ARLINGTON, Texas — The Atlanta Falcons could only watch as they lost on a game-ending field goal.
They might not have been in that situation if their hands team hadn’t just watched the trickling onside kick that put the Dallas Cowboys in position to pull off a 40-39 win Sunday.
Greg Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired, and the Cowboys overcame four fumbles and a 20-point deficit in the first quarter.
The Falcons were still up 15 in the fourth quarter before Dak Prescott became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards and rush for three touchdowns in the same game, the third TD cutting Dallas’ deficit to two at 39-37.
Zuerlein did not use a tee for his slow-rolling onside attempt, a rare tactic. More curious was Atlanta’s players surrounding the ball when they could have recovered it. As soon as it crossed the 10-yard mark, C.J. Goodwin pounced — and later emerged from the big pile with the ball and 1:48 on the clock.
Rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb’s 24-yard catch got the Cowboys in field-goal position, and they ran down the clock before “Greg the Leg” touched off a wild celebration for the players and the socially distanced 21,708 fans who booed Dallas off the field with Atlanta up 29-10 at halftime. The crowd was 27% of AT&T Stadium’s 80,000-seat capacity and was the largest crowd in the NFL this season.
“I don’t know if I’ve been in many games like this thing,” Prescott said. “But to be able to get the win, and in front of those fans that were there, stayed the whole game, they didn’t give up on us. That was a huge difference.”
Playing without both of his starting tackles, Prescott went 34-for-47 for 450 yards and a touchdown with one sack. It was his first game with multiple rushing TDs....
