Cowboys vs. Falcons: Jacquizz Rodgers the difference in key drive

Desperate for a defensive stop late in Sunday's game with Atlanta, the Dallas Cowboys were simply no match for speedy Falcons tailback Jacquizz Rodgers down the stretch in their disheartening Week 9 loss.

Even though he was hardly a major factor earlier in the evening, the 5'6, 196-pound Rodgers came up huge with a pair of nifty receptions on screen passes during his team's final drive to exasperate Cowboy defenders. Both of Rodgers' late receptions each went for first downs, but it was his 31-yard scamper on a 3rd-and-6 play after Dallas cornerback Orlando Scandrick missed a tackle that may have helped Atlanta ice the game.

Rogers would go on to break the Cowboys' backs once again on a 3rd-and-5 play in Dallas territory, as the diminutive back somehow managed to leave the field as a star performer despite receiving exactly seven offensive touches. Later flagged for a holding penalty on another third-down play later in the drive, the 25-year-old Scandrick was furious after the game for not being able to make a play on Rodgers when it mattered most.

"It’s just very upsetting," Scandrick told Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. "My first penalty and my first missed tackle of the season come in one game, in a crucial part of the game. I don’t have any excuses. I accept full responsibility."