Dallas Cowboys’ second half versus Atlanta Falcons is epic for all the right reasons
A woeful start, a litany of fumbles and seemingly questionable coaching decisions were on full display early on in the Dallas Cowboys home opener at AT&T Stadium.
Owner Jerry Jones set an NFL record for attendance in 2020 with 20,708 fans braving COVID-19 protocols for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Jones and the fans, however, were left wanting and legitimately concerned following 20-0 first-quarter deficit.
But it was the set up for for what proved to be one of the greatest comebacks in team history when kicker Greg Zuerlein nailed a 46-yarder as time expired to give the Cowboys a 40-39 victory.
It was the fifth time in club history for the Cowboys to rally from at least 20 down. It was the first time they have ever come back from a 20-point first quarter deficit as the moved to 1-1 to start the Mike McCarthy era.
The Cowboys started ugly with three lost fumbles and failed fake punt helping the Falcons jump out to a 20-0 lead in the first quarter.
But that was before the quarterback Dak Prescott sparked a seemingly heroic rally, completing 34 of 47 passes for 450 yards with one touchdown pass and three touchdown runs.
The Cowboys scored 10 points in the second quarter and trailed 29-10 at halftime.
They opened the second half with a touchdown drive, capped by a 2-yard run by Prescott.
And then the defense got a stop, allowing Prescott to lead the offense back down the field.
An amazing one-handed catch by Amari Cooper for 58-yard completion from Prescott was the spark.
But the courage and moxie of Prescott was on full display and couldn’t be topped.
The quarterback was rocked by a late roughing the passer penalty on a throw to Dalton Schutz. He was checked by Cowboys doctors on the field and then in the concussion tent. Backup Andy Dalton went in for two plays and then Prescott returned to the field to score the touchdown on a one-yard run to make it 29-24.
The Cowboys were back in the game, rallying from down 20 to down five with four minutes, 17 seconds left in the third quarter.
The defense, however, didn’t hold up immediately.
Rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs dropped a potential interception.
And Ryan tossed his fourth touchdown pass of the game to make the score 36-24.
A failed fake punt, the second of the game McCarthy and special teams coach Jim Fassel allowed the Facons to up the lead to 39-24.
And when Prescott tossed a touchdown pass to Schultz to make the score 39-30, McCarthy’s questionable to do for two, rather than wait until they needed it, it appeared to be too much to overcome.
A failed run by Ezekiel Elliott left the Cowboys down two scores with 4:57 left.
A Prescott one-yard run and the ensuing point after narrowed the score to 39-37 at the 1:49 mark.
Before Zeurlein made the huge kick, he executed a perfect onside kick.
Zuerlein dribbled the ball out to the left sideline, and five Falcons players just watched as the ball crossed the 10-yard line. Cowboys cornerback C.J. Goodwin recovered the onside kick at the 46, giving Prescott a final shot.
Prescott hit rookie first-round pick CeeDee Lamb for 24 yards and a first down at the 30.
Two runs by Elliott and spike by Prescott set up the game-winning kick for Zuerlein.
Again, it was ugly from the start for the Cowboys as running back Tony Pollard fumbled on the opening drive, only to luckily have it overturned by replay.
The Cowboys were able to punt but it proved to be ominous.
Prescott fumbled on the ensuing drive following a sack, leading to a 22-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Calvin Ridley.
Elliott had two fumbles on the next drive. The first one he recovered. The second one, he didn’t.
The Falcons turned into a 42-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to a wide-open Hayden Hurst.
A desperate Cowboys team tried a fake punt from its own 29 the next time it got the ball. Punter Chris Jones short armed the ball.
A Falcons field goal made it 17-0.
The Cowboys got the trifecta when Schultz fumbled after a pass from Prescott, resulting in a field goal and a 20-0 first-quarter deficit, the second largest in team history.
The Cowboys became the three teams in the past 19 years to have four fumbles in the first quarter, joining the 2013 Lions and 2001 Packers. The Cowboys lost three of them.
Including the playoffs, the Cowboys have lost their last 16 games in which they trailed by at least 14 points.
Interestingly, Cowboys fans didn’t boo nose Dontari Poe for taking a knee in a silent protest in support of social justice during the anthem before the game but they booed the team heading off the field at halftime, down 29-10.
This story was originally published September 20, 2020 at 3:50 PM.
