In Brief
Keith Brooking faces his former
Falcons teammates for the first time.
(James D Smith / Associated Press)
Last meeting:
The Cowboys overcame four touchdown passes from Michael Vick and held off the Falcons, 38-28, in Week 15 of the 2006 season.
Streaks:
Dallas has won four of the past six and owns a 15-8 overall series advantage, including the playoffs.
Last week:
A late defensive stand helped the Falcons edge the Bears, 21-14. ... Dallas was on a bye.
Keep your eye on ...
Miles Austin's emergence: Following his 250-yard performance against the Chiefs, Austin was named a starting wide receiver over Patrick Crayton. Given Roy Williams' struggles this season, Austin may in fact be the team's No. 1 wide receiver. The fourth-year pro out of Monmouth has never been a primary player and it will be interesting to see how he responds to his added responsibility.
Keith Brooking's revenge: Atlanta was home to Brooking for the first 11 years of his career before he joined Dallas in the offseason. He will have plenty of motivation to show his former team what they lost by letting him go to the Cowboys.
Roddy White's recent explosion: The Falcons' Pro Bowl receiver started slowly this season, but he has picked it up in the last two weeks. He has 266 receiving yards and three touchdowns over that span and he will look to continue his hot streak against Dallas' 26th-ranked pass defense.
Did you know?
The Falcons are 8-0 when Matt Ryan has a 100-plus passer rating. ... When John Abraham has two or more sacks in a game, his teams are 13-3. ... Marion Barber has the most rushing touchdowns in the NFC since 2006 with 34. ... Jason Witten has 422 receptions since 2004, the second-highest number among tight ends.
