Dak Prescott, Cowboys Overcome 20-Point Deficit for Dramatic Win vs. Falcons

The Dallas Cowboys rallied back from a 20-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons for a 40-39 victory Sunday. 

Quarterback Dak Prescott led the Cowboys to their first win of the year with 450 passing yards and one touchdown to go with three rushing scores, while tailback Ezekiel Elliott added 89 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. 

Dallas outscored Atlanta 30-10 in the second half and successfully executed an onside kick with 1:46 left in the game to set up a winning field goal by Greg Zuerlein from 46 yards out. 

No quarterback in NFL history had passed for more than 400 yards with three rushing touchdowns before Prescott's performance Sunday. 

He couldn't have picked a much better time do so, either.

After falling 20-17 to the Los Angeles Rams in the season opener, Dallas was at risk of beginning the year with an 0-2 record. Atlanta took a 20-0 lead in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium as the Cowboys offense looked disjointed to begin their home opener. 

Each of the first five drives ended increasingly worse as Dallas went punt, fumble, fumble, turnover on downs and fumble with Atlanta (0-2) building its 20-point lead on scores following each turnover.

The Cowboys (1-1) finally got on the board with Elliott's lone touchdown of the day early in the second quarter to give his offense some life. 

Prescott took over from there. 

The QB rushed for touchdowns on each of his first two drives in the third quarter as the Falcons began to crumble. 

By the fourth quarter, momentum had turned squarely in the Cowboys' favor, though Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan would get one touchdown back with 14:23 to play. 

Despite never leading—and a concussion scare for Prescott on a roughing-the-passer call in the third frame—Dallas won with Zuerlein's kick splitting the uprights as the game clock hit zeros. 

Ryan finished with 273 passing yards and four touchdowns as tailback Todd Gurley added 61 yards on 21 carries.