Ezekiel Elliott: Cowboys' Dramatic 20-Point Comeback vs. Falcons 'Felt Unreal'

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot could hardly believe the result as his team overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons by one point with a recovered onside kick and a field goal from Greg Zuerlein as time expired Sunday.  

"It almost felt unreal," Elliot said, per The Athletic's Jon Machota. "For us to persevere with that bad of a start, that's kind of unbelievable."

Elliot picked up 89 yards on 22 carries and added one touchdown, while Dak Prescott was 34-of-47, collecting 450 yards and one passing score and rushing for three touchdowns. He became the first quarterback in league history to throw for more than 400 yards and rush for three touchdowns in the same game.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who finished with four touchdown passes, gave his team a 20-0 lead in the first quarter, and it remained up 29-10 at the half. Dallas scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter.

The Cowboys still trailed by 12 after Ryan found Russell Gage for an eight-yard score near the start of the fourth quarter, but two touchdowns after an Atlanta field goal got them within two points. C.J. Goodwin recovered the onside kick with 1:48 left to play before rookie CeeDee Lamb set up Zuerlein's field goal with a 24-yard reception. 

"We weren't supposed to win that game," Elliot said, per Machota. "It's a testament to the type of guys we have in this locker room. We got it done."

The Cowboys are now 1-1 after falling to the Los Angeles Rams 20-17 in Week 1. 

The Falcons' 20-point lead is the largest the team has blown since Super Bowl LI, when they led 28-3 over the New England Patriots in the third quarter before New England scored 25 unanswered points and won in overtime, 34-28.