20. No return.
Joe Milton III pass to the right to Princeton Fant for 7 yards to the Dal29.
Jaydon Blue rush to the middle for 2 yards to the Dal22.
Joe Milton III incomplete pass to the right.
Lenny Krieg kicks off to the endzone. Touchback.
Younghoe Koo 38 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Dylan Drummond for 8 yards to the Dal19.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Jashaun Corbin for a loss of 5 yards to the Dal27.
Penalty: False Start on Falcons (Joshua Gray) -5 yards.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Dylan Drummond for 4 yards to the Dal17.
Easton Stick pass to the right to Chris Blair for 10 yards to the Dal21.
Easton Stick incomplete pass to the middle intended for Nick Nash.
Easton Stick pass INTERCEPTED by Troy Pride Jr.. No return. Touchback.
Chris Blair rush to the left for a loss of 6 yards to the Dal37.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Chris Blair for 12 yards to the Dal31.
Nathan Carter rush to the middle for 2 yards to the Dal43.
Easton Stick incomplete pass to the left intended for Chris Blair.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Nick Nash for 15 yards to the Atl41.
Brandon Aubrey kicks off to the Atl2. Natrone Brooks return for 24 yards to Atl26.
Brandon Aubrey extra point is GOOD.
Jaydon Blue rush to the left for 1 yard for a TOUCHDOWN.
Joe Milton III incomplete pass to the right.
Penalty: Pass Interference on Falcons (Dee Alford) 6 yards.
Penalty: False Start on Cowboys (Ajani Cornelius) -5 yards.
Jaydon Blue rush to the middle for 13 yards to the Atl2.
Jaydon Blue rush to the left for no gain to the Atl15.
Joe Milton III pass to the left to Ryan Flournoy for 16 yards to the Atl30. Penalty: Roughing Passer on Falcons (LaCale London) 15 yards.
Joe Milton III pass to the right to Rivaldo Fairweather for 26 yards to the Atl45.
Joe Milton III pass to the left to Ryan Flournoy for 8 yards to the Dal29.
Jaydon Blue rush to the left for a loss of 5 yards to the Dal20.
Bradley Pinion punts for 51 yards to Dal12. Jalen Cropper return for 13 yards to Dal25.
Nathan Carter rush to the middle for a loss of 5 yards to the Atl37.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Chris Blair for 4 yards to the Atl42.
Nathan Carter rush to the middle for 5 yards to the Atl38.
Brandon Aubrey kicks off to the Atl7. Jashaun Corbin return for 26 yards to Atl33.
Brandon Aubrey extra point is GOOD.
Joe Milton III rush to the right for 1 yard for a TOUCHDOWN.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the left for 8 yards to the Atl1.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the middle for 12 yards to the Atl9.
Penalty: Holding (Return) on Falcons (Khalid Kareem) 5 yards.
Joe Milton III incomplete pass to the left intended for Ryan Flournoy.
Joe Milton III pass to the left to Jalen Cropper for 11 yards to the Atl26.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the right for 10 yards to the Atl36.
Joe Milton III rush to the right for 9 yards to the Atl46.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the right for 2 yards to the Dal45.
Deuce Vaughn rush to the middle for 2 yards to the Dal43.
51 yard field goal attempt by Younghoe Koo is NO GOOD.
Easton Stick incomplete pass to the left intended for Chris Blair.
Easton Stick pass to the right to Chris Blair for 12 yards to the Dal33.
Easton Stick sacked at Dal45 for a loss of 7 yards by James Houston.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Nick Nash for 24 yards to the Dal38.
Easton Stick pass to the left to Nick Nash for 9 yards to the Atl38.
Easton Stick incomplete pass to the right intended for Jashaun Corbin.
Falcons timeout.
Jashaun Corbin rush to the right for 2 yards to the Atl28.
Brandon Aubrey kicks off to the Atl5. Jashaun Corbin return for 22 yards to Atl27.
Beyond the Xs and Os, special teams and position battles carry just as much weight tonight. Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, one of last year’s unexpected success stories, has looked steady, but the return game is up for grabs. KaVontae Turpin is the frontrunner, though undrafted rookie Jalen Brooks has flashed enough speed to keep the conversation interesting.
For Atlanta, the focus shifts to coverage units and backup specialists. While Younghoe Koo is cemented as one of the league’s most reliable kickers, roster cuts are often made around the edges–making every punt, return, and coverage snap worth watching.
Both squads missed the playoffs last year–Dallas at 7-10, Atlanta at 8-9–so there’s urgency to reset the tone heading into 2025. Todd Archer of ESPN noted this week that Mike McCarthy is especially focused on finding cohesion on the offensive line after a training camp filled with shuffling. With Prescott’s health a top priority, protecting him starts with locking down those final depth chart spots.
Oddsmakers still see Dallas as the favorite, with Caesars Sportsbook listing them at -2.5 and an over/under of 36.5. But as everyone in the stadium knows, preseason betting lines mean little. What matters is which players make that last big play, earn that last roster spot, and turn a Friday night exhibition into a career-defining moment.
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Thanks for joining us on this live coverage. Here’s our recap featuring the best moments, key plays, and highlights from the Dallas Cowboys vs. Atlanta Falcons matchup.
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