Falcons’ Clayborn torments Cowboys
ATLANTA — Adrian Clayborn must’ve thought he was the one replacing Ezekiel Elliott in the Dallas Cowboys’ backfield.
Clayborn spent most of Sunday running around back there, making life miserable for Dak Prescott with one of the greatest pass-rushing performances in NFL history.
A solid player but hardly a star, Clayborn set an Atlanta record with six sacks and forced a pair of fumbles to lead the Falcons past the Cowboys 27-7, a game that showed just how much Dallas missed one of its key offensive players.
No, not Elliott, though that was certainly a blow. After three legal reprieves, the star running back finally began serving a six-game suspension for allegations of domestic abuse.
The Cowboys were also without left tackle Tyron Smith, who couldn’t go because of groin and back injuries. Third-year player Chaz Green stepped into the spot — and had a thoroughly miserable day trying to stop Clayborn.
Leaving Green grasping at air, Clayborn blew by him to force two fumbles — one of which he recovered himself by ripping the ball away from Prescott — and surpass the team record of five sacks in a game, held by Chuck Smith and Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey.
“You always envision it,” said Clayborn, who entered the game with 22.5 career sacks. “I was finally in my groove.”
He matched the second-most sacks in NFL history. Derrick Thomas, Osi Umenyiora and Fred Dean are the only other players credited with six sacks in a game, while Thomas holds the league record with seven for Kansas City against the Seahawks on Nov. 11, 1990.
While Clayborn and the defense dominated the Elliott-less Cowboys (5-4), Matt Ryan threw a pair of short touchdown passes and reached 40,000 career passing yards in fewer games than any other quarterback in NFL history. Ryan has 40,073 yards in 151 games, surpassing the previous mark of 152 held by Drew Brees.
Ryan hooked up with Justin Hardy on a 3-yard pass for Atlanta’s first offensive touchdown in the third quarter this season.
Early in the fourth, Ryan put the game away for the Falcons (5-4) by tossing one to Austin Hooper for a 1-yard score. Thursday’s game
Seattle 22, Arizona 16
Sunday’s games
New Orleans 47, Buffalo 10
Green Bay 23, Chicago 16
Tampa Bay 15, N.Y. Jets 10 Detroit38,cleveland24
Pittsburgh 20, Indianapolis 17
Minnesota 38, Washington 30
Tennessee 24, Cincinnati 20
Jacksonville 20, L.A. Chargers 17, OT
L.A. Rams 33, Houston 7
Atlanta 27, Dallas 7
San Francisco 31, N.Y. Giants 21
New England 41, Denver 16
Open: Kansas City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Oakland
Monday’s game
Miami at Carolina, 5:15 p.m.