Clayborn’s six-pack of sacks rips Dallas

FALCONS 27, COWBOYS 7

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 (5-4) 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 (5-4) were also without left offensive tackle Tyron Smith, who couldn’t play 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,” Clayborn said. “I was finally in my groove.”

He matched the secondmost 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 Seattle on Nov. 11, 1990.

Clayborn had more sacks in this contest than any other season except for his rookie year in 2011, when he had 7½. He came into Sunday with two sacks on the season and 22½ over his seven-year career.