Brandon Weeden was a perfect 7-for-7 with a touchdown pass after coming in for an injured Tony Romo in week two. (Getty)
It has been a rough two weeks for the Dallas Cowboys.
Sure, they’re 2-0. Sure, they’ve pulled off dramatic comebacks and notched impressive defensive showings. But, and this is the rough part, along the way, the Cowboys have lost Tony Romo and Dez Bryant to injuries that will keep them both sidelined for at least 10 weeks.
So, what happens now?
Well, as they say, the show must go on. Brandon Weeden will take over at quarterback for the foreseeable future and the Cowboys will try and expand on the run-game-by-committee to spark any kind of offense. Dallas will face a quick test, however, against a rejuvenated Atlanta Falcons defense that is more than confident after two victories.
Kickoff for the week three matchup is slated for 1 p.m. ET. Here’s everything you need to know about the betting information, per OddsShark.com:
Game Info
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw a final-second TD to lead his team to a victory over the New York Giants in week two. (Getty)
Line: Falcons PK (-110), Cowboys PK (-110)
Moneyline: Falcons 110, Cowboys -110
Over/Under: 44.5
What To Watch For
The Dallas Cowboys will be without QB Tony Romo for at least 10 weeks after he broke his left clavicle in week two. (Getty)
Of course, the headlines around this game will be focused on the absence of Tony Romo and Dez Bryant. They should be. The pair aren’t simply two of the best players on the Dallas Cowboys roster, they’re two of the best players in the NFL.
The lack of both Romo and Bryant makes this a very different Cowboys team.
But let’s talk about the Atlanta Falcons for a second. More specifically, let’s talk about Julio Jones.
For the second straight week Jones ran rampant against a defensive secondary as he hauled in 13 passes, tying a team record, for 135 yards en route to a 24-20 victory over the New York Giants last week. In two games so far this season, Jones has caught 22 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns.
“Every opportunity that I get, when a ball is thrown at me, I feel like it’s my job to catch it,” Jones said on Sunday. “I had 15 targets and I caught 13. I think I did OK. I wish I could have caught all 15.”
The Cowboys don’t exactly boast a particularly dominant secondary, so expect Matt Ryan to try and find Julio Jones early and often this weekend.