Falcons QB Matt Ryan passed for 342 yards, never turned the ball over and played keep-away from the Cowboys for a final drive to seal a 19-13 win on Sunday night at the Georgia Dome. The win kept the Falcons perfect with an 8-0 record.

The Cowboys have now lost four of five to drop to 3-5 at the midpoint of the season. The 6-6 halftime score included missed opportunities by both teams, but the Falcons got the running game going to match their prolific passing attack and get the first touchdown of the game -- a 3-yard run by RB Michael Turner.

After the Falcons tacked on another field goal by Matt Bryant, the Cowboys were able to keep it close thanks to a Tony Romo touchdown pass to WR Kevin Ogletree. But that's when the Falcons went to work, driving 12 plays for 66 yards to settle for a 32-yard field goal by Bryant with 17 seconds left.

A desperation attempt by Romo as the clock expired came up short, keeping the Falcons undefeated.

When the game turned:  Late in the third quarter, Turner ripped off a 43-yard run around the right end, setting up Atlanta's only touchdown of the game. Turner eventually scored, but the long run pushed the ball to the Cowboys' 14 and got the momentum swinging in Atlanta's direction.

Highlight moments: Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers had a 31-yard reception on the final drive on a key third-and-6 with 3:57  to play. ... Cowboys tight end Jason Witten passed Michael Irvin (750) as the franchise's all-time leader in catches. Witten (754) needed four grabs for the record and had seven for 51 yards. ... Falcons receiver Roddy White became Atlanta’s all-time leader in receptions, surpassing Terrance Mathis with 574 catches. White also set a franchise record with his 31st career 100-yard receiving game.

Top-shelf performances:

  • Falcons QB Matt Ryan -- 24 of 34 passing for 342 yards

  • Cowboys WR Kevin Ogletree -- 3 catches, 96 yards, TD

  • Falcons WR Roddy White -- 7 catches, 118 yards

  • Falcons RB Michael Turner -- 20 carries, 102 yards

  • Cowboys OLB <strong><player idref= -- 1.5 sacks

What they said about those who still wonder if the Falcons are for real:

  • Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- “No matter what, there are always going to be doubters. It doesn’t matter. As long as we believe in this locker room, that’s all that matters.”

What they said about Atlanta not producing TDs despite plenty of yards:

  • Falcons QB Matt Ryan to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- “Any way you can find a way to win is a positive in this league. I think that is a very good football team we played against tonight and a very good defense. We had some opportunities, and sure we need to clean some things up and try and improve in some areas, but at the end of the day it’s about finding ways to win, and I think our team did a good job with that tonight.”

What they said about the Cowboys sliding to 3-5:

  • Coach Jason Garrett -- "I thought we did some good things in this ballgame; they did more good things. We didn't do enough in all three phases to win this game. We have to give them credit. There were a lot of good things that happened. I thought the effort was outstanding, but we didn't do enough. They've won eight games for a reason, and we had to play better than we did. We've got to stay together. We've got another big challenge next week going to Philadelphia."

What they said about beleaguered QB Tony Romo's performance:

  • Garrett -- "I thought Tony was steady throughout the ballgame. We were trying to have some balance against their defensive front in their place. I thought we did OK with that. When we got behind and had to get into (hurry-up) mode, we certainly moved the ball well. It gave us a real good chance to get back into this ballgame."

Numbers you should know: The Falcons are 30-4 at home with Ryan as the starting quarterback. But a trend that didn't continue included Romo's November record. Romo fell to 19-3 as a starter this month.

Injury update: Cowboys -- They lost defensive tackle <strong><player idref= for most of the second half with another left ankle injury. Ratliff missed five games with a high-ankle sprain he sustained on Aug. 25. ESPN also reported that Romo left the Georgia Dome walking gingerly to the bus due to a back strain. Falcons -- DL <player idref= left with a knee injury and didn’t return. CB <strong><player idref= had a neck injury but returned after missing one series.

Going forward: Cowboys: They continue a tough stretch of road games, playing their fourth away from home in five weeks as they travel to Philadelphia. Falcons -- They travel to New Orleans next Sunday for an always-tough division matchup.

For more Cowboys information follow @CBSCowboys and @nickeatman

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For more Falcons coverage, follow Mike Singer @CBSFalcons.