Getty Dak Prescott vs. Falcons
Everything was working against Dak Prescott in Sunday’s home opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Dallas Cowboys quarterback was missing his starting tackles, Tyron Smith (neck) and La’el Collins (IR, hip). Their replacements were a pair of undrafted free agents.
His supporting cast could not hold onto the football. Running back Ezekiel Elliott fumbled twice and tight end Dalton Schultz once.
His defense was bleeding points to an Atlanta offense that looked like it couldn’t be slowed down.
The Cowboys found themselves in a 20-point hole entering the final frame. They were facing their first 0-2 start to a season since 2010.
Good QBs elevate the play of those around them. Great QBs put the entire team on his back. And Dak did just that in completing one of the most improbable comebacks you’ll ever witness.
The two-time Pro Bowl passer led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter, hanging 16 points within the last five minutes — capped by a game-winning 46-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal — to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
In historic fashion, no less.
Prescott finished 34-of-47 for 450 yards and one air TD. He added three TDs on the ground, becoming the first NFL QB to throw for 400-plus yards and account for a troika of rushing scores in a single game, per Elias Sports Bureau.
“Those are just statistics. That was a team (effort) all the way around. My stats are just a credit to the whole offense,” he said in his post-game conference call, via The Athletic.
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Deeper Dive
Prescott’s weapons indeed benefitted from the 40-burger. Rookie wide receiver CeeDee Lamb led Dallas with 106 yards on six catches while WR1 Amari Cooper (6/100) also cracked the century mark. Elliott, despite the butterfingers, collected 89 rushing yards and found the end zone.
All told, the Cowboys racked up 570 yards of total offense and 33 first downs across 14 drives. The unit, which held possession for 26:12, went 7-of-13 on third-down and 5-of-6 in the red zone. Surprisingly, Prescott was sacked just once.
The performance further entrenches the 27-year-old as Dallas’ cornerstone player and adds to his case for a lucrative, long-term deal. Prescott averaged 9.6 yards per completion and logged a sterling 109.4 rating amid the 40-39 squeaker at sparsely-filled AT&T Stadium.
“I just want to thank those 21,000 fans that showed up today,” Prescott said, via The Athletic. “I think the team fed off that. It was simply just incredible. An incredible game to be part of.”
Lamb Makes Franchise History
With his inaugural 100-yard game as a pro, Lamb becomes the only Cowboys receiver to ever cross the century mark within his first two NFL appearances. Lamb outshined Cooper and 2019 breakout star Michael Gallup, averaging 17.7 yards per grab on nine targets, regularly beating the Falcons’ coverage.
“It was a proud moment for me. I’m sure it was a proud moment for him,” Cooper said of Lamb, via The Athletic.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL